1. A Noun that shows one person or thing is said to be in the Singular Number.
eg.
a tree
a chair
a woman
2. A Noun that shows more than one person or thing is said to be in the Plural Number.
eg.
two trees
two chairs
two women
Formation of Plurals
1. By adding "S" to the original word.
Singular Plural Singular Plural
pen pens picture pictures
shop shops room rooms
ring rings book books
eye eyes table tables
2. Noun ending in "s", "ch"or "X",add "es".
Singular Plural Singular Plural
tax taxes bush bushes
class classes dish dishes
branch branches box boxes
witch witches fox foxes
Exceptions:
ox oxen stomach stomachs
3. Noun ending in "o" add "es".
Singular Plural Singular Plural
buffalo buffaloes negro negroes
cargo cargoes potato potatoes
hero heroes volcano volcanoes
mango mangoes
Exceptions:
bamboo bamboos solo solos
photo photos zoo zoos
piano pianos studio studios
4. Noun ending in "y" with a vowel ( a, e, i, o, u ) before it , just add "s".
Singular Plural Singular Plural
boy boys way ways
day days key keys
toy toys donkey donkeys
5. Nouns ending in "y" with a consonant before it , change "y" into "i" and add "es".
Singular Plural Singular Plural
baby babies country countiries
body bodies lady ladies
city cities party parties
fly flies story stories
copy copies duty duties
6. Noun ending in "f" or "fe" , change "f" or fe" into "v" , and add "es".
Singular Plural Singular Plural
calf calves thief thieves
half halves life lifes
leaf leaves wolf wolves
wife wives shelf shelves
knife knives
Exceptions:
chief chiefs cliff cliffs
dwarf dwarfs hoof hoofs
gulf gulfs proof proofs
roof roofs safe safes
belief beliefs
7. There are some nouns which have the same form for Singular and Plural.
Singular Plural Singular Pural
Chinese Chinese salmon salmon
cod sod sheep sheep
deer deer swine swine
dozen dozen
8. Some nouns do not have plural.
News , luggage , furniture , machinery , scenery.
9. Some nouns do not have singular.
Goods , clothes , trousers , scissors , spectacles .
10. Somenouns become plural by changing the inside vowel in the singular.
Singular Plural Singular Plural
foot feet tooth teeth
mouse mice louse lice
man men woman women
goose geese
11. Add "s" to the principal word in a Compound Noun to form Plural.
Singular Plural
son-in-law sons-in-law
brother-in-law brothers-in-law
daughter-in-law daughters-in-law
step-son step-sons
maid-servant maid-servants
looker-on lookers-on
12. To change Pronouns and Possessive into Plural form.
| Singular |
Plural |
| I |
We |
| You |
You |
| He/She/It |
They |
| My |
Our |
| Your |
Your |
| His/Her/Its |
Their |
| Singular |
Plural |
| Him/Her/It |
Them |
| Me |
Us |
| Myself |
Ourselves |
| Yourself |
Yourselves |
| Himself/Herself/Itself |
Themselves |
13. Change a sentence from Singular to Plural:-
(a) Change the Nouns , Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives into Plural.
(b) Change rhe Verb.
(c) 'the' should not be chenged. Left out 'a', 'an' or 'one'.
(d) Change 'this' to 'these' ; 'that' to 'those'.
(e) AAbstract Nouns and Material Nouns must not be changed.
eg. ( 1 ) A hut is made of wood. --> Huts are made of wood.
( 2 ) This table has a large drawer. --> This table has large drawers.
( 3 ) I walk in the sunshine. --> We walk in the sunshine.
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