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Singular Plural |
Singular/plural Nouns in the English language
In all languages we must talk about the number, in the English language there are two numbers
Singular ( one person or thing )
Plural ( more than one person or thing )
Singular Noun:
A single noun is one that only refers to one person or thing. It is called singular.
Plural Noun:
When a noun refers to more than one person or thing. It is called plural.
Rules of forming the Plural noun
Rule no 1 :
The most usual way of making a plural noun is by adding ” s ” to the singular.
Rule number 1 |
Singular |
Plural |
Cat |
Cats |
Bat |
Bats |
car |
cars |
Fan |
Fans |
Door |
Doors |
Window |
Windows |
Pen |
Pens |
King |
Kings |
Paper |
Papers |
Picture |
Pictures |
Rule no 2 :
Nouns ending with ” s, ss, sh, ch, or x,z ” are made plural by ending “es” to the singular.
Rule number 2 |
Singular |
Plural |
Class |
Classes |
Bus |
Buses |
Glass |
Glasses |
Dish |
Dishes |
Brush |
Brushes |
Bush |
Bushes |
Branch |
Branches |
Lunch |
Lunches |
Church |
Churches |
Fox |
Foxes |
Box |
Boxes |
Tax |
Taxes |
Bench |
Benches |
Pitch |
Pitches |
Ass |
Asses |
Dress |
Dresses |
Match |
Matches |
Gas |
Gases |
Inch |
Inches |
Rule no 3 :
Nouns ending with ” O ” are made plural by adding “es” to singular.
Rule number 3 |
Singular |
Plural |
Potato |
Potatoes |
Tomato |
Tomatoes |
Mango |
Mangoes |
Hero |
Heroes |
Echo |
Echoes |
Rule no 4 :
Some nouns ending with ” O ” have only “s”
in their plural forms.
Rule number 4 |
Singular |
Plural |
Video |
Videos |
Piano |
Pianos |
Photo |
Photos |
Radio |
Radios |
Stereo |
Stereos |
Bamboo |
Bamboos |
Dynamo |
Dynamos |
Kangaroo |
Kangaroos |
Zoo |
Zoos |
Rule no 5 :
Noun ending with ” y ” with a consonant before ” y ” these words are made plural by changing ” y” into ” i ” and adding ” es ” in them.
Rule number 5 |
Singular |
Plural |
Party |
Parties |
Lady |
Ladies |
Puppy |
Puppies |
City |
Cities |
Family |
Families |
Baby |
Babies |
Company |
Companies |
Army |
Armies |
Poetry |
Poetries |
Story |
Stories |
Penny |
Pennies |
Berry |
Berries |
Scenery |
Sceneries |
Candy |
Candies |
Pony |
Ponies |
County |
Countries |
Copy |
Copies |
Enemy |
Enemies |
Library |
Libraries |
University |
Universities |
Rule no 6:
Nouns ending with “y” with a vowel before “y” these words are made plural by simply add an “s” in them.
Rule number 6 |
Singular |
Plural |
Boy |
Boys |
Ray |
Rays |
Toy |
Toys |
Kidney |
Kidneys |
Donkey |
Donkeys |
Monkey |
Monkeys |
Highway |
Highways |
Day |
Days |
Holiday |
Holidays |
Journey |
Journeys |
Storey |
Storeys |
Key |
Keys |
Guy |
Guys |
Tray |
Trays |
Valley |
Valleys |
Rule no 7 :
Many nouns ending with ” f ” or ” fe ” are made plural by changing into ” v ” and adding “es ” into them.
Rule number 7 |
Singular |
Plural |
Life |
Lives |
Thief |
Thieves |
Knife |
Knives |
Leaf |
Leaves |
Wife |
Wives |
Half |
Halves |
Calf |
Calves |
Shelf |
Shelves |
Wolf |
Wolves |
Loaf |
Loaves |
Calf |
Calves |
Exception :
But some nouns ending with “f” or ” fe ” by making plurals of them simply “s” is added.
Singular |
Plural |
Proof |
Proofs |
Belief |
Beliefs |
Chef |
Chefs |
Roof |
Roofs |
Gulf |
Gulfs |
Cuff |
Cuffs |
Safe |
Safes |
Chief |
Chiefs |
Cliff |
Cliffs |
Proof |
Proofs |
Gulf |
Gulfs |
Rule no.8:
Plural of few nouns forms by changing the inside vowels of the singular.
Rule number 8 |
Singular |
Plural |
Man |
Men |
Woman |
Women |
Goose |
Geese |
Foot |
Feet |
Tooth |
Teeth |
Rule no 9:
Some nouns have the same singular & plural forms.
Rule number 9 |
Singular |
Plural |
Sheep |
Sheep |
Deer |
Deer |
Swine |
Swine |
Million |
Million |
Dozen |
Dozen |
Grass |
Grass |
Hair |
Hair |
species |
species |
Fish |
Fish |
pair |
pair |
Series |
Series |
Swine |
Swine |
News |
News |
Tuna |
Tuna |
Bison |
Bison |
Aircraft |
Aircraft |
Irregular plural:
Some singular nouns do not follow any rules and their plural forms are irregular.
Irregular plurals |
Singular |
Plural |
Child |
Children |
Ox |
Oxen |
Mouse |
Mice |
Person |
People |
Apex |
Apices |
Larva |
Larvae |
Analysis |
Analyses |
Vita |
Vitae |
Crisis |
Crises |
Alumni |
Alumnae |
Trout |
Trout |
Genus |
Genera |
Codex |
Codices |
Index |
Indices |
Quiz |
Quizzes |
Datum |
Data |
Curriculum |
Curricula |
Focus |
Foci |
Oasis |
Oases |