Monday, April 24, 2017

SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS

REGULAR NOUNS

Most singular nouns form the plural by adding -s.
EXAMPLES
SingularPlural
boatboats
househouses
catcats
riverrivers
A singular noun ending in s, x, z, ch, sh makes the plural by adding-es.
EXAMPLES
SingularPlural
busbuses
wishwishes
pitchpitches
boxboxes
A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y and adding-ies.
EXAMPLES
SingularPlural
pennypennies
spyspies
babybabies
citycities
daisydaisies

IRREGULAR NOUNS

There are some irregular noun plurals. The most common ones are listed below.
EXAMPLES
SingularPlural
womanwomen
manmen
childchildren
toothteeth
footfeet
personpeople
leafleaves
mousemice
goosegeese
halfhalves
knifeknives
wifewives
lifelives
elfelves
loafloaves
potatopotatoes
tomatotomatoes
cactuscacti
focusfoci
fungusfungi
nucleusnuclei
syllabussyllabi/syllabuses
analysisanalyses
diagnosisdiagnoses
oasisoases
thesistheses
crisiscrises
phenomenonphenomena
criterioncriteria
datumdata
Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.
EXAMPLES
SingularPlural
sheepsheep
fishfish
deerdeer
speciesspecies
aircraftaircraft

IRREGULAR VERB/NOUN AGREEMENT

Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.
Plural nouns used with a singular verbSentence
newsThe news is at 6.30 p.m.
athleticsAthletics is good for young people.
linguisticsLinguistics is the study of language.
dartsDarts is a popular game in England.
billiardsBilliards is played all over the world.
Some nouns have a fixed plural form and take a plural verb. They are not used in the singular, or they have a different meaning in the singular. Nouns like this include: trousers, jeans, glasses, savings, thanks, steps, stairs, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages, spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits
Plural noun with plural verbSentence
trousersMy trousers are too tight.
jeansHer jeans are black.
glasses


http://www.ef.edu/english-resources/english-grammar/singular-and-plural-nouns/
Those glasses are his.

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