Singular and plural in English. Plural of English nouns YouTube plural of nouns English

Names of people, names of objects, cities, countries, various institutions; names of plant and animal species; designation of a process of action - all this cannot be expressed without nouns. It would not be an exaggeration to say that perhaps 90% of sentences cannot do without this part of speech, if we exclude the simplest constructions with pronouns and adjectives. Today we will look at this most important category of English grammar. Let's find out how it is used, what varieties it has, as well as how the plural of nouns is formed in the English language. The topic is simple and beginners usually master it quickly; they just have to learn a few exceptions and reinforce the theory by doing a practical task.

This part of speech denotes persons or objects when answering questions what?who?(what/who?). In a sentence, such words can play the role of subject, object, circumstance, and even attribute, provided that the noun is used in the possessive case. By the way, this is the only case of changing the ending of this part of speech, with the exception of the formation of the plural form.

This category is divided into the same sections as in Russian: common nouns, proper nouns, collective nouns, concrete nouns, abstract nouns, countable and uncountable nouns. For our topic, it is important to note that abstract and uncountable representatives of this category cannot have plural constructions. At the same time, there are words that are used exclusively in a collective form: policeclothes,glasses,scissors,peopletrousers and so on. We will talk about all other types of words in detail in the next section.

The English language, and in this it is similar to Russian, has endowed the noun with two numerical categories: singular and plural. And, if everything is clear in principle with the singular number, since this is the dictionary form of the word, then the formation of multiple meanings requires knowledge of certain grammatical laws. Let's look at them in more detail.

Endings –s/-es

The simplest and most common way to obtain the plural form of nouns is to add a letter to the base of the word s.

I bought a magazine for my mother yesterday – YesterdayIboughtForhismothersmagazine.
I bought magazine s for my mother yesterday – YesterdayIboughtmagazinesForhismothers.

Note that the indefinite article can only accompany the singular, while the definite article appears with nouns of both categories.

Usually, I read the newspaper in the morning – Usually, II'm readingthisnewspaperin the morning.
Usually, I read the newspaper s in the morning s - Usually, II'm readingthesenewspapersByin the morning.

Some nouns in English perceive this rule in a peculiar way. The table below will help us consider special cases of adding endings.

Situation

Example

Translation

If the word ends with letter combinations — sh ch ss, tch, as well as letters – s, x, z , it gets ending es .

There are many buses es in the street s of this city.

She bought several antique pocket watch es when she was in Italy.

There are many buses on the streets of this city.

She bought several antique pocket watches when she was in Italy.

English nouns ending in – o , accept the ending es . Words of foreign origin, as well as abbreviations with the ending O and words in which the letter O preceded by a vowel sound, only the ending is added s .

My grandparent s grow potat oes and tomato oes at their dacha.

I have a lot of photos os and video os in the SD-card of my smartphone.

There are four piano s in the music school.

My grandparents grow potatoes and tomatoes at their dacha.

I have a lot of photos and videos on the memory card of my smartphone.

This music school has four pianos.

Words with endings y The plural is formed by transforming this letter and adding the ending.

y ⟶ i+es

But, if in a word y preceded by vowels a, e, o, then the usual is added s .

Granny told me many interesting things ries about her childhood.

The last lesson our teacher brought 20 dictiona ries .

Jack lost his k eys .

My daughter has two favorites oys : a small horse and a gray dog.

Grandmother told me many interesting stories about her childhood.

Our teacher brought 20 dictionaries to the last lesson.

Jack lost his keys.

My daughter has two favorite toys: a small horse and a gray dog.

Noun ending in f/ fe , can, when switching to the plural form, change these letters to v/ ve .

f/ fe ⟶ ves.

There are exceptions to this group: cliffs,roofs,chiefs,cuffs.

There are many different kni ves in the kitchen drawer.

The lea ves of the trees are red and yellow.

I like to walk on the roo fs of buildings.

There are many different knives in the kitchen drawer.

The leaves of this tree are red and yellow.

I like to walk on the roofs of buildings.

These rules must be carefully worked out and remembered, because they are the ones used to form the plural of nouns in the English language in the vast majority of cases. It remains to add comments about how these endings are pronounced.

Pronunciation of the ending s depends on the letter preceding it. If a word ends with a dull vowel, then the ending sounds like [s] (Russian S). And when a word ends in a vowel or a voiced consonant, the ending s pronounced as [z] (Russian Z). Additional ending - es , with transcription, in all words pronounced as IZ.

