Hello dear readers! Today you will learn how the plural is formed in English. The topic is not complicated at first glance, but there are many nuances that you should pay attention to.
In English, the plural is formed only by countable nouns, that is, nouns that can be counted. Such nouns can be either singular or plural. I think it's no secret to anyone what the plural is. If the singular is used to refer to one subject or concept, then the plural is used to refer to several items. So, now we will consider the basic rules for the formation of the plural in English.
Plural of nouns in English1. The plural of most nouns is formed by adding the ending −s to a singular noun.
−s reads:
[z] after vowels and voiced consonants
[s] after voiceless consonants
- a tie tie— tie s ties
- a teacher teacher- teacher s[ˈtiːʧəz] teachers
- a room room— room s rooms
- a map map-map s cards
2. Nouns that end in consonants s, ss, sh, ch, tch, x, take the plural ending -es, which is read [ɪz].
- a match match- match es[ˈmæʧɪz] matches
3. Nouns that end in a vowel -O, in the plural also take the ending -es.
- hero hero— hero es[ˈhɪərəʊz] heroes
- tomato tomato−tomato es tomatoes
If before the end -O there is a vowel, then the plural noun takes the ending -s.
- radio radio- radio s[ˈreɪdɪəʊz] radio receivers
- kangaroo kangaroo– kangaroo s kangaroo
If a noun that ends in -O in the singular, is an abbreviation, then in the plural it also takes the ending -s.
- photo (graph) photo)— photo s[ˈfəʊtəʊz] photos
- kilo (gramme) kilo (gram)-kilo s[ˈkiːləʊz] kilograms
In some cases, variations with −s And -es.
- flamingos flamingos— flamingo s flamingo es flamingos
- volcano volcano—volcano s volcano es volcanoes
4. To nouns that end in -y, and before the end -y there is a consonant, the ending is added -es And at changes to i.
- a factory factory, plant− factor ies[ˈfæktəriz] factories, factories
In case before −at there is a vowel, no change occurs, and the plural is formed by adding the ending -s.
- a day day— day s days
5. Plural of some nouns that end in f, fe, formed by replacing f consonant v and adding an ending -es. The following nouns are subject to this rule:
- calf calf− cal weight calves
- half half− hal weight halves
- elf elf−el weight elves
- knife knife−kni weight knives
- leaves tree leaf−lea weight leaves
- life life−li weight life
- loaf loaf-loa weight loaves
- self self−sel weight we ourselves
- sheaf bundle— shea weight[ʃiːvz] bundles
- shelf shelf− shel weight[ʃɛlvz] shelves
- thief thief-thie weight[θiːvz] the thieves
- wife wife− wi weight wives
- wolf −wolves
In some cases, variations with endings are possible f And v.
- hoof hoof— hoo fs, hoo weight hooves
- scarf scarf— scar fs, scar weight scarves
- scarf jetty- whar fs, whar weight pier
Plural exclusion 6. Some nouns have preserved archaic plural forms. The plural of such nouns is formed by changing root vowel or by adding an ending —en.
