Noun and Number
NOUN AND NUMBER
Singular and Plural Number
A word which indicates whether noun is singular or plural is known as a number.
There are two kinds of numbers:
The Singular Number
Singular Number:
When a noun denotes a person/thing is one, it is called singular noun/number.
Examples : Boy, Girl, Book, Cap, Lake etc.
Plural Number:
When a noun denotes more persons/things is called plural noun/number.
Examples : Boys, Girls, Books, Caps, Lakes etc.
Forming of Plurals of Nouns:
(1) Plurals by adding “s”
Most of the nouns form their plurals by adding “s” to the singular.
Most of the nouns form their plurals by adding “s” to the singular.
| Examples: |
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Boy-Boys
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Girl-Girls
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Cap-Caps
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Book-Books
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Lake-Lakes
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(2) Noun ends with “ch, sh, s, ss or x”
When a noun ends with “ch, sh, s, ss or x”, we add “es” to make plurals.
When a noun ends with “ch, sh, s, ss or x”, we add “es” to make plurals.
| Examples: |
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Catch-Catches
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Church-Churches
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Dish-Dishes
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Wish-Wishes
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Gas-Gases
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Bus-Buses
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Kiss-Kisses
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Miss-Misses
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Box-Boxes
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Fox-Foxes
(3) Noun ends with “y” and preceded by a Consonant
When a noun ends with “y” and preceded by a Consonant, we add “i” in place of “y” and add “es”.
When a noun ends with “y” and preceded by a Consonant, we add “i” in place of “y” and add “es”.
| Examples: |
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Baby-Babies
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City-Cities
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Copy-Copies
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Family-Families
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Army-Armies
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Story-Stories
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Faculty-Faculties
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(4) Noun ends with “y” and is preceded by a Vowel
When a noun ends with “y” and is preceded by a Vowel we add “s”
When a noun ends with “y” and is preceded by a Vowel we add “s”
| Examples: |
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Monkey-Monkeys
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Donkey-Donkeys
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Holiday-Holidays
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Boy-Boys
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Toy-Toys
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Joy-Joys
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Day-Days
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Essay-Essays
(5) Noun ends with “f” or “fe”
When a noun ends with “f” or “fe” we change “f/fe” to “v” and add “es” to make plural.
When a noun ends with “f” or “fe” we change “f/fe” to “v” and add “es” to make plural.
| Examples: |
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Calf-Calves
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Loaf-Loaves
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Shelf-Shelves
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Self-Selves
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Knife-Knives
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Thief-Thieves
Exceptions to this rule:
| Examples: |
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Handkerchief-Handkerchiefs
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Safe-Safes
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Proof-Proofs
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Hoof-Hoofs
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Gulf-Gulfs
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Dwarf-Dwarfs
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Cliff-Cliffs
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Roof-Roofs
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Rod-Rods
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Belief-Beliefs
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Puff-Puffs
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(6) Noun ends with “o”
When a noun ends with “o”, we add “es” to the singular to make plural.
When a noun ends with “o”, we add “es” to the singular to make plural.
| Examples: |
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Buffalo-Buffaloes
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Echo-Echoes
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Hero-Heroes
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Mango-Mangoes
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Mosquito-Mosquitoes
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Potato-Potatoes
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Tomato-Tomatoes
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Exceptions to this rule:
| Examples: |
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Bamboo-Bamboos
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Photo-Photos
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Dynamo-Dynamos
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Piano-Pianos
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Logo-Logos
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Studio-Studios
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Radio-Radios
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Ratio-Ratios
(7) Some nouns are made plurals by changing inside vowel.
| Examples: |
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Man-Men
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Woman-Women
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Foot-Feet
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Goose-Geese
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Ox-Oxen
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Mouse-Mice
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Louse-Lice
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Child-Children
(8) Some nouns have singular and plural same.
| Examples: |
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Sheep-Sheep
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Fish-Fish
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Deer-Deer
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Gross-Gross
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Music-Music
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Public-Public
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You-You
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Score-Score
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Piece-Piece
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Hair-Hair
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Furniture-Furniture
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Education-Education
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News-News
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Wood-Wood
(9) Some nouns have different meanings in the singular and the plural.
| Examples: |
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Air – atmosphere
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Airs – affected manners
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Blind – unable to see because of injury.
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Blinds – a screen for a window.
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Character - the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
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Characters - People in a novel, play, or film.
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Content - Someone who is in a state of peaceful happiness.
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Contents - the things that are held or included in something.
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Custom - a tradition of behaving something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time.
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Customs - the official Government department that collects the duties levied on imported goods.
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Force - strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement.
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Forces - an organized military force equipped for fighting on land, sea or air.
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Good - having the required qualities of a high standard.
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Goods - merchandise or possessions.
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Manner - a way or method in which a thing is done or happens.
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Manners - polite or well-bred social behavior OR etiquette one follows.
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Spectacle - a visually striking performance or display OR Some visual scene.
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Spectacles - a pair of glasses.
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Wood - the hard fibrous material that forms of the branches of a tree, used for fuel or timber
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Woods - an area of land smaller than a forest, that is covered with growing trees.
(10) Some nouns are used only in plural:
For Instrument
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Scissors, Tongs, Pincers, Spectacles, Bellows etc.
For Dresses
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Shorts, Trousers, Jeans, Stockings, Pajamas, Tights etc.
For Games
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Billiards, Draughts etc.
For Diseases
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Measles, Mumps, Rickets etc.
Name of subjects
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Mathematics, Physics, Electronics, Computers, etc.
Other Nouns
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Thanks, Stocks, Annals, Premises, Riches, Proceedings, Assets etc.
Forming of Plural Of Verbs:
In Present Tense we use does. But when we delete / hide does, we add ‘es’ to the verb.
| Examples: |
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He/She does go to school.
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He/She goes to school.
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He/She does drink milk.
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He/She drinks milk.
Not all plural forms end with ‘s’, ‘es’ or ‘ies’.
| Examples: |
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Phenomenon - Phenomena (A fact Occurrence that appears / perceived)
- Chateau - Chateaux (A large French country house / castle)
- Thesaurus - Thesauri (A book lists words in groups)
- Thesis - Theses (A preposition / hypothesis to be proved)
- Symposium - Symposia (A conference / meeting to discuss a particular subject)
- Graffito - Graffiti (A writing on the wall)
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