MARCO SUCUPIRA LANGUAGE MATERIALS

PLURAL OF NOUNS
FORM:

A) The plural of nouns is generally formed by adding "S" to the singular.

B) Add "ES" to nouns ending in ch,s,sh,ss,x and z.

Exceptions:

Add "S" to nouns ending in ch which have the sound of k.

C) Nouns ending in "y" preceded by a consonant change the "y" into "IES", but if the "y" is preceded by a vowel, only "S" is added.

D) Most nouns ending in "o" preceded by a consonant take "ES" in the plural.

Exceptions:

E) All nouns ending in "o" preceded by a vowel take "S" in the plural.

F) Nouns ending in "f" or "fe" drop the "f" or "fe" and add "VES".

Exceptions:

G) Nouns which retain their original Greek or Latin forms make their plurals according to the rules of Greek or Latin.

H) Irregular Plurals

I) Compound Nouns

1. Normally, the last word is made plural in compound nouns.

2. Where man or woman come first, both parts are made plural.

3. Compound nouns formed with prepositions or adverbs make only the first word plural.

4. Compounds finishing in "ful" take "S".

J) Some nouns in English are used only in the singular form and so the verb remains in singular.

accommodation
advice
furniture
information
knowledge
news
progress

K) Some nouns have the same form for both plural and singular.

deer
fish
series
sheep
species

L) The names of many sciences ending in "ics" are singular. The verb remains in the singular form.

M) The following nouns are always plural and are followed by verbs in the plural:

IMPORTANT REMARKS:
The plural forms "hundreds", "dozens", "thousands", etc. are used if some indefinite number is implied, as:
Hundreds of miles
Dozens of eggs
Thousands of buildings

But they remain uninflected after numerals, as:
Five hundred miles
Three dozen eggs
Four thousand buildings

Note also that is this case the preposition of is placed after "hundreds", "dozens", "thousands", etc. A definite number is never followed by of.

Nouns denoting value, weight, time, measure, etc., when used as adjectives are singular in form, as: two shillings but a two shilling piece
twelve pounds but a twelve pound book
thirty days but a thirty day month
eleven inches but an eleven inch ruler
eight miles but an eight mile walk

MARCO SUCUPIRA LANGUAGE MATERIALS

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