diff --git a/src/utils/str.py b/src/utils/str.py
index b3a31bdd6..3dc294f74 100644
--- a/src/utils/str.py
+++ b/src/utils/str.py
@@ -299,9 +299,15 @@ def nItems(n, item, between=None):
     assert isinstance(n, int), \
            'The order of the arguments to nItems changed again, sorry.'
     if between is None:
-        return '%s %s' % (n, pluralize(item, n))
+        if n > 1:
+            return format('%s %p', n, item)
+        else:
+            return format('%s %s', n, item)
     else:
-        return '%s %s %s' % (n, between, pluralize(item, n))
+        if n > 1:
+            return format('%s %s %p', n, between, item)
+        else:
+            return format('%s %s %s', n, between, item)
 
 def be(i):
     """Returns the form of the verb 'to be' based on the number i."""
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index 42bff17e3..ae86fd64d 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -169,20 +169,13 @@ class StrTest(SupyTestCase):
 
     def testPluralize(self):
         f = utils.str.pluralize
-        self.assertEqual('bike', f('bike', 1))
-        self.assertEqual('bikes', f('bike', 2))
-        self.assertEqual('BIKE', f('BIKE', 1))
-        self.assertEqual('BIKES', f('BIKE', 2))
-        self.assertEqual('match', f('match', 1))
-        self.assertEqual('matches', f('match', 2))
-        self.assertEqual('Patch', f('Patch', 1))
-        self.assertEqual('Patches', f('Patch', 2))
-        self.assertEqual('fish', f('fish', 1))
-        self.assertEqual('fishes', f('fish', 2))
-        self.assertEqual('try', f('try', 1))
-        self.assertEqual('tries', f('try', 2))
-        self.assertEqual('day', f('day', 1))
-        self.assertEqual('days', f('day', 2))
+        self.assertEqual('bikes', f('bike'))
+        self.assertEqual('BIKES', f('BIKE'))
+        self.assertEqual('matches', f('match'))
+        self.assertEqual('Patches', f('Patch'))
+        self.assertEqual('fishes', f('fish'))
+        self.assertEqual('tries', f('try'))
+        self.assertEqual('days', f('day'))
 
     def testDepluralize(self):
         f = utils.str.depluralize