The Noun: Number

The Noun: Number : The Noun: Number Singular number: A noun that denotes one person or thing, is said to be in the Singular Number; as, Boy, girl, cow, tree, book, pen. Plural Number: A noun that denoted more than one person or thing, is said to be in the Plural Number; as Boys girls, cows, birds, trees, books, pens.

How Plurals are formed : How Plurals are formed By adding –s to the singular; as, Boy-boys Pen-pens Girls-girls Desk-desks Book-books Cow-cows

Nouns ending in –s, -sh, -ch(soft), or –x form the plural by adding –es to the singular; as, : Nouns ending in –s, -sh, -ch(soft), or –x form the plural by adding –es to the singular; as, Class-classes Brush-brushes Branch-branches Kiss-kisses Match-matches Tax-taxes Dish-dishes Watch-watches Box-boxes

Noun ending in –o also form the plural by adding –es to the singular; as : Noun ending in –o also form the plural by adding –es to the singular; as Buffalo-buffaloes Potato-potatoes Negro-negroes Mango-mangoes Cargo-cargoes Volcano-volcanoes Hero-heroes Echo-echoes

A few Nouns ending in –o merely add –s, as : A few Nouns ending in –o merely add –s, as Dynamo-dynamos Canto-cantos Piano-pianos Kilo-kilos Solo-solos Memento-mementos Photo-photos Logo-logos Ratio-ratios Quarto-quartos Stereo-stereos Commando-commandos

Nouns ending in –y preceded by a consonant form their plural by changing –y into –i and adding –es; as : Nouns ending in –y preceded by a consonant form their plural by changing –y into –i and adding –es; as Baby-babies Army-armies Lady-ladies Story-stories City-cities Pony-ponies

Nouns ending in –f or –fe form their plural by changing –f or –fe into v and adding –es; : Nouns ending in –f or –fe form their plural by changing –f or –fe into v and adding –es; Thief-thieves Life-lives Loaf-loaves Half-halves Sheaf-sheaves Wife-wives Calf-calves Knife-knives Elf-elves Wolf-wolves Leaf-leaves Shelf-shelves Self-shelves The noun dwarf, hoof, scarf, wharf take either –s or –ve s in the plural. Dwarfs or dwarves; hoofs or hooves, scarfs or scarves, wharfs, or wharves Other words ending in –f or –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 singular; as, : A few nouns form their plural by changing the inside vowel of the singular; as, Man-men Goose- geese Woman-women Mouse- mice Foot-feet Tooth-teeth 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, : 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. : Some Nouns are used only in the Plural. Name of instruments which have two parts forming a kind of pairs; as Bellows, scissors, tongs, pincers, spectacles. Names of certain articles of dress; as, Trousers, drawers, breeches, jeans, tights, shorts, pajamas. Certain other nouns; as, Annals, thanks, proceeds ( of a sale), tidings, environs, nuptials, obsequies, assets, chattels. 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 : The following nouns look plural but are in fact singular Names of the subjects Mathematics, physics, electronics, etc. The word news Names of some common diseases Measles, mumps, rickets 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 the 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, : 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 plurals by adding –s to the principal word; as, : A Compound Noun generally forms its plurals 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 Man-servant 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 Noun 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, : Many nouns taken from foreign languages keep their original plural form; as, From Latin- Erratum, errata; Index, indices; Radius, radii; Formula, formulae (formulas); Memorandum, memoranda; Terminus, termini (or terminuses); From Greek- Axis, axes; Crisis, crises; Basis, bases; Analysis, analyses; Parenthesis, parentheses; Hypothesis, hypotheses; Phenomenon, phenomena; 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 somewhat different meaning. : Some nouns have two forms for the plural, each with a somewhat different meaning. Singular Brother Cloths Die Index Penny Plural Brothers, sons of the same parent. Brethren, members of the society or a community. Cloths, kinds or pieces of cloth Clothes garments. Dies stamps for coining Dice, small cubes used in games Indexes, tables of contents to books Indices, signs used in algebra Pennies, number of coins Pence, amount in value.

Some Nouns have two meanings in the singular but only one in the plural. : Some Nouns have two meanings in the singular but only one in the plural. Light: radiance and a lamp Plural of light: lights and lamps People: nation and men & women Plural of people: peoples and nations Powder: dust and a dose of medicine in fine grains like dust Plural of powder: powders and doses of medicine Practice: habit and exercise of a profession Plural of practice: practices and habits.

Some nouns have one meaning in the singular, two in the plural; : Some nouns have one meaning in the singular, two in the plural; Colour (hue)-Colours (hues, the flag of a regiment) Custom (habit)-Customs ( habits, duties levied on imports Effect (result)-Effects (results, property)

Some nouns have different meanings in the singular and the plural; : Some nouns have different meanings in the singular and the plural; Air(atmosphere)-Airs(affected manners) Good(benefit, well being)-goods(merchandise) Force(strength)-Forces(troops)

Letters, figures and other symbols are made plurals by adding an apostrophe and s; : Letters, figures and other symbols are made plurals by adding an apostrophe and s; There are more e’s than a’s in this page. Dot your I’s and cross you t’s. Add two 5’s and four 2’s. 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 Kindness=acts of kindness. Names of substances are also uncountables and are not therefore used in the plurals. 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-forest.

End of Noun Number : End of Noun Number Feedback on the lesson Please. Please mail me your mail id at: rupa_saggu@yahoo.com Thank YOU All!!!!