Ending en and vowel alternation

English is a dynamic language, and constantly strives to simplify its system. But some forms of words become so firmly established in everyday speech that they subsequently no longer obey the rules adopted in modern grammar. Therefore, the formation of the plural of definite nouns in English has retained its structure since ancient times.

The singular becomes plural by alternating vowels in the following words: foot,gooselouse,mousetooth. In this case, the root letter combinations turn into one letter: oo ⟶ ee , ou ⟶ i .

My elder sister is afraid of mice - Myoldersisterfearsmice.
Last night the geese flew to the south – Pastat nightthesegeeseflew awayonsouth.

Joining the ending en to construct the plural in English it is typical for words such as childmanwoman,ox. In some of these examples, the root vowel is replaced rather than added to produce en.

The child was afraid of oxen - Child scaredbulls.
Women read fairy tales for them children more often than men do – Womenreadfairy tales For children more oftenhow, howThisdomen.

This group of words is very small in number, so it is quickly and easily remembered.

Matching Forms

There are situations when in English both forms of a noun will sound the same. In such cases, the noun receives absolutely no changes, and the number can only be determined by the context of the sentence. This category includes words deer,swine,series, seriessheep,fish.

Yesterday I saw a deer in the forest – YesterdayIsawVforestdeer.
Yesterday I saw 8 days in the forest – YesterdayIsawVforest8 deer.
The fish is tasty – Fishdelicious.
There there are many fish in this lake – Inthislakea lot offish.

In this category, it is important to note that this method of obtaining the plural in English is used when denoting representatives of nationalities whose names end in – es/ese.

Iknowthatthis Swiss lives inNorway – I know that this Swiss man lives in Norway.
These Swiss live inmyflat – These Swiss people live in my apartment.
Five Japanese and five Chinese play football in the yard – 5 JapaneseAnd5 ChineseplayVfootballinyard.
Jessicasawa lot of Portuguese inSpain – Jessica saw a lot of Portuguese in Spain.

In this grammatical subgroup there are also lexical examples that have the same types of stems in the singular and in plural. But they are used extremely rarely, so there is no point in memorizing them at the initial stage of learning.

Compound Basics

In complex combinations connecting two or more stems, the construction of the plural in English can be done using different methods. The choice of method depends on the original construction of the expression and the meaning of the statement.

The largest group of compound nouns constructs their plural using the traditional method - by adding a letter s to the end of the word, i.e. to the last base.

There there are many different merry-go-rounds for children in this park – Bthisparka lot ofvariouscarouselsForchildren.
I picked many forget-me-nots for you in the field – IcollectedVfielda lot offorget-me-notsForyou.

There are compound constructions in which each noun is used in the plural. This method should be used when the expression begins with the words woman or man.

Usuallywomen- drivers cannotrepairtheircars – Usually, female drivers do not know how to repair their cars.
Behind her stood the parents, the friends, the guests and the menservants - Behindherstoodparents, Friends, guests and servants.

In some phrases, the basis in which the main meaning of the word lies is subject to changes.

Many husbands hate them mothers-in-law – Manyhusbandshatetheirmother-in-law.
Thosepassers- by gavemetheEnglishtextbook – Those passers-by gave me this English textbook.

Archaic forms

It is worth mentioning that some words that came from Latin or Greek still retain their original forms in English. Consequently, the multiple meanings of such expressions are not formed according to general rules.

The most common examples of this group: crisis ⟶ crises, species ⟶ species, thesis ⟶ theses, formula ⟶ formulae and so on. As you can see, these are mostly scientific terms that are unlikely to appear in colloquial speech. Therefore, if you do not plan to engage in scientific activities, you can safely not memorize these forms. It is enough just to keep in mind that such a category exists and, if necessary, use a dictionary.

So, we have completed our study of the topic and learned how to get the plural of almost any noun in English. It remains to fix the mentioned rules with practical work, i.e. perform exercises reinforcing the material. Good luck in your studies and see you again!

Today we will learn everything about the formation of plurals in English. It would seem that it is enough to add -s to the end of the word, and the plural form of the noun is ready! But it's not that simple. Let's figure it out.

A noun is a part of speech that denotes an object (a chair), a person (a child), an animal (a cat), a substance (milk), a phenomenon (rain) or an abstract concept (happiness) - happiness).