- a man man− m e n men
- a woman woman−wom e n [ˈwɪmɪn] women
- brother ["brʌðər] brother−br e thr en["breðrɪn] brethren
- foot leg− f ee t legs
- goose goose— g ee se geese
- louse ["laus] louse− l i ce lice
- mouse mouse— m ic e mice
- teeth tooth— t ee th teeth
- a child [ʧaɪld] child− children en[ˈʧɪldrən] children
- ox [ɒks] bull— ox en[ˈɒksən] bulls
7. In English, the forms of some nouns in the singular and in the plural are the same.
- craft ship - ships
- works factory - factories
- species["spi:ʃi:z] biol. view - views
- headquarters ["hed" kwɔ:təz] headquarters - central authorities
- alms [ɑːmz] alms - alms
- barracks [ˈbærəks] barracks - barracks
- corps military dipl. hull - hulls
- grow partridge − partridges
- crossroads [ˈkrɒsˌrəʊdz] road crossing - intersections
- deer deer - deer
- sheep [ʃiːp] sheep − sheep
- fish ["fɪʃ] fish - fish
- fruits fruit - fruits
- gallows [ˈgæləʊz] gallows - gallows
- trout trout - trout
- means means - means
- salmon ["sæmən] salmon - salmon
- series ["sɪəri:z] series − series
- swine pig - pigs
8. Some nouns that are of Latin or Greek origin have retained an archaic form in the plural.
- analysis [ə"næləsɪs] analysis− analyzes [ə"næləsi:z] analyzes
- axis ["æksɪs] axis− axes ["æksɪz] axes
- basis ["beɪsɪs] the basis− bases ["beɪsi:z] basics
- crisis ["kraɪsɪs] a crisis− crises ["kraɪsi:z] crises
- datum ["deɪtəm] given value− data ["deɪtə] data
- erratum typo− errata list of typos
- formula [ˈfɔ:rmjulə] formula− formulae ["fɔ:rmjuli:], formulas ["fɔ:rmjuləz] formulas
- locus ["ləukəs] location− loci ["ləusaɪ] locations
- memorandum [, memə "rændəm] record for memory− memoranda [, memə "rændə], memorandums [, memə" rændəmz] notes
- nucleus cell− nuclei cells
- phenomenon phenomenon− phenomena phenomena
- radius ["reɪdɪəs], [ˈreɪdjəs] radius− radii ["reɪdɪaɪ] radii
- species [ˈspiːʃiːz] kind, type— species [ˈspiːʃiːz] kinds, types
- thesis [ˈθiːsɪs] thesis- theses [θiːsiːz] theses
9. There are a number of nouns in English that are used only in the plural.
- binoculars - binoculars
- breeches ["brɪtʃɪz] − breeches
- glasses ["aɪglɑːsɪz] − glasses
- jeans [ʤiːnz]- jeans
- pajamas, pajamas pajamas
- pliers [ˈplaɪəz] − pliers
- scissors [ˈsɪzəz] − scissors
- shorts ʃɔːts − shorts, underpants
- stockings[ˈstɒkɪŋz] − socks
- tights - tights
- tongs- forceps
- trousers [ˈtraʊzəz] - trousers
- proceeds [ˈprəʊsiːdz] − income
- surroundings - neighborhood
- riches [ˈrɪʧɪz] − wealth
- thanks [θæŋks] − Gratitude
- wages [ˈweɪʤɪz] − earnings
Plural Formation of Compound Nouns
1. Compound nouns that are written together, form the plural by adding an ending to the second element.
- school girl schoolgirl— schoolgirl s schoolgirls
- policeman police officer— policem e n policemen
2. If a complex noun, which is written with a hyphen, includes words man or woman, as one of the constituent parts of the word, then all parts of the word take the plural.
- woman-writer writer−wom e n-writer s writers
- gentleman farmer gentleman farmer− gentleman e n farmer sgentleman farmers
3. Compound nouns that are written with a hyphen form the plural by changing the key element in the meaning.
- family-name surname− family-name s surnames
- commander-in-chief commander in chief− commander s-in-chief commanders-in-chief
4. If there is no noun element in the compound noun, then the plural is formed by adding the ending −s to the last element.
- forget-me-not forget-me-not− forget-me-not s forget-me-nots
- merry-go-round carousel− merry-go-round s carousels
Note!
1. In English, some uncountable nouns can be used as countable.
Uncountable: success - luck, success (generally)
- Success is in the details. − A meticulous attitude to business is the path to success.
Calc. :a success successful result− success esgood results
- My new job is a success. − My new job is just a happy accident.
- We learn from our success es and failures. − We learn from our successes and mistakes.
2. In English, some nouns can agree with the verb in the singular and in the plural, depending on the context, without changing their form.
- my family is large. — My family is big.(Family as a whole)
- my family are early risers. — Everyone in our family gets up early.. (Family - as a set of individual members of the team)
3. In English, the same noun can be countable in one sense, and uncountable in another.
Uncountable: iron iron
Calc.: an iron iron— iron s irons
4. In English, some nouns with endings -s have a singular meaning and accordingly agree with singular verbs.
- news - news, news
- economics- economy
- physics - physics
- a works factory
- mathematics - mathematics
- a barracks barracks
Video: Plural in English
Nouns have two numbers: the only thing And plural.
