noun number

THE NOUN: NUMBER

Notice the change of form in the second word of each pair:

Tree (Box, Fox, Man)

Trees (Boxes, Oxen, Men)

The first word of each pair denotes one thing, the second word of each pair denotes more than one.

A Noun that denotes one person or thing, is said to be in the Singular Number; as,

Boy, girl, cow, bird, tree, book, pen.

A Noun that denotes more than one person or thing, is said to be in the Plural Number; as, Boys, girls, cows, birds, trees, books, pens.

Thus there are two Numbers in English-the Singular and the Plural.

How Plurals are Formed

 (i) The Plural of nouns is generally formed by adding -s to the singular;  as,

boy, boys;

pen, pens;

girl, girls;

desk, desks;

book, books;

cow, cows;

chair, chairs;

cat, cats;

hand, hands;

house, houses;

(ii) But Nouns ending in -s, -sh, -ch (soft), or -x form the plural by adding -es to the

Singular; as,

class, classes;

kiss, kisses;

dish, dishes;

brush, brushes;

match, matches;

watch, watches;

branch, branches;

tax, taxes;

box, boxes.

If ‘ch’ sounds as ’k’ plural is formed by adding –s.

monarch, monarchs;

stomach, stomachs.

(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, valcanoes.

(iv) A few nouns ending in -o  having a vowel before it, take –s to form plural; as,

dynamo, dynamos;

solo, solos;

ratio, ratios;

canto, cantos;

memento, mementos;

quarto, quartos;

piano, pianos;

photo, photos;

stereo, siereos.

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 -for -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;

sheaf, sheaves.

The nouns dwarf, hoof, scarf and wharf take either -s or -ves in the plural.

dwarfs or dwarves;

hoofs or hooves;

scarfs or scarves;

wharfs or wharves

Other words ending in -for -fe add -s; as,

chief, chiefs;

safe, safes;

proof, proofs

gulf, gulfs;

cliff, cliffs;

handkerchief, handkerchiefs

 A few nouns form their plural by changing the inside vowel of the singlar; as,

man, men;

woman, women;

foot, feet;

tooth, teeth;

goose, geese;

mouse, mice;

louse, lice.

 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. The form fishes is less usual.

 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 bought 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 hundredweight make one ton.

 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.

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(2) Names of certain articles of dress; as,

Trousers, drawers, breeches, jeans, tights, shorts, pyjamas.

(3) Certain other nouns; as,

Annals, thanks, proceeds (of a sale), tidings, environs, nuptials, obsequies, assets, chatels.

Some nouns originally singular are now generally used in the plural; as,

Alms, riches, eaves.

Riches do many things.

 The following nouns look plural but are in fact singular:

(1) Names of subjects

mathematics, physics, electronics, etc.

(2) The word news

(3) Names of some common diseases

measles, mumps, rickets

(4) 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 the 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 used in both singular and

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 -- coats-of-mail

Son-in-Law -- sons-in-law

Daughter-in-law -- daughters-in-law

Step-son -- step-sons

Step-daughter -- step-daughters

Maid-servant -- maid-servants (but man-servant, plural men-servants)

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 that the Proper Nouns Brahman and Mussulman are not compounds of man;

therefore their plurals are Brahmans and Mussulmans.

 Many nouns taken from foreign languages keep their original plural form; as,

Form Latin-

Erratum, errata; -- formula, formulae (or formulas):

index, indices; -- memorandum, memoranda;

radius, radii; -- terminus, termini (or terminuses).

From Greek-

Axis, axes; -- parenthesis, parentheses;

crisis, crises; -- hypothesis, hypotheses;

basis, bases; -- phenomenon, phenomena;

analysis, analyses; -- criterion, criteria.

From Italian-

Bandit, banditti, (or bandits)

From French-

Madame (madam), mesdames; monsieur, messieurs.

From Hebrew-

Cherub, cherubim (or cherubs); seraph, seraphim (or seraphs).

Some nouns have two forms for the plural, each with a some what 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 fine 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) the flag of a regiment.

Custom: habit. -- Customs: (1) habits, (2) duties levied on imports.

Effect: result -- Effects: (1) results, (2) property.

Manner: method. -- Manners: (1) methods, (2) correct behaviour.

Moral: a moral lesson. -- Morals: (1) moral lessons, (2) conduct

Number: a quantity. -- Numbers: (1) quantities, (2) verses.

Pain: suffering. -- Pains : (1) sufferings, (2) care, exertion.

Premise: proposition -- Premises: (1) propositions; (2) buildings.

Quarter: fourth part. -- Quarters: (1) fourth parts; (2) lodgings.

Spectacle: a sight. -- Spectacles: (1) sights; (2) eye-glasses.

Letter: (1) letter of the alphabet; (2) epistle -- Letters: (1) letters of the alphabet; (2)

epistle; (3) literature.

Ground: (1) earth; (2) reason -- Grounds: (1) enclosed land attached to house. (2) reason;

(2) reasons; (3) dregs.

Some nouns have different meanings in the singular and the plural.

Singular -- Plural

Advice: counsel. -- Advices: information.

Air: atmosphere. -- Airs: affected manners.

Good: benefit, well-being. -- Goods: merchandise.

Compass: extent, range. -- Compasses: an instrument for drawing circles.

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 are made plural by adding an apostrophe and s; as,

There are more e's than a's in this page.

Dot your i's and cross your t's.

Add two 5's and four 2's.

46. It is usual to say-

The Miss Smiths. (Singular, Miss Smith.)

Abstract Nouns have no plural. They are uncountable.

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.