It is important to remember that the plural or singular form of a noun is also important for agreeing the subject (who?/what?) with the predicate (what does?). With countable nouns we use the singular or plural form of the verb. And with uncountable nouns we use only the singular verb.

Kids are curious. - Children curious.
My kid is curious. - My child curious.
The milk is too hot for me. - Milk too hot for me.

So that the rules for forming the plural are not forgotten, but firmly settled in the head, they need to be practiced. To do this, sign up at.

Basic rules for forming plurals in English

There are several ways to form the plural of countable nouns in English:

The most common rule is to add the ending -s to a singular noun:
an apple – apples (apple – apples)
a pen – pens (pen – pens)
a problem – problems (problem – problems)
We pronounce the ending -s as /z/ after voiced consonants or vowels. For example: dogs /dɒɡz/ (dogs), hands /hændz/ (hands), keys /kiːz/ (keys).
If a word ends in a voiceless consonant, then the ending -s is pronounced /s/. For example: lamps /læmps/ (lamp), myths /mɪθs/ (myths), skirts /skɜːts/ (skirts).
If a word ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch or -x, then the ending -es must be added to form the plural.
a bus – buses (bus – buses)
a dress – dresses (dress – dresses)
a brush – brushes (brush – brushes)
a watch – watches (hours – several hours)
a box – boxes (box – boxes)
In this case, we pronounce the ending -es as /iz/. For example: glasses /ɡlɑːsiz/ (glasses), boxes /bɒksiz/ (boxes).
Let's listen to blogger Rachel's pronunciation:
If a word ends in -o, then the ending can be -es or -s. To choose the right one, it is better to consult a dictionary.
Ending -es:
a tomato – tomatoes (tomato – tomatoes)
a hero – heroes (hero – heroes).
Ending -s:
a kilo – kilos (kilogram – kilograms)
a photo – photos (photography – photographs)
If a word ends in -y preceded by a consonant, the plural ending is -ies.
a cherry – cherries (cherry – cherries)
a lady – ladies (lady – several ladies)
a puppy – puppies (puppy – puppies)
But if there is a vowel before -y, then you don’t need to change anything - just add the ending -s.
a boy – boys (boy – boys)
a day – days (day – days)
a monkey – monkeys (monkey – monkeys)
There are a number of nouns that change their plural ending -f/-fe to -ves. Such exceptions include the following words:
a calf – calves (calves of the legs – calves of the legs)
an elf – elves (elf – elves)
a shelf – shelves (shelf – shelves)
a half – halves (half – halves)
a knife – knives (knife – knives)
a thief – thieves (thief – thieves)
a leaf – leaves (leaf – leaves)
a life – lives (life – lives)
a loaf – loaves (loaf – loaves)
a wife – wives (wife – wives)
a wolf – wolves (wolf – wolves).
And words such as a dwarf (dwarf, gnome), a hoof (hoof), a scarf (scarf), a wharf (pier) in the plural can have both the ending -fs and -ves.
There are a number of nouns whose plural form you just need to remember.
a person – people (person – people)
a man – men (man – men)
a woman – women (woman – women)
a child – children (child – children)
a foot – feet (foot – feet)
a tooth – teeth (tooth – teeth)
a goose – geese (goose – geese)
a mouse – mice (mouse – mice)
a louse – lice (louse – lice)
an ox – oxen (bull – bulls)
And another group is nouns whose singular and plural forms are the same. Here are some of them:
a sheep – sheep (sheep – sheep)
a swine – swine (pig – pigs)
an aircraft – aircraft (aircraft – aircraft)
a means – means (means – means)
a crossroads – crossroads (crossroads – crossroads)
a series – series (series – series)

