The countable nouns have two forms: Singular and Plural. When one person or thing is spoken of, the noun is singular, whereas when more than one person or thing is spoken of, the noun is plural.
The first word of each pair denotes one and the second word of each pair denotes more than one.
When one person or thing is spoken of, the noun is singular ar when more than one person or thing is spoken of, the noun is plural.
- Nesfield.
What is Singular and Plural Number in English Grammar?
The first word of each pair denotes one and the second word of each pair denotes more than one.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Baby Boy Box Child Man Knife Ox |
Babies Boys Boxes Children Men Knives Oxen |
How Plurals are Formed
1. The Plural of Nouns is generally formed by adding -s to the singular.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Book Desk Cat Cow Dog Lion King Girl Pen Chair Table House Eye Ear Hand Head |
Books Desks Cats Cows Dogs Lions Kings Girls Pens Chairs Tables Houses Eyes Ears Hands Heads |
2. Nouns ending in -s, -sh, -ch (soft), or -x form the Plural by adding -es to the singular:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Ass Gas Glass Class Lass Bush Brush Dish Box Fox Kiss Inch Bench Branch Bunch Church |
Asses Gases Glasses Classes Lasses Bushes Brushes Dishes Boxes Foxes Kisses Inches Benches Branches Bunches Churches |
Note: If 'ch' sounds as 'k', Plural is formed by adding -s :
Singular — Plural
Monarch — Monarchs
Stomach — Stomachs
3. Nouns ending in -o having a Vowel before it takes s to form plural :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Bamboo Cuckoo Hindoo Radio Studio Folio |
Bamboos Cuckoos Hindoos Radios Studios Folios |
4. Nouns ending in -o having a consonant before it, takes -es to form plural :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Hero Zero Negro Buffalo Echo Mosquito Mango Potato Quarto |
Heroes Zeroes Negroes Buffaloes Echoes Mosquitoes Mangoes Potatoes Quartos |
Some exceptions :
Dynamo — Dynamos
Piano — Pianos
Photo — Photos
Quarto — Quartos
5. Nouns ending in -y having a Vowel before it form their plurals by adding -s :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Boy Toy Key Monkey Day Play Ray Donkey |
Boys Toys Keys Monkeys Days Plays Rays Donkeys |
6. Nouns ending in y having a Consonant before it form their plural by changing -y into i and adding -es :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Army Baby Body City Country Copy Duty Fly Lady Story |
Armies Babies Bodies Cities Countries Copies Duties Flies Ladies Stories |
7. Nouns ending in -f or -fe form their plural by changing f or fe into v and adding -es :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Calf Half Knife Life Leaf Loaf Self Shelf Sheaf Thief Wife Wolf |
Calves Halves Knives Lives Leaves Loaves Selves Shelves Sheaves Thieves Wives Wolves |
8. Several Nouns ending in f form their Plurals by adding s :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Chief Cliff Brief Belief Gulf Hoof Proof Roof |
Chiefs Cliffs Briefs Beliefs Gulfs Hoofs Proofs Roofs |
9. Some Nouns form their plural by changing the inside Vowel of the Singular :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Man Woman Gentleman Foot Tooth Goose |
Men Women Gentlemen Feet Teeth Geese |
10. A few Nouns form their plural by changing the inside Vowel and the consonant of the singular :
Singular — Plural
Mouse — Mice
Louse — Lice
11. A few Nouns form their Plural by adding -en to the Singular:
Singular — Plural
Ox — Oxen
Brother — Brethren
Child — Children
12. Compound Nouns generally form their plural by adding -s to the principal word or by changing inside vowel of the principal word:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Son-in-law Daughter-in-law Father-in-law Mother-in-law Man-of-war Commander-in-Chief Grand-in-aid Maid-servant Step-son Step-daughter Looker-on Passer-by Washer-man |
Sons-in-law Daughters-in-law Fathers-in-law Mothers-in-law Men-of-war Commanders-in-Chief Grants-in-aid Maid-servants Step-sons Step-daughters Lookers-on Passer-by Washer-men |
But,
Grown-up — Grown-ups
13. Compound Nouns written without hyphen take 's' to form the plural :
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Armchair Bookcase Pickpocket Handful Bagful Spoonful |
Armchairs Bookcases Pickpockets Handfuls Bagfuls Spoonfuls |
14. There are some compound Nouns which take a double Plural:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Man-servent Woman-servant Lord-justice Knight-templar |
Men-servents Women-servants Lords-justices Knigts-templars |
Foreign Plurals and Special Categories
15. Some Typical Examples of Plurals:
Foreign Plurals
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Agendum Addendum Appendix Axis Basis Bureau Corpus Crisis Criterion Curriculam Datam Dictum Erratum Focus Formula Forum Genus Hypothesis Medium Memorandum Oasis Ovum Phenomenon Radius Syllabus Symposium Terminus Vertex |
Agenda Addenda Apppendices Axes Bases Bureaux Corporal / Corpuses Crises Criteria Curricula Data Dicta Errata Foci/Focuses Formulae (Formulas) Fora/Forums Genera Hypotheses Media Memoranda Oases Ova Phenomena Radii Syllabi Symposia Termini (Terminuses) Vertices |
16. Nouns having different meanings in different numbers.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Advice - counsel Air - wind Force Good - benefit, well-being Iron - a kind of metal Return - coming back Sand - a kind of matter Wood - timber Physic - medicine |
