The Noun Numbers / Singular And Plurals
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SINGULAR: A noun that denotes one person or thing, is called Singular Number. e.g. Boy, Cow, Bird, Book, Pen.
- PLURAL: A noun that denotes more than one person or thing, is called Plural Number. e.g. Boys, Cows, Birds, Books, Pens.
FORMATION OF PLURAL
(i) By adding -s to singular noun:| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Boy | Boys |
| Book | Books |
| Building | Buildings |
| Cat | Cats |
| Chair | Chairs |
| Chief | Chiefs |
| Chimney | Chimneys |
| Cliff | Cliffs |
| Constable | Constables |
| Cow | Cows |
| Cuff | Cuffs |
| Daughter | Daughters |
| Day | Days |
| Desk | Desks |
| Dog | Dogs |
| Donkey | Donkeys |
| Dwarf | Dwarfs |
| Eye | Eyes |
| Father | Fathers |
| Girl | Girls |
| Golf | Golfs |
| Handful | Handfuls |
| Hoof | Hoofs |
| House | Houses |
| Journey | Journeys |
| Key | Keys |
| Monkey | Monkeys |
| Mother | Mothers |
| Nose | Noses |
| Pen | Pens |
| Play | Plays |
| Proof | Proofs |
| Puff | Puffs |
| Roof | Roofs |
| Room | Rooms |
| Servant | Servants |
| Shoe | Shoes |
| Spoonful | Spoonfuls |
| Table | Tables |
| Toy | Toys |
| Tree | Trees |
| Vowel | Vowels |
| Way | Ways |
| Well | Wells |
(ii) By adding -es to singular noun ending in -s, -sh, -ch (soft, or -x:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Ass | Asses |
| Box | Boxes |
| Bench | Benches |
| Branch | Branches |
| Brush | Brushes |
| Bush | Bushes |
| Church | Churches |
| Class | Classes |
| Dish | Dishes |
| Fox | Foxes |
| Gas | Gases |
| Inch | Inches |
| Kiss | Kisses |
| Match | Matches |
| Tax | Taxes |
| Watch | Watches |
| Wish | Wishes |
| Witch | Witches |
(iii) By adding -es to singular noun ending in -o:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Buffalo | Buffaloes |
| Cargo | Cargoes |
| Echo | Echoes |
| Hero | Heroes |
| Mango | Mangoes |
| Mosquito | Mosquitoes |
| Negro | Negroes |
| Potato | Potatoes |
| Tomato | Tomatoes |
| Volcano | Volcanoes |
(iv) By adding -s to singular noun ending in -o:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Canto | Cantos |
| Commando | Commandos |
| Dynamo | Dynamos |
| Kilo | Kilos |
| Logo | Logos |
| Memento | Mementos |
| Photo | Photos |
| Piano | Pianos |
| Quarto | Quartos |
| Solo | Solos |
| Stereo | Stereos |
| Ratio | Ratios |
(v) By changing -y into -i and adding -es to singular noun ending in -y (preceded by a consonant):
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Army | Armies |
| Baby | Babies |
| Body | Bodies |
| City | Cities |
| Copy | Copies |
| Country | Countries |
| Cry | Cries |
| Duty | Duties |
| Enemy | Enemies |
| Family | Families |
| Fairy | Fairies |
| Fly | Flies |
| Hobby | Hobbies |
| Lady | Ladies |
| Lorry | Lorries |
| Penny | Pennies |
| Sky | Skies |
| Story | Stories |
(vi) By changing -f or -fe into -v and adding -es to singular noun ending in -f or -fe:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Calf | Calves |
| Elf | Elves |
| Half | Halves |
| Knife | Knives |
| Leaf | Leaves |
| Life | Lives |
| Loaf | Loaves |
| Self | Selves |
| Sheaf | Sheaves |
| Shelf | Shelves |
| Thief | Thives |
| Wife | Wives |
| Wolf | Wolves |
* For some Nouns ending in -f or -fe take either -s or -ves in the plural
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Dwarf | Dwarfs or Dwarves |
| Hoof | Hoofs or Hooves |
| Scarf | Scarfs or Scarves |
| Wharf | Wharfs or Wharves |
* For some Nouns ending in -f or -fe, by adding -s:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Chief | Chiefs |
| Cliff | Cliffs |
| Gulf | Gulfs |
| Handerkerchief | Handerkerchiefs |
| Proof | Proofs |
| Safe | Safes |
(vii) A few noun form their plural by changing their inside vowel or vowels such as:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Foot | Feet |
| Goose | Geese |
| Louse | Lice |
| Man | Men |
| Mouse | Mice |
| Mr. | Messrs |
| Tooth | Teeth |
| Woman | Women |
(viii) By adding -en to the singular of a few nouns:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Child | Children |
| Ox | Oxen |
(ix) A compoun noun generally form its plural by adding -s to the main word:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Class-fellow | Class-fellows |
| Commander-in-chief | Commanders-in-chief |
| Coat-of-mail | Coats-of-mail |
| Daughter-in-law | Daughters-in-law |
| Father-in-law | Fathers-in-law |
| Looker-on | Lookers-on |
| Maid-servant | Maid-servants |
| Man-of-war | Men-of-war |
| Man-servant | Men-servant |
| Mother-in-law | Mothers-in-law |
| Passer-by | Passers-by |
| Sister-in-law | Sisters-in-law |
| Son-in-law | Sons-in-law |
| Step-daughter | Step-daughters |
| Step-son | Step-sons |
(x) Some nouns have the same word for singular and the plural, such as:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | Aircraft |
| Cod | Cod |
| Deer | Deer |
| Dozen | Dozen |
| Fish | Fish (Commonly plural form), Fishes (unusual plural form - Fishes is referring to more than one spicies of fish i.e. different kinds, especially in scientific context) |
| Gross | Goss |
| Hundred | Hundred |
| Pair | Pair |
| Salmon | Salmon |
| Score | Score |
| Series | Series |
| Sheep | Sheep |
| Spacecraft | Spacecraft |
| Species | Species |
| Swine | Swine |
| Trout | Trout |
REMEMBER: Some nouns are only use in plural form
- Name of instruments which have two parts:
Bellows, Gallows, Pincers, Scissors, Spectacles, Tongs. - Name of certain articles of dresses:
Drawers, Jeans, Pyjamas, Shorts, Socks, Tights, Trousers, Breeches, - Some other nouns:
Alms, Annals, Assets, Innings, Riches, Thanks, Tidings, Proceeds (of a sale), Environs, Eaves, Nuptials, Obsequies. - Certain Collective nouns, though singular in form are always used as plural.