Special cases of plural formation in English

Uncountable nouns in English
What should we do if we still need to indicate the plural quantity of something uncountable? In this case, the noun itself must be preceded by words indicating its quantity:
- Capacity, container:
  two cartons of juice - two packs of juice
  three bottles of wine - three bottles of wine
  four cups of tea - four cups of tea
  five glasses of water - five glasses of water
  six jars of jam - six jars of jam
  seven boxes of cereal - seven boxes of cereal
  eight cans of coke - eight cans of cola
  nine tins of tuna - nine cans of tuna
  ten tubes of toothpaste - ten tubes of toothpaste
- Unit of measurement:
  two kilos of sugar - two kilograms of sugar
  three liters of petrol - three liters of gasoline
  four pounds of butter - four pounds of butter
  five meters of cable - five meters of cable
- Unit (product, product):
  three loaves of bread - three slices of bread
  four bars of chocolate - four chocolate bars
  five slices of cheese - five pieces of cheese
If you cannot find a unit of measurement for an uncountable noun, use the construction piece of.
He gave me three pieces of advice. - He gave me three tips.
Pay attention to nouns where the ending -s does not indicate plural, as these are uncountable nouns.
gymnastics - gymnastics
billiards - billiards
measles - measles
maths - mathematics
Measles is an infectious disease. - Measles- infection.
Gymnastics is my favorite sport. - Gymnastics- My favorite sport.
Nouns that are used only in the plural. Accordingly, these words are used with a plural verb.
police - police
cattle - cattle
clothes - clothes
stairs - stairs
The police are looking for the robbers. - Police are looking for robbers.
Also, nouns that are used only in the plural include objects consisting of two parts - paired. Most often these are tools, clothing and accessories.
jeans - jeans
trousers - trousers
pajamas (BrE), pajamas (AmE) - pajamas
tights - tights
pliers - pliers
pincers - tongs
shears - secateurs
To form the plural of paired nouns, use the phrase pairs of.
She wants to try on a few more pairs of sunglasses before the purchase. - Before buying, she wants to try on more several pairs of sunglasses.
You should have at least two pairs of binoculars for birdwatching. - You should have at least two pairs of binoculars for bird watching.
Collective nouns
Collective nouns denote a group of people or things that are considered as a single unit. With such nouns we can use either a singular or plural verb.
staff - staff
a team - team
a crew - crew
a family - family
a company - company
Most often it doesn't matter which number you choose, but sometimes one of the forms is more appropriate for the context. It all depends on whether you are talking about the group as a whole (singular) or looking at each member of the group separately (plural).
The team was playing well. - Team played well.
The team were playing well. - Everyone's on the team played well.
My family is very important to me. - My family very important to me.
My family are going away next weekend. - All my family members leaving next weekend.

We hope you remember everything about forming the plural of nouns in English. And if you are in doubt about choosing the right form, contact. You will find more topics in our series of articles “” and “”.

We suggest you take our test to consolidate the material.

Test on the topic “Plural nouns in English”

Plural of nouns in English (The Plural) is formed according to simple rules: in most cases, the ending is added to the base of the noun -es. For example:

🔊 brush — 🔊 brush es (brushes).

But there are exceptions to words ending in a consonant and -y, the plural form of which is formed by replacing -y on -i and adding the ending -es. For example:

🔊fl y— 🔊fl ies (flies).

Summary table of rules for forming the plural of a noun

Table No. 1. Rules for writing plural endings

	Noun ends in -s,-sh,-ch,-x,-z	The noun ends in a consonant and -y	The noun ends in a consonant and -o
Rule	Add the ending -es	Change the letter y to i and add -es	Add the ending -es
Examples	🔊 bu s— 🔊 bus es(buses), 🔊 wat ch— 🔊 watch es(hours), 🔊 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 noun, abbreviation or borrowing, then only the letter is added -s :

🔊 Eskimo — 🔊 Eskimo s (Eskimos)
🔊 kilo — 🔊 kilo s (kilograms)
🔊 tango — 🔊 tango s (tango).

Rules for pronunciation of plural endings of nouns

There are some nuances here too. Which? The pronunciation of the plural ending depends on the final sound in the singular form (see Table No. 2 below).

Table No. 2. Pronunciation of plural endings of nouns

The noun ends in a vowel or a voiced consonant	The ending is read as [z]	🔊 game — 🔊 games , 🔊 tree — 🔊 trees
The noun ends in a voiceless consonant	The ending is read as [s]	🔊 cat — 🔊 cats , 🔊 clock — 🔊 clocks
The noun ends in the sounds [ʤ], [ʧ], [ʃ], [s] or [z]	The ending is read as [ɪz]	🔊 orange — 🔊 oranges [ˈɒrɪn dʒ- ˈɒrɪn dʒɪz], 🔊 vase — 🔊 vases

Nouns that form the plural irregularly

The plural of nouns in English can be formed irregularly. These nouns are the so-called exceptions. Below in the tables I will introduce you to them in detail.