Advices - information Airs - manners Forces Goods - things Irons - chains made of iron Returns - accounts Sands - desert Woods - forest Physics - Physical science |
17. Nouns with two plural forms of different meanings
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Brother Cloth Fish Genius |
Brothers - sons of same parents Brethren - members of the same society Cloths - Pieces of cloth Clothes - garments Fish - Collectively fish Fishes - fishes of different types Geniuses - men of talent Genii - spirits |
18. Noun with one meaning in the Singular but two in the Plural
| Singular | Plural | Meaning of the Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Arm - part of body | Arms | 1. parts of the body 2. weapons |
| Colour - hue | Colours | 1. hues 2. flag |
| Manner - method | Manners | 1. methods 2. behaviour |
| Minute - 1/60th part of an hour | Minutes | 1/60th parts of an hour 2. proceedings of a meeting |
| Part - portion | Parts | 1. portions 2. skill |
| Pain - suffering | Pains | 1. sufferings 2. care take pains = take care |
| Premise - proposition | Premises | 1. propositions 2. buildngs |
| Quarter - fourth part | Quarters | 1. fourth parts 2. lodgings |
| Spectacle - a sight | Spectacles | 1. Sights 2. eye-glasses. |
19. Some Nouns have the Singular and the Plural alike:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Deer Sheep Pice Public Dozen Score Hundred Thousand |
Deer Sheep Pice Public Dozen (Five Dozen) Score (Four score) Hundred (Two hundred) Thousand (Three thousand) |
The public is the best judge/are the best judges. — POD & COD.
*Note : Hundreds of students, Thousands of people
20. Some Collective Nouns or Group Nouns are singular in form, but are used as Plural.
Cattle- These cattle are mine.
Folk- The old folk have gone.
Swine- These swine must be kept out of the garden.
Poultry- Whose are these poultry?
People- These people have returned home.
Police- The police are watching the house.
But, The policeman is watching the house.
Vermin- Vermin destory our property and carry disease.
Some Nouns are used only in the Singular
They may be used in the Plural in some special sense :
Abuse- He gave me much abuse for no fault.
Alphabet- He learnt the alphabet before he could read.
Furniture --His house is full of good furniture (furniture)
Information- He gave me all the information. (information )
Issue- He had no Issue (child or children) Offspring- These four children are his offspring.
Poetry- He worte very good poetry. /Poetry is my favourite subject.
Scenery- These hills are lovely scenery./The scenery of Darjeeling is imposing.
Note : When 'abuse' is used in the sense of wrong use the plural is 'abuses'. When more than one language is spoken of, the plural of alphabet' is 'alphabets', When 'issue' means result, its plural is 'issues'.
Nouns Plural in form but Singular in use
Gallows, News, Physics, Ethics, Politics, Statistics, Economics, Athletics, Gymnastics etc.
News- What is the news?
Mathematics- Mathematics is his favourite subject.
Statistics- Statistics is a difficult subject.
But,
"These statistics are rather complicated. (=these figures)".- Oxford Guide to English Grammar John Eastwood.
Some Nouns are always Plural
(a) Name of such instruments having two parts or Pair Nouns :
Bellows, Scissors, Glasses/Spectacles Your new glasses / spectacles are very nice.
(b) Names of certain articles of dress : (Trousers, drawers, breeches
These shorts are nice. These trousers need cleaning.
(c) Names of diseases: Measles, mumps
Smallpox has broken out there.
(d) Names of games : Billiards Plural according to Wren & Martin)
*Note : According to 'Oxford guide to Egniish Grammar' by John Eastwood, 'billiards' (like the news, gymnastics etc.) is plural in form but takes a singular verb.
(e) Certain other Nouns :
Ashes, Alms, assets, annals, fetters, proceds , Aborgins , thanks, tidings, vegetables, belongings. goods, clothes, congratulations, earnings. particulars (=details). premises ( = buildings), riches (= wealth) surroundings.
Usage : The goods were found to be defective.
My belongings have destroyed by fire.
(not, my belonging).
*Note : Letters, figures and other symbols are made plural by adding an apostrophe and s:
Dot your i's and cut your t's.
Add two 5's and three 2's.
An uncountable Noun takes a Singular verb
The grass is getting long. His hair is grey. (not hairs)
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Key Takeaways
- Countable nouns feature two forms: singular (one) and plural (more than one).
- Plurals are generally formed by adding -s, while nouns ending in -s, -sh, -ch, or -x take -es.
- Nouns ending in -y with a consonant change -y to -i and add -es.
- Some nouns remain identical in both singular and plural forms (e.g., deer, sheep).
- Certain plural-form nouns take singular verbs, like physics, news, and mathematics.
Quick Practice
Write your answers in the comments below:
- What is the plural form of the compound noun "passer-by"?
- How do you write the plural form of the noun "child"?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between singular and plural nouns?
A singular noun refers to one person, place, or thing, while a plural noun refers to more than one person, place, or thing.
How do you form the plural of nouns ending in -f or -fe?
Most nouns ending in -f or -fe form their plural by changing the -f or -fe into -v and adding -es (for example, knife becomes knives).
Do all nouns ending in -s take a plural verb?
No, many nouns that are plural in form (such as physics, news, and mathematics) take a singular verb in English grammar.