Table: plural nouns

Plurals of nouns

In English, a study of the parts of speech, as a noun, almost no problem. The only thing to remember well — this rule plurals. And for the convenience of memory, we present these rules in the table.

On the blog has an article on plural nouns in English, which briefly lists the rules of its formation. This table is a complement to the article. It shows more examples, and it is convenient to use.

When learn all the rules of formation of the plural noun, pass this quiz to test your knowledge.
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A method of forming	Examples	Exclusions
1. + — s	a cat — cats a table — tables a book — books
2. — s, — ss, — sh, — ch, — tch, — x + — es	a bus — buses a glass — glasses a brush — brushes a torch — torches a match — matches a box — boxes
3. — y -> — i + — es	a fly — flies an army — armies a lady — ladies
4. — o + — es	a hero — heroes a potato — potatoes a torpedo — torpedoes	a piano — pianos a kilo — kilos a photo — photos a video — videos a flamingo — flamingos (es) a volcano — volcanos (es)
5. — ay, — ey, — oy + — s	a day — days a key — keys a boy — boys
6. — f -> — v + — es	a wife — wives a knife — knives a life — lives a leaf — leaves a sheaf — sheaves a thief — thieves a calf — calves a half — halves a shelf — shelves a wolf — wolves	a scarf — scarfs (ves) a wharf — wharfs (ves) a dwarf — dwarfs (ves) a hoof — hoofs (ves) But: chiefs, roofs, safes, cliffs, beliefs
7. Nouns not change according to the rules (Irregular nouns)	a man — men a woman — women a child — children a brother — brethren a foot — feet a tooth — teeth a goose — geese a mouse — mice a louse — lice an ox — oxen
8. The form does not change	a fish — fish a deer — deer a sheep — sheep a trout — trout a swine — swine an aircraft — aircraft a means — means	a fish — fishes (different species)
9. Nouns Latin origin
a) — us -> — i	a stimulus — stimuli genius — genii	a bonus — bonuses a virus — viruses a circus — circuses a radius — radiuses (radii) a cactus — cactuses (cacti) a nucleus — nucleuses (nuclei)
b) — a -> — ae	a larva — larvae an alumna — alumnae	a formula — formulae (formulas) But: areas, diplomas, arenas
c) — um -> — a	a datum — data a curriculum — curricula	a symposium — symposia (simposiums) a memorandum — memoranda (memorandums) a medium — media (mediums) But: albums, chrysanthemums
d) — ex, — ix -> — ces	an index — indices (in mathematics) an appendix — appendices (in the books) a codex — codices	an index — indexes (in the books) an appendix — appendixes (in medicine)
10. Nouns of Greek origin
a) — is -> — es	a thesis — theses a crisis — crises a analysis — analyses a basis — bases	a metropolis — metropolises
b) — on -> — a	a criterion — criteria a phenomenon — phenomena	a demon — demons an electron — electrons
11. Compound nouns	a schoolboy — schoolboys a housewife — housewives a postman — postmen	1) If the structure includes a pretext: a mother-in-law — mothers-in-law a passer-by — passers by 2) If the first word of the man or woman: a man-servant — men-servants a woman-doctor — women-doctors 3) If a part is not a noun: a forget-me-not — forget-me-nots a merry-go-round — merry-go-rounds
12. Nouns have only the singular form	advice education hair information knowledge luck luggage money music news progress seaside shopping traffic trouble weather work, etc.

Special occasions:

• Billiards (billiard) — used both in the plural and the singular, requires the use of a singular verb in both cases.
• Clothes, scissors, spectacles, trousers — are used only in the plural.
• Contents — used in the plural form in the meaning of the content of anything (boxes, cabinets and so on. D.).
• Goods — used in the plural form in the meaning of «goods».
• Optics, physics, politics — often with the verb used in the singular.
• Riches — the meaning of «wealth» is used with the verb in the plural.
• Scales — used both in the plural and the singular (in American English often used in singular form, as in the British — in the plural).

 

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Grammar