Singular and Plural Nouns: Definitions, Rules & Examples

What are singular and plural nouns? English nouns are inflected for grammatical numbers, meaning that if they are of the countable type, they generally have different forms for singular and plural. This lesson discusses the variety of ways in which English plural nouns are formed from the corresponding singular forms, as well as various issues concerning the usage of singulars and plurals in English.

Contents

Singular and Plural Nouns in English

Rule 1

Most nouns are made plural by adding -s to the end of the singular form.

For Examples:

car – cars
bag – bags
table – tables
house – houses
dog – dogs

Rule 2

Singular nouns that end in ‘s’, ‘x’, ‘z’, ‘ch’, ‘sh’,or ‘ss’, form the plural by adding –es.

For Examples:

bus – buses
bench – benches
box – boxes
dish – dishes
truss – trusses
marsh – marshes
lunch – lunches
tax – taxes
blitz – blitzes
watch – watches

Excepting:

fez – fezzes
gas – gasses
quiz – quizzes
bus – busses

Rule 3

The plural form of some nouns that end in ‘f’ or ‘fe’ is made by changing the ending to -ves.

For Examples:

half – halves
hoof – hooves
calf – calves
elf – elves
shelf – shelves
leaf – leaves
loaf – loaves
thief – thieves
wolf – wolves
life – lives
knife – knives
scarf – scarves
wife – wives

Excepting:

cuff – cuffs
knockoff – knockoffs
chef – chefs
belief – beliefs
roof – roofs
chief – chiefs

Rule 4

Nouns ending in -o:

Nouns that end in ‘o’ preceded by a vowel are made plural by adding -s.

For Examples:

radio – radios
stereo – stereos
video – videos

Nouns that end in “o” preceded by a consonant are made plural by adding -es.

For Examples:

potato – potatoes
tomato – tomatoes
hero – heroes
echo – echoes
veto – vetoes
domino – dominoes

Excepting:

piano – pianos
photo – photos
halo – halos
soprano – sopranos

Rule 5

Nouns ending in ‘y‘:

When the ‘y’ follows a consonant, changing ‘y’ to ‘i’ and adding –es:

For Examples:

city – cities
candy – candies
country – countries
family – families
cherry – cherries
lady – ladies
puppy – puppies
party – parties

When the ‘y’ follows a vowel, the plural is formed by retaining the ‘y’ and adding –s:

For Examples:

day – days
holiday – holidays
ray – rays
boy – boys
toy – toys
key – keys
donkey – donkeys

Rule 6

Changing the spelling of singular noun:

For Examples:

person – people
ox – oxen
man – men
woman – women
caveman – cavemen
policeman – policemen
child – children
tooth – teeth
foot – feet
goose – geese
mouse – mice
mouse – lice

Rule 7

Some nouns use the same singular and plural form:

For Examples:

aircraft – aircraft
barracks – barracks
deer – deer
gallows – gallows
moose – moose
salmon – salmon
hovercraft – hovercraft
spacecraft – spacecraft
series – series
species – species
means – means
offspring – offspring
deer – deer
fish – fish
sheep – sheep

Rule 8

Some nouns are of Latin/Greek/French Origin:

For Examples:

Nouns of Latin Origin:

alumnus – alumni/alumnuses
apex – apices/apeces
appendix – appendices/ appendixes

Nouns of French Origin:

For Examples:

chateau – chateaux/chateaus
bureau – bureaux/ bureaus
tableau – tableaux/tableaus

Nouns of Greek Origin:

For Examples:

diagnosis – diagnoses
ellipsis – ellipses
hypothesis – hypotheses
oasis – oases

Singular and Plural Nouns in English | Images

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the distinction between singular and plural nouns is a crucial aspect of English grammar. Singular nouns refer to one person, place, or thing, while plural nouns refer to two or more. The formation of plurals can vary depending on the noun, but there are several common rules that can help guide you in forming plurals correctly. Additionally, irregular plurals, such as “children” and “teeth”, are an important part of the English language and should be memorized. With practice and a good understanding of these concepts, you can improve your ability to communicate effectively in English.

4.1 47 votes

Article Rating