Faculty of Applied ArtsAsst. Prof. Dr Aleksandar Vuletić

The Plural of Nouns

Countable and Uncountable NounsThe Plural of Nouns: Rules and Examples

The Plural of Nouns: Exercises

Countable nounsMost of the nouns are countable. You can combine them with numbers, e.g one, two or three...

proportion, color, canvas, brush, easel, shape, shade, style, theme, skill, exhibition, form, gallery, workshop, image, installation, photo, print...

Uncountable nounsThese nouns cannot be combined with numbers.

water, butter, coal, money, salt, iron, wine, plaster of Paris, conservation, equipment, furniture, advice, news, scissors,

jeans, mortar, mastery, complexity, luminosity, litography, ceramics, sensuality...

If you want to express a quantity, you have to use a special phrase e.g. a glass of water, a piece of advice, a pound of plaster,...

Note:Some nouns can be either countable or uncountable. Use a good dictionary to find out whether a noun is countable or uncountable or both.Here is an example: hair – hairs

- You've got some hairs on your T-shirt. /C/

- Your hair looks lovely. /UC/

time – times- How much time do you need to complete this? /UC/- How many times do I have to tell you not to draw here? /C/

The Plural of NounsRules and Examples

Most singular nouns are made plural by simply putting an -s at the end. There are many different rules regarding pluralization depending on what letter a noun ends in. Irregular nouns do not follow plural noun rules, so they must be memorized or looked up in the dictionary.

There are many plural noun rules, and because we use nouns so frequently when writing, it’s important to know all of them! The correct spelling usually depends on what letter the singular noun ends in.1 To make regular nouns plural, add -s to the end.designer – designerslandscape - landscapestexture - textures2 If the singular noun ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z, add -es to the end to make it plural.bus – busesdish – dishesglass - glasses

lunch – lunchesbox - boxesblitz – blitzes3 In some cases, singular nouns ending in -s or -z, require that you double the -s or -z prior to adding the -es for pluralization.fez – fezzesgas –gassesquiz - quizzes4 If the noun ends with -f or -fe, the f is often changed to -ve before adding the -s to form the plural version.half - halveswolf – wolves

knife – kniveslife – livesleaf - leavesExceptions 1: Exceptions 2:roof – roofs scarf – scarves - scarfs belief – beliefs hoof – hooves - hofschef – chefs wharf – wharves - wharfschief – chiefs5 If a singular noun ends in -y and the letter before the -y is a consonant, change the ending to -ies to make the noun plural.contemporary - contemporariesgallery - galleries

story – storiescountry – countriesquality - qualities

6 If the singular noun ends in -y and the letter before the -y is a vowel, simply add an -s to make it plural.ray – raysday - daysplay - plays7 If the singular noun ends in -o, add -es to make it plural.potato – potatoestomato – tomatoes

hero – heroesecho - echoesExceptions 1: Exceptions 2: photo – photos studio - studiospiano – pianos scenario - scenarioshalo – halos portfolio - portfoliosExceptions 3: volcano – volcanoes – volcanosfresco – frescoes - frescos8a Nouns of Greek/Latin origin: if the singular noun ends in -us, the plural ending is frequently -i.cactus – cacti

focus – focioctopus – octopuses/octopisyllabus – syllabuses/syllabilocus – loci8b Nouns of Greek/Latin origin: if the singular noun ends in -is, the plural ending is -es.analysis – analyses thesis– thesesellipsis – ellipses axis – axescrisis – crises basis – basesdiagnosis – diagnoses oasis – oases 8c Nouns of Greek/Latin origin: if the singular noun ends in –on or -um, the plural ending is -a.

phenomenon – phenomena memorandum - memorandacriterion – criteria datum - data8d Nouns of Greek/Latin origin: if the singular noun ends in –a, the plural ending is -ae.formula - formulae9 Some nouns don’t change at all when they’re pluralized.sheep – sheep species – species means - meansseries – series deer –deer cross-roads - cross-roadsMark bought one sheep, but I bought  three sheep.

NB: fruits; fishes; peoples (not collectively, but various fruit, fish, people)10 Irregular nouns follow no specific rules, so it’s best to memorize these or look up the proper pluralization in the dictionary.

child – childrenman – men

woman – womentooth – teeth

foot – feetmouse – mice

louse - lice

goose – geeseox - oxen

11aCompound nouns form their plural by adding –s to the principal word(s):

son-in-law – sons-in-lawwriting-table – writing-tableseditor-in-chief – editors-in-chiefFrenchwoman - Frenchwomenpasser-by – passers-bymanservant – menservantswoman doctor – women doctors

NB: policeman – policemen

11bCompounds containing no noun, form their plural by adding –s to the last word:go-between - go-betweensforget-me-not - forget-me-notsplay-doh – play-dohsgrown-up – grown-upsget-up – get-ups

12a Some collective nouns are used with a verb in singular or in the plural, according to the sense:family, staff, class, team, jury, government, committee, public, council,army, crew, enemy

The family are having breakfast. / My family is rather big.The committee is appointed. / The committee were unanimous.12bSome nouns have no plural form, they are always followed by a singular verb:information, news, advice, business, intelligence, nonsense, knowledge,courage, strenght, music, progress, luggage, furniture

- The news is great!- The furniture we designed has been awarded many times.- Is your business doing good? - The music of Chopin is wonderful.- Let me give you a piece of advice, my friend.

Exercises

1. Make plural forms for the following nouns:thesis; stimulus; loaf; medium; series; study; louse; glass; photo; scarf; fresco; biography; woman; belief; watch; hero; datum; topaz; embargo; basis. 2. Make plural forms for the following compound nouns:

Englishman; merry-go-round; drop-out; passer-by; secretary-of-state;

woman journalist; fireman; good-for-nothing; hotel-keeper3. Write down your own example sentences in which you will use at leastten different types of noun plurals.