1. The only thing the number is characterized by the absence of an ending:
a cup, a table, a teacher, a day.
2. plural the number of nouns is formed with the ending -s or -es
:
a sea - sea s, a tent - tent s, a bus - bus es
.
However, you should be aware that:
Nouns that end in the singular-ss, -sh, -ch, -X , -z, form the plural with the ending-es: a process ss- process ss es; abo x-bo xes;
Nouns ending in -O, plural ending in -es or at -s:
her o-her oes, potato - potatoes, tomato - tomatoes
bamboos, photos, pianos, radios, solos, videos.
Some nouns, having the singular ending -O, in the plural have a double ending -s/-es:
cart o-carg os/carg oes, volcano - volcanoes/volcanos;
In nouns ending in -yWith consonant
in front of her -y changes in plural to -i
:
aba b
y
-bab i es, a country - countries;
in those nouns where before -y costs vowel, -y does not change.
a d a y
- yes y s, a boy - boys;
Most nouns ending in -f or -fe, plural ending in -ves:
a wi fe-wi weight, a knife - knives, a shelf - shelves, life - lives, and wolf, self, calf, leaf, loaf, chief, half, thief, sheaf
Ho:
a handkerchief - handkerchiefs, a roof - roofs, a proof - proofs, a belief - beliefs;
a hoof - hoofs/hooves, a scarf - scarfs/scarves, a wharf - wharfs/wharves.
Special cases of plural formation
1. Some nouns form a plural, changing the root vowel :
a m a n-m e n, a woman - women, a tooth - teeth, a foot - feet;
a goose - geese, a mouse - mice, etc.
2. There are nouns that have singular and plural forms are the same:
aircraft (airplane - planes), deer (deer - deer);
means (means - means), salmon (salmon - salmon);
series (row - series, series - series);
sheep (sheep - sheep), trout (trout - trout);
works (factory - factories).
3. Noun child children.
4. Noun Oh plural has the form oxen.
5. Noun penny has a plural form sense if it is about sum of money, and the shape pennies if you mean individual coins:
It costs three sense. - It costs 3 pence.
Pennies are made of bronze. - Pens are made of bronze.
6. Nouns gate, sledge, watch, clock are used in singular and plural:
The gate is open. - The gates are open.
My watch is slow. - My clock is slow.
(At the same time, in Russian the verb always has the plural form, although the noun itself is used in the singular.)
All the gates are open. - All gates are open.
Doesn't have two watches. - He has two watches.
7. Nouns with a prefix man-, woman- are plural in both parts of the word:
a man-servant - men-servants
8. Nouns that include a preposition or adverb, have the ending -s in its first part if used in the plural:
a mother-in-law - mothers-in-law
a commander-in-chief - commanders-in-chief
9. Nouns should be especially noted Latin-Greek etymology, the formation of the plural of which has many options (it is difficult to list them, therefore, we recommend that in cases where students of English have doubts about the correctness of the variant, check the plural in dictionaries):
-us -es(chor us- chorus es, circus - circuses, bonus - bonuses, etc.), with the ending -i (stimulus - stimuli), have both options at the same time (cactus - cactuses / cacti; words such as focus, nucleus, radius, syllabus);
nouns of Latin origin -A can form the plural with the ending -ae(alumn a- aluminum ae, larva - larvae), with the ending -s(are a- area s, arena - arenas, dilemma - dilemmas, diploma - diplomas, drama - dramas, etc.), have both options (antenna - antennas, as a term in electronics, and antennae - in biology; formula - formulas in a general sense and formulae - in mathematics;
nouns of Latin origin -um plural ending in -s(alb um-album s, museum - museums, chrysanthemum -chrysanthemums, stadium - stadiums, etc.), on -a (stratum - strata, curriculum - curricula), can have both options (symposium - symposiums / symposia, memorandum - memorandums / memoranda, etc.);
nouns of Latin origin -ex, -ix can have both double plural forms with endings -es And -ices(ind ex- ind ic e s/index es, appendix - appendices/appendixes, matrix - matrices/matrixes) or only the ending -ices of the noun cod ex- codes;
nouns of Greek origin -is form the plural changing ending in -es(thes is-thes es, crisis - crises, analysis - analyses, basis - bases, etc.), there are cases of plural formation using additions graduation -es(metropolis - metropolis es) and many other variants of plural formation.
