The word that specifies the number of person or thing is called number.
There are two types of numbers.
They are:
(i) Singular (ii) Plural
Singular number: The noun that indicates only one person or one thing is called a singular number.
Example: man, boy pen
Plural number: The noun that indicates more than one person or things is called a plural number.
Example: men, boys, pens
The rules for turning a singular number into a plural number are as follows:
1. The plural form of a noun is usually created by adding-s to the singular form.
Pen Pens
Book Books
Dog Dogs
Boy. Boys
Girl Girls
House Houses
2. Nouns ending-s, -ss, -sh, -ch(soft) - x and z takes es in the plural.
Singular Plural
Bus Buses
Dish Dishes
Branch Branches
Glass Glasses
Box Boxes
Fez Fezes
Ass Asses
But when ch is pronounced as k, only s is added to form the plural.
Singular Plural
Monarch - Monarchs
Stomach- Stomachs
Patriarch Patriarchs
Matriarch Matriarchs
3. Noun ending in y, preceded by a consonant, form their plural by changing-y into -ies.
Singular Plural
Baby Babies
Story Stories
Army Annies
Fly Flies
But if y is preceded by a vowel, only -s is added to form the plural.
Singular Plural
Toy Toys
Boy Boys
Monkey Monkeys
Day Days
Play Plays
4. Nouns ending in -f or -fe form their plural by changing -f or -fe into v and adding - es.
Singular Plural
Leaf Leaves
Loaf Loaves
Wife Wives
Knife Knives
But if a singular noun ends in -ief, -if, off, -fe, -ff, or -eef, only - s is added to the plural.
Singular- plural
Belief - Beliefs
Safe -Safes
Gulf -Gulfs
Roof -Roofs
Chief- Chiefs
Cliff -Cliffs
Reef Reefs
Note: The singular nouns hoof, scarf, wharf form their plural by adding -s or -es.
Singular - Plural
Hoof-Hoofs/Hooves
Scarf -Scarfs /Scarves
Wharf Wharfs/Wharves
Staff Staffs/Staves
5. Singulars nouns ending in -o and preceded by a consonant form their plural by adding - es
Singular Plural
Potato Potatoes
Mango Mangoes
Hero Heroes
Tomato Tomatoes
But if o is preceded by a vowel, -s is added to form the plural.
Singular Plural
Cuckoo Cuckoos
Bamboo Bamboos
Studio Studios
Note: The following nouns formed their plural by adding -» or -es
Singular Plural
Photo Photos
Piano Pianos
Radio Radios
Mosquito Mosquitos/Mosquitoes
6. Some singular nouns form their plural by changing the inside vowel of the singular.
Singular Plural
Man Men Woman Women
Foot Feet
Goose geese
Mouse Mice
Louse Lice
Tooth Teeth
7. Some singular nouns form their plural by adding -rn, -ren, or -ne to the singular.
Singular Plural
Ox Oxen
Child Children
Brother Brethren
Cow Kine (Cows)
8. If the compound noun ends in man and if that man means human beings, men are used in place of man to form the plural.
Singular Plural
Fisherman Fishermen
Boatman Boatmen
Workman Workmen
Man-of-war Men-of-war
Salesman Salesmen
But if man indicates caste or citizen, only -» is added to form the plural.
Singular Plural
Mussalman Mussalmans
Brahman Brahmans
German Germans
Norman Normans
9. Nouns ending in ful takes only -s to form the plural.
Singular Plural
Glassful Glassfuls
Armful Armfuls
Plateful Platefuls
Handful Handfuls
Mouthful Mouthfuls
Spoonful Spoonfuls
10. Compound nouns consisted of more than one words only -» is added to their principal part to form the plural.
Singular Plural
Brother-in-law- Brothers-in-law
Passer-by Passers-by
Step-brother Step-brothers
Father-in-law Fathers-in-law
Maid-servant Maid-servants
But -s is added to each part of some compound nouns.
Singular Plural
Lord-justice Lords-justices
Man-servant Men-servants
Woman-servant Women-servants
11. Some compound nouns take-s at the end to form the plural.
Book-shelf Book-shelfs
Book-case Book-cases
Major-general Major-generals
Forget-me-not Forget-me-nots
12. Letters, figures and other symbols are made plural by adding an apostrophe and -a
Singular Plural
B. A. => B. A's
M. A. M. A's
t . t's
i i's
five five's But in modern uses only - a is used to form the plural.
Singular Plural
B.Sc. B.Sc.S
MA. M.A.S
B.