Cattle, Flock, Gentry, Hair, People, Poultry, Scenery,Vermin
(Note: As a common noun 'People' means a nation and is used in both singular and plural.)
REMEMBER: Some nouns look plural but are in fact singular:
-
Name of subjects:
Electronics, Mathematics, Physics etc. - Name of some common disease:
Measles, Mumps, Rickets - Name of some games:
Billiards, Draughts. - Other Nouns:
News - Letters, figures and other symbols are made plural by adding an apostrophe, as:
* e's, a's etc.
* 5's, 9's etc.
* B.A's
REMEMBER: Many nouns taken from foreign language keep their original plural form:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| From Latin | |
| Erratum | Errata |
| Formula | Formulae OR Formulas |
| Index | Indices |
| Memorandum | Memoranda |
| Radius | Radii |
| Terminus | Termini OR Terminuses |
| From Greek | |
| Analysis | Analyses |
| Axis | Axes |
| Basis | Bases |
| Crisis | Crises |
| Criterion | Criteria |
| Hypothesis | Hypotheses |
| Parenthesis | Parentheses |
| Phenomenon | Phenomena |
| From Italian | |
| Bandit | Banditti OR Bandits |
| From French | |
| Madame (Madam) | Mesdames |
| Monsieur | Messieurs |
| From Herbew | |
| Cherub | Cherubim OR Cherubs |
| Seraph | Sera |
REMEMBER: Some nouns have two forms for the plural, each with different meaning:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Brother | (i) Brothers: Sons of the same parents (ii) Brethren: Members of a society or a community. |
| Cloth | (i) Cloths: Kinds or pieces of cloth (ii) Clothes: Garments |
| Die | (i) Dies: Stamps for coining. (ii) Dice: Small cubes used in games. |
| Index | (i) Indexes: Tables of contents to books. (ii) Indices: Signs used in algebra. |
| Penny | (i) Pennies: Number of coins (ii) Pence: Amount in value. |
REMEMBER: Some nouns Have one meaning in the singular, two in the plural:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Colour (Hue) | Colours (i) Hues (ii) The flag of a regiment |
| Customs (Habit) | Customs (i) Habits(ii) Duties levied on imports. |
| Effect (Result) | Effects (i) Results.(ii) Property. |
| Ground (i) Earth (ii) Reason | Grounds (i) Enclosed land attached to house(ii) Reasons (iii) Dregs |
| Letter (i) Letter of the alphabet (ii) Epistle | Letters (i) Letters of alphabet(ii) Epistles |
| Manner (Method) | Manners (i) Methods(ii) Correct behaviour |
| Moral (A moral lesson) | Morals (i) Moral lessons(ii) Conduct |
| Number (A quantity) | Numbers (i) Quantities(ii) Verses |
| Pain (Suffering) | Pains (i) Sufferings(ii) Care, Exertions |
| Premise (Proposition) | Premises (i) Propositions(ii) Buildings. |
| Quarter (Fourth part) | Quarters (i) Fourth parts(ii) lodgings |
| Spectacle (A sight) | Spectacles (i) Sights(ii) Eye-glasses |
REMEMBER: Some nouns have two meanings in the singular but only one in the plural:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
Light (i) Radiance(ii) a Lamp | Lights (Lamps) |
People (i) Nation(ii) Men and women | Peoples (Nations) |
Powder (i) Dust(ii) A dose of medicine in flue grains like dust | Powders (Doses of medicine) |
Practice (i) Habit(ii) Exercise of a profession | Practices (Habits) |
- Abstract Nouns have no plural. They are uncountable:
Hope, Charity, Love, Kindness - Names of substances are also uncountable and are not therefore used in the plural:
Copper, Iron, tin, Wood - Some Nouns use as singular form only:
Advice, Abuse
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Singular: Advice (Counsel)
Plural: Advices (Information) - Singular: Air (Atmosphere)
Plural: Airs (Affected manners) - Singular: Good (Benefit, well-being)
Plural: Goods (Merchandise) - Singular: Compass (Extent, range)
Plural: Compasses (An instrument for drawing circle.) - Singular: Respect (Regard)
Plural: Respects (Compliments) - Singular: Physic (Medicine)
Plural: Physics (Natural Science) - Singular: Iron (A kind of metal)
Plural: Irons (Fetters) - Singular: Force (strength)
Plural: Forces (Troops) - Singular: Copper (A kind of metal)
Plural: Coppers (Copper coins) - Singular: Tin (A kind of metal)
Plural: Tins (Cans made of tins - Singular: Wood (Branches of tree)
Plural: Woods (Forest)
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