Nouns used only in the singular
1. Some nouns are usedin English only in the singular, and in Russian nouns with the same meaning can have both singular and plural:advice (advice - advice), information (information - information), knowledge, progress, furniture, money:
He gave me some useful advice. I "ll follow it. - He gave me (a few) useful tips. I will follow them.
The money is on the table. Take it. - Money on the foot. Take them.
2. Nounsuncountable, denoting substances or concepts, are usually used only in the singular:sugar, iron, love, friendship, peace, ink, weather and etc.
There is a lot of chalk on the table.
3. Nounshair, vacation, fruitmostlyused in the singular:
Her hair is dark. - She has dark hair.
Summer vacation last three months. - Summer vacation lasts three months.
Fruit is cheaper in summer. - Fruits are cheaper in summer.
However:
to denote different types of fruits noun is used in the form plural fruit numbers:
There are plums, peaches, oranges and other fruits on the table. - There are plums, peaches, oranges and other fruits on the table.
if before the noun vacation there is a numeral, then it is used in plural including:
Our children have four vacations every year. - Our children have holidays 4 times a year.
if the noun hair has a meaning countable noun, then it has a plural form:
a hair - hairs (hair - hairs)
4. Nounfish we use mostlyin the singular (in various contexts, for example, in a conversation about fishing):
We caught only a few fish. We only caught a few fish.
Fish in the plural (in the form of fishes) is used when it comes to certain types of fish.
the fishes of the Mediterranean - fishes of the Mediterranean Sea
5. Nounnewsused in Englishonly in singular, although it has a plural form:
What's the news? - What's the news?
6. Names of sciences and (scientific) disciplinesending in-ics, are used with singular and plural verbs, which is determined by their meaning:
athletics, gymnastics, linguistics, physics and others are predominantly used with singular verbs:
Physics is not the most popular school subject. Physics is not my favorite subject at school.
acoustics, economics, phonetics, statistics, ethics, politics, etc. are used with a singular verb when talking about scientific disciplines. If they have a different, special meaning, then they are used with a plural verb:
His mathematics are poor. - He has poor knowledge of mathematics.
Your statistics are unreliable. - Your statistics are unreliable.
Nouns that are used only in the plural
1. Words denotingpaired items(for example: trousers, pants, shorts, scissors, glasses, scales, spectacles, tongs, pajamas),names of some games(for example: billiards, drafts) andgeneralizing concepts(for example: clothes, goods, savings), are used only in the plural:
These scissors are very sharp. - These scissors are very sharp.
His clothes were wet. - His clothes were wet.
(Note that the noun "clothing" in Russian always agrees with the singular verb.)
2. Nounspotatoes, onions, carrots, oatsare used in the plural, but they have singular meanings:
Carrots are very healthy. - Carrots are very useful.
The carrot you gave me was very tasty. - The carrot you gave me was very tasty.
3. Nounspeople, the military, the police, cattleused with a plural verb; at the same time, the word people can also have the plural peoples with the meaning "peoples, people of different nationalities":
There were many young people there. - There were a lot of young people (young people).
The people of this country are happy. - The people of this country are happy.
We remind you once again that, as a general rule, to form the plural form, we add the ending -s to the noun: dog-dogs, nail-nails, lip-lips. But this rule does not always work.
- If the noun ends in -y and it is preceded by a consonant, -y is changed to "i" and the ending -es is added: fly - flies, army-armies, lady-ladies. There are no changes only in personal names: Mary-Marys.
- If the noun ends in -y and it is preceded by a vowel, -y does not change: toy-toys, boy-boys, key-keys.
