(I)The Plural of
nouns is generally formed by adding –s to the singular; as,
Boy, boys; girl, girls, book, books;
Pen, pens; desk, desks; cow,
cows.
( ii)But Nouns ending in
–s, -sh, -ch (soft), or –x form the floral by adding –es to the singular; as,
Class, classes; kiss, kisses;
dish, dishes;
Bruch, brushes; match, matches;
watch, watches;
Branch, branches; tax, taxes;
box, boxes.
(iii) Most Nouns ending in –o
also form the plural by adding –es to the singular ; as,
Buffalo, buffaloes; mango,
mangoes; hero, heroes;
Potato, potatoes; cargo, cargoes,
echo, echoes;
Negro, Negroes; volcano,
volcanoes.
(iv) A few nouns ending in –o merely add –s, ; as,
Dynamo, dynamos; solo, solos;
ratio, ratios;
Canto, cantos; memento, mementos;
quarto, quartos;
Piano, pianos; photo; photos;
stereo, stereos.
Kilo, kilos; logo, logos;
commando, commandos
(v) Nouns ending in –y, preceded
by a consonant, form their plural by changing –y into –I and adding –es; as,
Baby, babies; lady, ladies; city
cities; army, armies; story, stories; pony, ponies.
(vi) The following nouns ending
in –f or fe form their plural by changing –f or – fe into v and adding –es; as,
Thief, thieves; wife, wives;
wolf, wolves;
Life, lives; calf, calves; leaf;
leaves;
Loaf, loaves; knife, knives;
shelf, shelves.
Half, halves; elf, elves ; self,
selves
The nouns dwarf, hoof, scarfs and wharf take
either –s or –ves in the plural.
Dwarf or dwarves; hoofs or
hooves; scarfs or scarves;
Wharfs or wharves
Other words ending in –f or –fe
add –s as
Chief, chief; safe, safes; proof,
proofs
Gulf, gulfs; cliff, cliffs;
handkerchief, handkerchiefs
32. A few nouns form their plural
by changing the vowel of the singular; as,
Man, men; woman, women; foot,
feet; tooth, teeth;
Goose, geese; mouse, mice; louse,
lice.
33. There are a few nouns that form their plural
by adding –en to the singular ; as,
Ox, oxen; child, children.
The plural of fish is fish or fishes. In
current English fish is the usual plural. Fishes is sometimes
used to talk about different kinds of fish.
34. some nouns have the singular
and the plural alike; as,
Swine, sheep, deer; cod, trout,
salmon; aircraft, spacecraft, series, species.
Pair, dozen; score, gross,
hundred , thousand (when used after numerals).
I brought three dozen oranges.
Some people reach the age of
three score and ten.
The sari cost me five thousand
rupees.
Stone, hundredweight.
He weighs above nine stone.
Twenty hundred weight make one
ton.
35. Some nouns are used only in
the plural.
(1) Names of instruments which
have two parts forming a kind of pair; as,
Bellows, scissors, tongs,
pincers, spectacles.
(1) Names
of certain articles of dress; as,
Trousers, drawers,
breaches, jeans, tights, shorts, pyjama.
(2) Certain other nouns; as,
Proceeds (of a
sale), tidings, environs, nuptials, obsequies, assets, chattels.
36. Some nouns originally
singular are now generally used in the plural ; as,
Alms, riches,
eaves,
Riches do many
things.
37. The following nouns look plural but are in fact
singular:
(1) Names of subjects
Mathematics, physics, electronics, ect.
(2) The word news
(3) Names of some common diseases
Measles, mumps, rickets
(3)
Names of some games
Billiards, draughts
Mathematics is his favourite study.
No news is good news.
India won by an innings and three runs.
Measles is infectious.
Billiards is my favourite game.
‘Means’ is used either as singular or
plural. But when it has meaning of ‘wealth’ it is always plural; as.
He succeeded by this means (or, by these
means) in passing the examination.
His means are small, but he has incurred no
debt.
Certain Collective Nouns, though singular in form, are
always used as plurals; as.
Poultry, cattle, vermin, people, gentry..
These poultry are mine.
Whose are these cattle?
Vermin destroy our property and carry disease.
Who are those people( = persons)?
There are few gentry in this town.
Note- As a Common
Noun ‘people’ means a ‘nation’ and is in both singular ad plural; as,
The Japanese are a hard-working people.
There are many different peoples in Europe.
A Compound Noun generally forms its plural by adding –s
to the principal word; as,
Singular
|
Plural
|
Commander –in-chief
|
Commanders –in-chief
|
Coat-of-mail
|
Son-in-law
|
Daughter-in-law
|
Daughters-in-law
|
Stepson
|
Stepsons
|
Stepdaughter
|
Stepdaughters
|
Maidservant
|
Maidservants (but manservant, plural menservants)
|
Passer-by
|
Passers-by
|
Looker-on
|
Lookers –on
|
Man-of-war
|
Men-of-war.
|
We say spoonfuls and
handfuls, because spoonful and handful are regarded as one word.
