Number , English grammar
Number
😯 There are two kinds of Number :
# Singular Number
A noun that denotes one person or thing is said to be in the Singular Number,
For example,
Boy, girl man , bird, tree, book, pen, baby, sweater etc.
# Plural Number
A noun that denotes more than one person or thing is said to be in the Plural Number.
For example ,
Boys, girls , men , birds, trees, books, pens, babies, sweaters ect.
# How Plural is formed
Generally , the Plurals of nouns are formed by adding ' s' to the singular form.
For example ,
Boy boys
Bird birds
Ship c ships
Pencil pencils
Cassette cassettes
Girl girls
Cow cows
Desk desks
Book books
Film films.
But there are some rules of changing singular nouns into plural ones .
Rule 1. If --s ,-- ss,--- sh, --- ch,--- x and --- z are the last letters of noun , put -- es to the end to make them plural .
Singular Plural
Class classes
Kiss kisses
Brush brushes
Branch branches
Box boxes
Tax taxes
Topaz topazes
Mass masses
Match matches
Watch watches
Dish dishes
Toss tosses
But , in case of Stomach ( pronounced as Stomak ) ,Monarch ( Pronounced as monark ) only -- s is needed at their end to make them plural .
Stomach Stomachs
Monarch Monarchs
Rule 2. : If there is ------ O in the end of a noun , put --- es to the end for plural
Singular Plural
Hero heroes
Volcano volcanoes
Mosquito mosquitoes
Potato potatoes
Negro negroes
Bingo bingoes
Zero Zeroes
Mango mangoes
Echo echoes
Buffalo buffaloes
Cargo cargoes
There are some exceptions where only ---s is needed for a plural one in --o ending nouns.
Singular Number Plural Number
Photo photos
Dynamo dynamos
Quarto quartos
Solo solos
Piano pianos
Canto cantos
Momento momentos
Stereo stereos
Rule 3: If there are double vowels to the end of a noun , put only --- s to the end that noun for plural .
Singular Plural
Radio radios
Studio studios
Cuckoo cuckoo
Ratio ratios
Portfolio portfolios
Bamboo bamboos
Rule 4 : If --- y is the last letter of a noun and that --- y is preceded by a consonant, then change -y into -- ies for the plural forms
Singular Plural
Spy spies
History histories
Fly flies
Story stories
Army armies
Baby babies
Lady ladies
Sky skies
City cities
Pony ponies
Rule 5 :
If there are double vowels to the end of a noun , put only ---s to the end of that noun for plural .
Singular Plural
Lay lays
Ray rays
Key keys
Tray tray
Clay clays
Bay . bays
Prey preys
Storey storeys
Day days
Play plays
Rule 6:
If -- f or - fe are the last letter of a noun , then change - f or fe into - ves
Singular Plural
Knife Knives
Wife wives
Leaf leaves
Calf calves
Wolf wolves
Self selves
Life Lives
Thief thieves
Loaf loaves
Handkerchief handkerchief
Yet there are some exceptions to this rule , such as :
Number in English Grammar Singular and Plural
Singular Plural
Proof Proofs
Chief chiefs
Gulf gulfs
Grief griefs
Serf serfs
Hoof hoofs
Roof roofs
Reef reefs
Belief beliefs
Brief briefs
Dwarf dwarfs
Strife strifes
Rule 7:
It is found that a few nouns form their plural by changing the inside vowel of the singular form
Singular Plural
Man men
Tooth teeth
Mouse mice
Foot feet
Goose geese
Louse lice
Rule 8:
There are a few nouns that form their plural by adding -- en to the singular
Singular Plural
Ox oxen
Child children
Rule 9 :
There are some nouns which have their singular and plural forms alike.
Singular Plural
Swine swine
Deer deer
Salmon salmon
Dozen dozen
Gross gross
Hundredweight hundredweight
Thousand thousand
Sheep sheep
Trout trout
Stone(unit) stone
Rule 10:
There are some nouns which are only used in the plural.
(a) Names of instruments which have two parts forming a kind of pair .
For example,
Ballows, Spectacles, Scissors, tongs , pincers etc.
(b) Names of certain articles of dress .
For example ,
Trousers , breerches drawers etc
(c) Names of diseases
For example ,
Measles , mumps etc
(d) Names of games.
For example,
Draughts, billiards etc.
(e) Certain other nouns .
For example ,
Annals, Thanks, Proceeds ( of a sale) . tidings,
environs, nuptials, obsequies, assets, chattels , odds,
amends, seals, shambles , vegetables, troops, particulars, aborigins, alms , ashes, arrears , dregs,
eaves, earnings, sweepings, etc.
Number in English Grammar Singular and Plural
Rule 11:
There are some plural forms of nouns which
are actually singular .
For example ,
Innings , mathematics ,news , civics, politics, physics,
ethics, economics, mechanics, summons etc
# Mathematics is an easy subject
( Mathematics is singular number)
If plural looking subjects are particularised or possessed they become as plural nouns.
My Mathematics are strong.
👇
Possessed
👇
Plural number
The politics of our state are dirty .
👇
Particularised
👇
plural number
The summons was issued by the magistrate .
👇
singular number
Rule 12
The following nouns are always used in singular number.
For example,
Scenery, machinery, stationery, sultry, jewellery, crockery, laggage, breakage , haltage, percentage,
knowledge ,postage, wastage, furniture, information, traffic, coffee , dust etc.
Rule 13:
Certain collective nouns though singular in form , are always used as plurals
For example ,
Poultry , Cattle, vermin , people, gentry etc.
Rule 14:
In compound nouns , we make their plural forms only by adding - s to the main word.
Singular plural
Father- in - law fathers -in- law
Daughter - in - law daughters - in - law
Mother - in- law mothers - in- law
Commander -in- chief commanders - in - chief
Step- daughter step- daughters
Maid - servant maid - servants
Looker - on lookers- on
Passer - by passers- by
Man - of - war men- of - war
Coat- of- mill coats- of- mill
Now , look at these examples:
Singular Plural
Man killer man killers
Chief Minister chief Ministers
Woman hater woman haters
Cupful cupfuls
Handful handfuls
Draw back draw backs
Also read
Noun definitions and types
Rule 15:
Singular Plural
Datum data
Erratum errata
Referendum referenda
Agendum agenda
Sanatorium sanatoria
Phenomenon phenomena
Thesis Theses
Analysis analyses
Index indice/ indices
Apparatus apparatus
Innings Innings
Ditum dita
Bacterium bacteria
Momorandum memoranda
Medium media
Criterion criteria
Oasis oases
Hypothesis hypotheses
Rule 16:
Some -- um ending Latin nouns take only- s in plural form .
Singular Plural
Forum forums
Harmonium harmoniums
Pendulum pendulums
Stadium stadiums
Quorum quorums
Premium premiums
Rule 17:
Noun+ Preposition + the same noun remain always singular in use .
For example ,
Village after village.
Match after match.
Row upon row.
Word for word
Rule 18:
The digits , verbs, pronouns and abbreviations take their plural form in the following ways:
Singular Plural
70 70's
21 21's
Shall shall's
Will will's
If if's
What what's
Who who's
M.A M.A.S [ not M.A.'s]
B.A B.A.S [not B.A.'s]
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| English Grammar Singular and Plural |
M.L.A M.L.A .S [ not M.L.A.]
About ABBASUDDIN MOLLA
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