- If the noun ends in a hissing or whistling sound, the ending -es is added.: fox-foxes, speech-speeches, kiss-kisses.
- Nouns ending in -f, -fe change to -v (13 pieces): a calf (calf) - calves, an elf (elf) - elves, a half (half) - halves, a knife (knife) - knives, a leaf (leaf) - leaves, a life (life) - lives, a loaf (bun) - loaves, a sheaf (sheaf) - sheaves, a shelf (shelf) - shelves, a thief (thief) -thieves, a wife (wife) - wives, a wolf (wolf) - wolves, a self (one face) - selves (face) . Note that the pronunciation also becomes voiced.
- Of particular difficulty are nouns ending in "o": as a general rule, add the ending -es (potatoes, tomatoes, heroes, echoes, mosquitoes, vetoes, negroes, volcanoes), but it can also end with -s:
- if the "o" is preceded by a vowel: a zoo-zoos, a video-videos;
- in abbreviations and abbreviations: discos, kilos, photos, pianos, hippos;
- in loanwords: tobacos, sopranos;
- in proper names: Romeo-Romeos, Julio-Julios.
Nouns that do not change according to the rules and must be learned by heart, we write in the table.
|
Singular |
Plural |
Translation |
|
corps (military) |
||
|
rail, narrow plank |
||
|
man human |
||
|
staff, headquarters |
||
Note.
1. Both Russian and English have words that have only a plural form because they consist of several indivisible parts. For example, trousers- trousers, spectacles- glasses, scissors- scissors, scales- scales, tongs- tongs.
Where are my performances?
These scissors are sharp.
Your trousers are too short.
2. Please note that in English there are nouns that are used in the plural, but they are translated into Russian in the singular. For example, wages- salary, contents- content, clothes- cloth, stairs- ladder, arms- weapon, goods- product, oaths- oath, riches- treasure, potatoes- potato, onions- onion, carrots- carrot.
His wages are high. (He has a high salary).
The contents have not been changed. (Content not changed).
His clothes were wet. (His clothes were damp).
The stairs are steep (The stairs are steep).
The goods have arrived. - The item has arrived.
Potatoes are very cheap in autumn. - Potatoes are very cheap in autumn.
3. Word " vacation" (holidays) is usually used only in the singular (Our summer vacation lasts 2 months) and very rarely in the plural (We have 2 vacations a year).
4. In English, nouns " gate ", "sledge" (sled), " watch ", "clock" are used both in the singular and in the plural. In Russian - only in the plural.
The gate is open. - The gates are open.
All the gates were closed. - All the gates were closed.
5. English has nouns ending in "-s" that have the same form for singular and plural: a crossroads (crossroads) - crossroads (crossroads), a means (means) - means (means), a series (series) - series (series), a species (view) - species (species), a works (plant) - works (factories).
6. Nouns denoting nationality and ending in -ese, -ss have one form: a Chinese (Chinese) - the Chinese (Chinese), a Swiss (Swiss) - the Swiss (Swiss).
7. List the nouns that may have only one form that agrees with the singular:
- abstract nouns knowledge, advice, progress, information (Your advice is helpful - your advice is good);
- collective nouns equipment, money, hair, furniture (The money is in the pocket - The money is in your pocket);
- some nouns in -s: news, gallows(gallows), summons(agenda);
- nouns on -ics: politics, mathematics, phonetics;
- game names: billiards (billiards), bowls (pins), draughts (checkers), dominoes;
- disease names: measles (measles), mumps (mumps), shingle (rubella).
Plural Nouns in English (The Plural) formed according to simple rules: in most cases, the ending is added to the base of the noun -es. For example:
🔊brush es (brushes).
But there are exceptions for words ending in a consonant and -y, the plural form of which is formed by replacing -y on -i and adding an ending -es. For example:
🔊 fl y— 🔊fl ies (flies).