Note yhat the Proper Nouns Bhraman and Mussulman are not
compounds of man therefore their plurals are Brahmans and Mussulmans.
Many nouns
taken from foreign languages keep their original keep their original plural
form; as, From Latin-
Erratum, errata;
formula, formulae (or formulas)”
Index, indices; memorandum, memoranda;
Radius, radi; terminus, termini (or terminuses).
From Greek-
Axis, Axes; Parenthesis, parentheses;
Crisis, crisis; hypothesis, hypotheses;
Basis, base; phenomenon, phenomena;
Analysis, analyses; criterion, criteria.
From Italian-
Bandit, banditti, (or bandits)
From French-
Madame (madam), Mesdames; monsieurs, messieurs.
From Hebrew-
Cherub, cherubim (or cherubs); seraph, seraphim (or
seraphs).
Some nouns have two forms for the plural, each with a
somewhat different meaning.
Singular Plural
Brother brothers, sons of the
same parent.
Brethren, members of a society or a community.
Cloth cloths, kinds or
pieces of cloth.
Clothes, garments.
Die dies
stamps for coining.
Dice, small cubes used in games.
Index indexes, tables
of contents to books
Indices , signs used in algebra.
Penny Pennies, number of
coins
Pence,
amount in value.
Some nouns have two meanings in the singular but only
one in the plural.
Singular
|
Plural
|
|
Light:
|
(1) Radiance:
(2) A
lamp.
|
Lights: lamps
|
People:
|
(1)Nation;
(2)Men and
women.
|
Peoples: nations.
|
Powder
|
(1) Dust:
(2) A
dose of medicine in grains like dust
|
Powders: doses of medicine
|
Practice
|
(1) Habit:
(2) Exercise
of a profession.
|
Practices: habits
|
Some nouns have one meaning in the singular , two in the
plural
Singular
|
Plural
|
||
Colour:
|
Hue.
|
Colours:
|
(1) Hues;
(2) (2)
the flag of a regiment.
|
Custom:
|
Habit.
|
Customs:
|
(1) Habits;
(2) Duties
levied on imports.
|
Effect::
|
Result.
|
Effect:
|
(1)
results;
(2)
Property.
|
Manner:
|
Method.
|
Manners:
|
(1)
methods;
(2)
correct
behaviour
|
Moral :
|
A moral lesson.
|
Morals:
|
(1)
morals lessons;
(2)
conduct.
|
Number:
|
A quantity.
|
Numbers
|
(1)quantities;
(2) verses.
|
Pain:
|
Suffering
|
Pains:
|
Sufferings.
(1)
Care,
|
Premise:
|
Proposition
|
Premises:
|
(2)
(1) propositions;
(3)
Buildings.
|
Quarter:
|
Fourth part.
|
Quarters:
|
(4)
(1) fourth parts;
(5)
Lodgings.
|
Spectacles:
|
A sight
|
Spectacles
|
(1)
Sights;
(2)
Eye-glasses.
|
Letter:
|
(1) Letter
of the alphabet;
(2) Epistle.
|
Letters
|
(1)
Letters of the alphabet;
(2)
Epistles;
(3)
Literature.
|
Ground:
|
(1) earth;
|
Grounds:
|
(1) enclosed
land attached to house.
|
(3)
Reason.
|
(2)Reasons;
(3)
Dregs.
|
Some nouns have different meanings in the Singular and
the plural:
Singular Plural
Air: Atmosphere Airs: affected,
manners
Good : benefit, well
–being Goods: merchandise.
Compass: extent,
range. Compasses: an
instrument for
Respect: regard Respects:
compliments
Physic: medicine Physics: natural
science.
Iron: a kind of
metal. Irons:
fetters.
Force: Strength. Forces: troops.
Letters, figures
and other symbols and made plural by adding an apostrophe and s; as,
There are more e’s than a’s in the page.
Dot your I’s and
cross yours r’s.
Add two 5’s and 2’s.
It is usual to
sau-
The Miss smiths.
(singular, Miss Smith.)
Abstract Nouns
have no plural . They are uncountables.
Hope, charity, love kindness.
When such words do
appear in the plural, they are used as countables;as
Provocations = instances or cases of
provocation.
Kindnesses = acts of
kindness.
Names of substances
are also uncountables and are not therefore used in the plural.
Copper, iron, tin, wood.
When such words are
used in the plural. They become countables with changed meanings; as,
Coppers = copper coins: irons =fetters;
Tins = cans made of
tin; woods = forests.
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