Same Form in Singular and Plural

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Same Form in Singular and Plural :


Numbers and Nouns : Singular and Plurals

A singular noun indicates one object.

A plurals noun indicates more than one object.

How to change singular noun to plural noun?

By adding S to the singular. This applies to most nouns.

Note : You must omit the indefinite article.

Singular…..Plurals

An eye …….. eyes
An apple …… apples
A hand …… hands
A nose ….. noses
Youth …… youths
A Boy ….. boys
A Dog …. Dogs
A Girl ….. girls
A meter …… meters
A path ….. paths
A tree …… trees
Waiter …… waiters

Here are Four Spelling Rules to memorize.

RULE : 1

By adding es after the nouns ending in (ch, o, sh, s, ss, x and z), we can get plural nouns of singular nouns.

Plurals for Singulars ending in CH

a bench….. benches
a branch… branches
a bunch….. bunches
a church…..churches
a coach……coaches
an inch……inches

Plurals for Singulars ending in O

Note : ( preceded by a consonant)

a buffalo……buffaloes
a cargo ……cargoes
an echo……echoes
a hero……heroes
a motto……mottoes
a Negro……Negroes
a potato……potatoes
a volcano……volcanoes

But if the letter O is preceded by a vowel, the plurals are formed by adding S only.

a bamboo……bamboos
a cameo……cameos
a folio ……folios
a portfolio……portfolios
a radio ……radios
a studio……studios
a dynamo…… dynamos
a photo…… photos
a piano…… pianos

Plurals for Singulars ending in S and SS

a bus……buses
a dress……dresses
a gas……gases
a glass……glasses
a loss……losses
a mass……masses

Plurals for Singulars ending in SH

a brush ……brushes
a bush……bushes
a dish……dishes
a fish……fishes
a wish……wishes

Plurals for Singulars ending in X

an ax……axes
a box……boxes
a fox……foxes
a tax……taxes

Plurals for Singulars ending in Z

a fez……fezzes
a topaz as……topazes

Plurals for Singulars ending in Y

RULE : 2

Change the Y at the end of a noun into IES, if it is preceded by a consonant.

an army……armies
a city……cities
a country……countries
a cry……cries

a duty……duties
a fly……flies
a lady……ladies
a story ……stories

But if the Y preceded by a vowel, don't change the Y. Just add S.

a boy……boys
a day……days
a key……keys
a monkey…… monkeys
a play……plays

RULE : 3

Plurals for Singulars ending in F and FE

The nouns which ending by F & FE, change it into VES. They are twelve nouns.

a calf……calves
a half……halves
a leaf……leaves
a loaf……loaves
a self……selves
a sheaf ……sheaves
a shelf ……shelves
a thief ……thieves
a wife……wives
a life……lives
a knife……knives

a wolf……wolves

But the nouns which ending by IEF, OOF, EEF, FF or RF generally take S only.

a belief ……beliefs
a chief……chiefs
a dwarf……dwarfs
a grief……griefs
a gulf……gulfs
a handkerchief ……handkerchiefs
a hoof……hoofs
a proof ……proofs
a reef……reefs
a roof……roofs
a safe……safes
a turf……turfs

RULE : 4

Here some of Irregular Plurals by changing of vowels.

a goose……geese
afoot……feet
a mouse……mice
a woman……women
a louse……lice
a man……men
a tooth……teeth
a die……dice

Here some of irregular plurals by adding EN.

a child……children
an ox……oxen

Some nouns have the same form in singular and plural.

fish
duck
deer
swine
salmon
sheep

Some nouns which showing number, weight, money and power (collective numerals) don’t take S, if they have numeral in front of them, (used as adjectives).

dozen……dozen
gross……gross
Hundred
Thousand
Horse-Power
Million-Foot

Two dozen eggs
Two gross of pencils
Three hundred pounds
A three-foot rule
Four thousand people

But if these nouns have no numeral in front of them, they take S and followed by OF they are used as nouns (except gross).

Dozens of eggs
Hundreds of pounds
Thousands of people
The house is 30 feet high.
The hall is 5 yards long.

Some nouns have no plural form.

alphabet
expenditure
fruit
furniture
information
offspring
poetry
scenery
money
Where is the money I gave you?

Plural of Greek and Latin Nouns

an appendix……appendices
an axis……axes
a basis ……bases
a datum……data
a crisis ……crises
an erratum……errata
a memorandum……memoranda
an oasis……oases
a phenomenon ……phenomena
a radius……radii
a terminus……termini
a thesis……theses
an index……indexes
an index……indices
a genius……geniuses
a genius……genii / geniuses

Some nouns have no singular form.

Alms
amends
billiards
cards
contents
compasses
dominoes
goods
oats
people
riches
scales
spectacles
trousers
wages
Where are my spectacles?

Plural of compound nouns by adding S or ES to the last noun.

an arm-chair…….arm-chairs
a book-keeper…….book-keepers
a book-seller…….book-sellers
a goal-keeper…….goal-keepers
a handful…….handfuls
a mouthful…….mouthfuls
a waterfall…….waterfalls
a man-servant…….men-servants
a woman-servant…….women-servants

Nouns ending in MAN

When man is a part of the noun itself….

Brahman…….Brahmans
German…….Germans
Mussluman…….Musslumans

When MAN refer to a human being, change man to men and woman to women

an Englishman…….Englishmen
a nobleman…….noblemen
workman…….workmen

When nouns are followed by a preposition put the noun only in plural.

a brother-in-law……. brothers-in-law
a daughter-in-law……. daughters-in-law
a passer-by……. passers-by
a mother-in-law……. mothers-in-law
a looker-on…….lookers-on

When nouns preceded by STEP, the nouns take S, except stepchild.

a step brother…….step brothers
a step sister…….step sisters
a step child…….step children

The verb agrees with the noun following OF.

Half of the work was done by me.
Half of the letters were lost.
There is heaps of ammunition .
There are heaps of cigarettes.
There is lots of work.
Lots of people think so.

Proper, material and abstract nouns have no plural….unless they are used as common nouns.

The Nile brings good in its train.
There are a few Niles in the world.
Tea is my favourite drink.
The best teas are imported.
Kindness is a virtue.
Kindnesses are never lost.

The collective noun is singular when it denotes one undivided whole, but when it refers to a number of different individuals it becomes a plural noun and it is called a noun of multitude.

My family is very rich.
My family are invited to a wedding.
The foot-ball team is well formed.
The foot-ball team are invited to tea party.

(And).. (a singular verb.)

Use a singular verb, when there are two subjects joined by AND…..if they are considered as one thing.

Bread and butter is eaten with honey.

EITHER OR

NEITHER NOR

If the subjects are singular, the verb should be singular.

Either she or her sister is to blame.

Neither he nor his brother likes her.

But if one subject is singular and the other is plural the verb generally agrees with the nearest subject.

Either I or you are wrong.

Neither he nor his brothers deserve this prize.

AS WELL AS

When AS WELL AS is used, the verb agrees with the first subject.

They as well as she are beautiful.
I as well as they am happy.
The host as well as his guests has enjoined the party.

Note : EVERY, EACH and NONE is followed by a singular verb.

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