Summary table of the rules for the formation of the plural of a noun
| Noun ends in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z | Noun ends in a consonant and -y | Noun ends in a consonant and -o | |
|---|---|---|---|
| rule | Adding the ending -es | Change the letter y to i and add -es | Adding the ending -es |
| Examples | 🔊bu s— 🔊 bus es(buses), 🔊 wat ch— 🔊 watch es(clock), 🔊 bo x— 🔊 box es(boxes) | 🔊 cit y— 🔊 cit ies(cities), 🔊 country - 🔊 countr ies(countries) | 🔊 tomato o— 🔊 tomato es(tomatoes), 🔊 potat o— 🔊 potato es(potatoes), 🔊 her o— 🔊 hero es(heroes) |
Note: If the noun ends in -o , but this word is a proper name, abbreviation or borrowing, then only the letter is added -s :
🔊 Eskimo s
(Eskimos),
🔊kilo — 🔊kilo s
(kilograms) ,
🔊 tango s
(tango).
Pronunciation Rules for Plural Noun Endings
Here, too, there are some nuances. Which? The pronunciation of the plural ending depends on the final sound in the singular form (see Table No. 2 below).
| Noun ends in a vowel or voiced consonant | The ending reads like [z] | 🔊 game - 🔊 games , 🔊 tree - 🔊 trees |
|---|---|---|
| Noun ends in a voiceless consonant | The ending reads like [s] | 🔊 cat - 🔊 cats , 🔊 clock - 🔊 clocks |
| Noun ends with [ʤ], [ʧ], [ʃ], [s] or [z] | The ending reads like [ɪz] | 🔊 orange - 🔊 oranges [ˈɒrɪn dʒ— ˈɒrɪn dʒɪz], 🔊 vase — 🔊 vases |
Nouns that do not pluralize according to the rules
The plural of nouns in English may not be formed according to the rules. These nouns are the so-called exceptions. Below in the tables I will introduce you to them in detail.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔊 man (male) | 🔊 men | 🔊 wolf (wolf) | 🔊 wolves |
| 🔊 woman (woman) | 🔊women | 🔊mouse (mouse) | 🔊 mice |
| 🔊 child (child) | 🔊 kids | 🔊 louse (louse) | 🔊 lice |
| 🔊 tooth (tooth) | 🔊 teeth | 🔊 penny (coin to cent) | 🔊 pence |
| 🔊 foot (foot) | 🔊 feet | 🔊 person (person) | 🔊 people |
| 🔊 goose (goose) | 🔊 geese | 🔊 sheep (sheep) | 🔊sheep |
| 🔊 ox (bull) | 🔊 oxen | 🔊 deer (deer) | 🔊 deer |
| 🔊 leaf (leaf) | 🔊 leaves | 🔊 fish (fish) | 🔊fish |
Nouns of Latin origin that form an irregular plural ending
Nouns that are used only in the plural or only in the singular
Uncountable nouns (both real and abstract) are used only in the singular:
- 🔊 There is no snow on the ground.
- 🔊 The news was very interesting.
Nouns in the singular in Russian, in the plural in English
Nouns denoting paired objects and ending in -s, always used in the plural
Groups of nouns that are used only in the singular
Nouns with different meanings in singular and plural
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| 🔊 air (air) | 🔊 airs (arrogant manners) |
| 🔊 ash (ash) | 🔊ashes (ashes) |
| 🔊 content (content) | 🔊 contents (content) |
| 🔊 custom (custom) | 🔊 customs (customs) |
| 🔊 damage (damage) | 🔊 damages (losses) |
| 🔊drawer( drawer) | 🔊 drawers (chest of drawers) |
| 🔊 fund (reserve) | 🔊 funds |
| 🔊 glass (glass, glass) | 🔊 glasses (glasses) |
| 🔊 hair (hair) | 🔊 hairs (wool, individual hairs) |
| 🔊 look (look) | 🔊 looks (appearance) |
| 🔊 pain (pain) | 🔊 pains (effort, suffering) |
| 🔊 scale (scale) | 🔊scales (scales) |
| 🔊 spectacle (spectacle, view) | 🔊 spectacles (glasses) |
| 🔊 step (step) | 🔊 steps (trap) |
| 🔊 work (work) | 🔊 works (factory) |
| 🔊 saving (thrift) | 🔊 savings (savings) |
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