Table No. 3. Plural formation is not according to the rules

Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
🔊 man (man)	🔊men	🔊 wolf (wolf)	🔊 wolves
🔊 woman (woman)	🔊women	🔊 mouse (mouse)	🔊 mice
🔊 child (child)	🔊children	🔊 louse (louse)	🔊lice
🔊 tooth	🔊teeth	🔊 penny (cent coin)	🔊 pence
🔊 foot (foot)	🔊 feet	🔊 person (person)	🔊 people
🔊 goose (goose)	🔊geese	🔊 sheep (sheep)	🔊sheep
🔊ox (ox)	🔊 oxen	🔊 deer (deer)	🔊 deer
🔊 leaf	🔊 leaves	🔊 fish (fish)	🔊 fish

Nouns of Latin origin that form their plural endings irregularly

Nouns 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 are singular in Russian, 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	🔊 contents
🔊 custom (custom)	🔊 customs (customs)
🔊 damage	🔊 damages
🔊 drawer (drawer)	🔊 drawers (chest of drawers)
🔊 fund (stock)	🔊 funds cash
🔊 glass (glass, glass)	🔊 glasses
🔊 hair (hair)	🔊 hairs (wool, individual hairs)
🔊 look (look)	🔊 looks (appearance)
🔊pain	🔊 pains (effort, suffering)
🔊 scale	🔊 scales
🔊 spectacle (spectacle, view)	🔊 spectacles (glasses)
🔊 step (step)	🔊 steps (ladder)
🔊 work (work)	🔊 works (factory)
🔊 saving (frugality)	🔊 savings

Some more useful articles

As you know, English nouns can be singular or plural. Plural of nouns in English language, as well as in Russian, is used to designate two or more objects.

Although unions may be good for a worker, singular, they are not always good for workers, plural. Especially when it comes to finding a job.

While unions may be good for workers in the singular, they are not always good for workers in the plural. This is especially true when looking for a job.

Rules for forming plurals in English Compared to Russian, they do not require memorizing a huge number of endings, alternating vowels or dropping consonants. But, like any other language, there are exceptions and peculiarities of use.

How to correctly add a plural ending, which English nouns form their plurals irregularly? This article will tell you about this and much more.

Plural Formation in English

Reference Chart: Plural Formation in English

As you know, there are many more than uncountables in the English language. Countable English nouns Countable Nouns) can be singular or plural.

Singular(eng. singular) is used to denote one thing:

a pencil(Russian pencil)

a boy(Russian boy

a house(Russian house)

Plural(eng. plural) means that there is more than one object: two, three, four, many, few, etc.:

two pencils(Russian: two pencils)

three boys(Russian: three boys)

many houses(Russian: many houses)

To correctly use a plural noun, you need to know the rules of formation, of which there are not many.

Rules for forming the plural ending -s

Nouns in English form the plural by adding the singular to the form. -s endings.

Remember:

The plural of most English nouns is formed by ending -(e)s, which is added to a singular noun.

Ending -s can be pronounced like [z] after voiced consonants and vowels or how [s] after voiceless consonants.

Examples of plural formation ending in –s

However, despite the main -s ending rule for plurals, there are slight variations in its addition, which are most often associated with easier pronunciation or a historical tradition.

Plural ending -es

Nouns ending in singular -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -tch, -x, -z (whistling or hissing sounds) form the plural using -es endings to the singular form.

In this case ending -es pronounced like [ɪz] .

Examples of plural formation ending in –es

Sometimes ending -es confused with ending -s, which is added after the silent -e with a preceding consonant -s, -c, -z, -g. Compare:

Ending -es after -y in plural, examples

If a singular noun ends in consonant + y, then in the plural the letter -y changes to –i and the ending is added -es.

If before -y is a vowel, then the plural is formed according to the general rule: the ending is added -s, A the letter -y does not change to –i.

Ending -es after -f in plural, examples

Nouns that singular ending in -f changes -f to –v and adding -es endings.

Nouns that singular ending in –fe, form the plural by changes -f to –v and adding -s endings.

However, there are several nouns that do not fall under this rule: they do not change the letter -f to –v and only add ending –s

Noun wharf(Russian pier) can have two plural forms: wharfs And wharves. Both options are correct.

Ending s or es after -o in the plural

Basic chart for forming the plural of nouns ending in –o

Most nouns ending in singular - o, form the plural using -es endings.

