fromEnglish Grammar Today
We usepersoninthe singular to refer to any human being:
Joel is such a niceperson.
She’s apersonI have a lot of respect for.
Persons(plural) is a very formal word. We only use it in rather legalistic contexts:
[notice in a lift]
Any person orpersonsfound in possession of illegal substances will be prosecuted.
To refer to groups of human beings or humans in general, we usepeople:
I saw threepeoplestanding on the corner.
Not:I saw three persons…
Jim and Wendy are such nicepeople.
Peopleare generally very selfish.
Three peoplewere interviewed for the job, but onlyone personhad the right qualifications and experience.