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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