Some nouns that end in -o, add only ending –s, that is, they follow the general rule:

But there is another group of nouns, ending in -o, which can form the plural in two ways: by adding endings -s or –es. Here are some of them:

By remembering these words, you will not panic when Google Translator or the Microsoft Office word spelling editor shows errors in a word in red.

Pronunciation of the -es ending in nouns in English

So you see that most nouns form plural by adding ending -(e)s.

As you remember, this ending has several pronunciation options, depending on what letter or sound it comes after.

It is important to remember how to correctly pronounce this ending in different words so that your speech resembles the speech of native speakers.

Plurals in English table

The table below will make it easier to remember the plural of nouns:

Nouns	Plural Formation Rules	Singular	Plural
most nouns	ending –s	one bird one street one rose	two birds two streets two roses
nouns ending in sibilant -sh, -ch, -x, -s	ending –es	one dish one match one class one box	two dishes two matches two classes two boxes
nouns end in consonant + y	change -y to -i and add the ending -es one	baby one city	two babies two cities
nouns end in vowel + y	do not change -y, add ending –s	one toy one key	two toys two keys
most nouns that end in -f, -fe	change -f to -v and add the ending –es	one knife one shelf	two knives two shelves
some nouns that end in –f	do not change -f and add the ending –s	one belief one cliff one chief one roof one cuff	two beliefs two cliffs two chiefs two roofs two cuffs
most nouns that end in -o	ending –s	one zoo one radio one studio one piano one solo one soprano one photo one auto one video	two zoos two radios two studios two pianos two solos two sopranos two photos two autos two videos
some nouns that end in a consonant and the letter –o	ending –es	one tomato one potato one hero one echo	two tomatoes two potatoes two heroes two echoes
several nouns ending in –o	ending -es/-s	one zero one volcano one tornado one mosquito	two zeroes/zeros two volcanoes/volcanos two tornadoes/tornados two mosquitoes/mosquitos
some nouns	don't change	one fish one day one offspring one species	two fish two years two offspring two species
irregular nouns	change vowels or completely change the form	one child one foot one goose one tooth one man one woman one mouse one person	two children two feet two geese two teeth two men two women two mice two people
borrowing	other endings borrowed from other languages	one bacterium one cactus one crisis one phenomenon one datum	two bacteria two cacti two crises two phenomena two data

Plurals in English are exceptions

Famous English proverb “There’s a black sheep in every flock” (Russian: “one black sheep spoils the whole flock”)

Some nouns form the plural not according to the general rule - using -s endings, but by changing root vowels or adding atypical endings.

Such words are sometimes called irregular nouns. Let's take a closer look at the exceptions when forming the plural of nouns.

Exception words for plural nouns

Among the exception words you can find some small patterns.

1. Nouns change the root vowel, the pronunciation of the plural noun changes accordingly.

Usually the word "people"(Russian people) is used as the plural of the word "person" - one person- one man, three people- three persons.

Sometimes the word "people"(Russian people) are used when talking about any people, and the word "peoples"- to designate different peoples. And sometimes in official communication or on signs the word appears "persons" .

2. The plural is added ending –en instead of -s, sometimes with a change in the root vowel

3. Some nouns do not change the singular form in the plural, pronunciation too

Word fish(Russian fish) is a special word. This noun has the same singular and plural forms: one fish, five fish.

There is also a form fishes, but it has a different meaning, more than one type or gender: fish– for one type, fishes- for different types.

Plural borrowings in English

Plurals of nouns in English: all exceptions.

As you saw from the table “Formation of the plural of nouns”, many English words of foreign origin do not form the plural according to the rules.

For example, borrowings of Greek pronunciation retained the plural form of their native language:

Special cases of using plural nouns

Noun penny(Russian pence) has a plural form pence when it comes to a monetary amount. When individual coins are meant, the form is used pennies.

Nouns dozen(Russian dozen, ten) and score(Russian twenty) have the same form for the singular and plural if they come after the numerals: two dozen eggs(Russian: two dozen eggs) and two score (of) years(Russian: forty years). When these nouns are used without a numeral, they form the plural with the addition -s endings.

Nouns works(Russian plant) and means(Russian means) have the same form for the singular and plural.

Unlike the Russian language, nouns gate(Russian gate), sledge(Russian sleigh), watch(Russian wristwatch), clock(Russian wall clock) in English can be used in singular and plural.

