Number

Nouns have

Singular

Number Plural

In English, number is a characteristic of nouns

personal pronouns demonstratives verbs

The regular plural is generally formed by adding

S or ES to the singular.

SINGULAR + sWindow WindowsMap Maps

SINGULAR + esChurch ChurchesWash Washes

There are some spelling changes to notice:

Words ending in “y” preceded by a consonant, change the letter “y” into “i” and then adds the regular “es”.

Singular ending in Y ES

Lady

Story

Fly

Army

Family

City

Ladies

Stories

Flies

Armies

Families

Cities

•Words ending in “y” preceded by a vowel simply add”s”.

Valley

Donkey

Day

Boy

Valleys

Donkeys

Days

Boys

•Words ending in “o” preceded by consonant take “es” in the plural

Negro

Tomato

Torpedo

Hero

Potato

Echo

Negroes

Tomatoes

Torpedoes

Heroes

Potatoes

Echoes

BUT the following do not take “e” in the spellingKilosPhotosMemosConcertosPianosSopranosEskimosRadiosZoosKangaroosBamboosFolios

KiloesPhotoesMemoesConcertoesPianoesSopranoesEskimoesRadioesZooesKangarooesBambooesFolioes

Special mention must be made of:

A) Some nouns end in “s” but are gramatically singular. These include some names of schools/ universities subjects, physical activities, diseases, and games.

School/University

Subjects

Physical Activities Diseases Games

Civics Athletics Shingles Bowls

Classics Aerobics Measles Billards

Economics Callisthemics Mumps Darts

Ergonomics Gymnastics Rickets Dominoes

Linguistics Draughts

Maths/ Mathematics Skittles

Mechanics

Physics

Politics

Programatics

Another very common word that is singular but ends in “s” is news.

E.g.:This is the morning news.The mumps makes your neck swell.Aerobics is really popular these days, particularly with older

people.Shingles lays you low for anything up to six months, doesn

´t it?Bowls is played by many younger people these days.This news is not so good.

When the words have another meaning they take plural verb.

E.g:

The recent statistics on marriage are interesting. (= figures)

The accoustics of this room are terrible. (=sound)

The mathematics of this proyect are rather complicated for me. (=figures)

Games: Billards, darts. Dominoes, fives, ninepins, tennis, chees.

E.g.: I play dominoes with my daughter. It is entertaining.

Proper nouns: Athens, Brussels, Flanders, The United States of America, The United NAtions, The Philipines.

Plural non- count nounsB) Nouns which occur only in the

plural form.

a- Nouns which look singular but are plural.

cattle people police vermin clergy

Nouns wich occur in the pluralb- Sumation plurals: Instruments, garments

and tools consisting of two equal parts joined together.

e.g. Trousers have two legs (“BIPARTITE” items):

A: Where are my jeans? B: They’re in the wash.

In singular you can say a pair of... e.g. I need a new pair of jeans.

BiPaRtiTe NoUnS

Instruments Garments Tools

binoculares briefs Pincers

glasses jeans Pliers

goggles jodhpurs Scissors

headphones knickers Shears

spectacles overalls Tongs

pants tweezers

pyjamas

shorts

trousers

underpants

socks

Nouns which occur in the plural

Bipartite Nouns

This group of nouns is productive in that new nouns (including the names of manufacturing) which fit into these categories generally take on the same syntatic features.

Recent examples include:

Combats, chinos, Levis (types of trousers) Boxers (underwear shorts) Shades, Ray-bans (type of sunglasses)

c- There are many nouns ending in “s” but have no singular form. If they do, the meaning is different.

belongings premises (buildings)

wages

congratulations proceedings arms (weapons)

dregs proceeds ashes (human

remains)

earnings remains funds

goods riches clothes

likes savings (money) credentials

mains stairs provisions (food

supplies)

outskirts surroundings damages (compensation)

particulares thanks Manners (behaviour)

pictures (cinema) The Middle Ages

•Some examples:

I understand congratulations are due on the new job, by the way.

The outskirts of the city are rather drab and uninteresting.

The proceeds of the concert are all going to charity.

• Some nouns in the plural form have a different meaning.

For example: pictures = cinema (now becoming outdated) pictures = plural of picture

premises = a building or buildings premises = plural of premise (meaning

“ideas or theory on which argument is based”)

•Find out differences with these pairs:

Peter was found guilty of causing damage to Paul’s property.

He was ordered to pay damages.

May I have a look at your magazine?

The accident has spoilt my good looks.

I didn’t like that man’s manner.

George has very good manners.

We can make a considerable saving by selling the car.

Then we can use our savings to buy some new furniture.

There was cigarette ash all over the floor.

The house burnt to ashes.

We scattered my father’s ashes over the lake.