Nouns export(Russian export) and import(Russian import) are used in the plural form when talking about the quantity and value of exported or imported goods. In the plural they add ending –s. When talking about the process of exporting or importing, the singular form is used.

It should be noted that ending –s does not always mean multiplication of objects; Often the noun formed by it takes on a new meaning: singular. Closest example: word- word, words– words (plural), but also: conversation, speech, spat, quarrel (singular).

Plurals in compound nouns

Compound or compound nouns are made up of two or more words, usually nouns. These words have special rules for forming the plural.

Rule 1

In compound nouns that written together accepts only the second word.

Rule 2

In compound nouns that written with a hyphen, the plural form is usually accepts the key meaning word.

Rule 3

If the first element man/woman, then in the plural both parts will change :

Rule 4

If in a compound noun no nouns missing, that is, it consists of verbs, particles or adjectives), then ending -s, usually, is added to the last element

Instead of a conclusion:

As you have seen, the rules for forming plurals in English are not that complicated. They can tell you more about them, and to remember them better, we recommend doing a few exercises on plurals right now.

In general, the plural of nouns in English is formed according to strict and simple rules. However, there are some nuances and exceptions here that will be useful for you to know.

Basic rules for forming plurals

The plural of most nouns is formed by adding the ending - s. For example:

cup - cup s
pen - pen s
page - page s
daughter - daughter s

However, if the word ends with -ch, -x, -s, -sh, the ending is added to it -es.

ben ch—bench es
fo x—fox es
cla ss— class es
bru sh—brush es

Most nouns ending in a consonant +o, also form the plural using the ending -es.

he ro- hero es
pota to- potato es
toma to—tomato es

However, in words of Spanish or Italian origin that end in -o, is simply added -s.

phot o— photo s
pian o- piano s
tang o—tango s
studio o— studio s

To nouns that end in -z, is added -zes.

In nouns that end in a consonant + y, discarded y and is added -ies. For example:

co py— cop ies
hob by—hobb ies
s ky—sk ies

Most nouns of Latin origin that end in -is, discarded -is and is added -es. For example:

bas is- bas es
cris is- Chris es
oas is- oas es

Most nouns that end in -f or -fe, discarded f and is added -ves. For example:

wi fe—wi ves
shel f— shel ves
lea f—lea ves

But this is not a strict rule:

belief - beliefs (believes is a verb)
chief - chiefs
reef - reefs
proof - proofs
cliff - cliffs
safe - safes (saves is a verb)

Exceptions to the rules

There are many common nouns that have an irregular plural form: the plural of such nouns is formed in an unusual way.

These include most nouns denoting people. For example:

woman - women
child - children
brother - brethren (meaning “brothers”)

Other exception nouns:

foot - feet
tooth - teeth
goose - geese
mouse - mice

Some nouns have the same singular and plural form. For example:

sheep - sheep
fruit - fruit
aircraft - aircraft
series - series

In the plural they require the appropriate form of the verb (are/were):

There is a fruit in the vase. — There are some fruit in the vase.
There was a sheep in the field. — There were a lot of sheep in the field.

In turn, uncountable nouns (money, news, advice, information) do not have a plural form and agree with a singular verb ( is/was):

There is a lot of news in your letter.
There there was some money on the table.

Some nouns (scissors, glasses, trousers, tweezers, pyjamas, etc.) have only a plural form and require the corresponding verb form ( are/were). For example:

Where are my new trousers? They were on the chair.

Nouns that come from obsolete forms of English words or are of foreign origin often have an unusual plural form:

ox - oxen
index - indices or indexes

In compound nouns, the plural ending is usually added to the main component. For example:

mother-in-law s-in-law
hotel-keeper - hotel-keeper s

Words ending with -us

Linguists can argue for hours about the plural of nouns that end in -us. Many of these words are borrowed from Latin and retain the Latin plural form, where the ending -us is replaced by -i (pronounced [-ʌɪ] or [-iː]). However, not all such words are of Latin origin, and not all Latin words end with -i in the plural, hence the controversy. For example:

The plural of virus is virus es, not viri.

Some accept the regular English ending -es: campus - campus es; bonus - bonus es.

Some Latin borrowings take the ending -i: radius - radi i, stimulus - stimulus i.

If you want to puzzle a linguist, ask him what the plural of crocus is - crocuses or croci. Or is the plural of octopus - octopuses, octopi or octopodes?

Words in the singular

Uncountable nouns are used only in the singular.