Singular and Plural Nouns

Singular and Plural Nouns

Nouns are the words used as the names of persons, animals, places, things, ideas or events.

There are two types of nouns in English Grammar. One refers to the singular noun and the other refers to the plural noun.

These two nouns are also otherwise called the singular number and the plural number.

Singular Noun Definition:

When a noun refers to one person or thing, it is said to be in the Singular Noun/Number.

Singular Noun Examples:

These Singular Nouns can be categorised in the following manner.

Singular Nouns related to one person:

singer, dancer, artist, photographer, magician, driver, officer, doctor, engineer, principal, peon, labor, nurse, shopkeeper, gatekeeper, sweeper, salesman, philosopher, teacher, minister, president, businessperson, writer, student, friend, boy, girl, toddler, baby, teenager, woman, man, person etc.,

Singular Nouns related to one place:

bank, airport, continent, country, state, city, town, village, hotel, school, classroom, university, college, park, shop, coffee shop, zoo, water park, mall, supermarket, post office, police station, house, laboratory, library, museum, stadium, building, restaurant, temple, mosque, church, etc.,

Singular Nouns related to one thing:

ruler, chair, mobile, dictionary, carpet, lawnmower, bus, computer, courage, telephone, spade, printer, hammer, bicycle, pen, table, ship, calculator, crayon, sofa, truck, television, pencil, fridge, book, lamp, ladder, train, cooker, whiteboard, marker, duster, register, map, globe etc.,

Plural Noun Definition:

When a noun refers to more than one person or thing, it is said to be in the Plural Noun/Number.

Plural Noun Examples:

rooms, tables, computers, pieces of chalk, students, teachers, parents, books, pens, stories etc.,

Forming of Plural Noun:

There are various RULES to form plural nouns from singular. Most of the rules have been provided here.

They are as follows:

Rule No 1: Most of the Nouns in English form their plural noun by adding ‘s’ at the end of a singular noun.

Examples:

actor – actors
animal – animals
answer – answers
boat – boats
book – books
bottle – bottles
car – cars
cat – cats
cap – caps
cow – cows
day – days
desk – desks
dog – dogs
example – examples
fact- facts
goat – goats
group – groups
girl -girls
house – houses
lake – lakes
pencil – pencils
pen – pens
school – schools
snake – snakes
system – systems
teacher – teachers
thing – things

Rule No 2: When Nouns end in –’o’, we generally add –’es’ to form plurals:

Examples:

buffalo – buffaloes
cargo – cargoes
echo – echoes
hero – heroes
mango – mangoes
mosquito – mosquitoes
negro – negroes
potato – potatoes
tomato – tomatoes
torpedo – torpedoes
veto – vetoes
volcano – volcanoes
zero – zeroes

Exception 1: Though some nouns end in –’o’, we add only ‘s’.

canto – cantos
commando – commandos
Eskimo – Eskimos
logo – logos
memento – mementos
memo – memos
photo – photos
piano – pianos
pro – pros
solo – solos

Exception 2: But for some nouns, we can add ‘s’ and ‘es’. Both are correct.

buffalo – buffalos/buffaloes
cargo – cargos/cargoes
commando – commandos/commandoes
memento – mementos/mementoes
mosquito – mosquitos/mosquitoes
portico – porticos/porticoes
volcano – volcanos/volcanoes

Rule No 3: When a noun ends in –’o’ but preceded by a vowel, we add only “s”.

Examples:

bamboo – bamboos
cuckoo – cuckoos
cameo – cameos
folio – folios
kangaroo – kangaroos
portfolio – portfolios
radio – radios
studio – studios
video – videos

Rule No 4: When Nouns end in -s, -sh, -ch (soft), or -x, we add -’es’ to form plurals:

Examples:

access – accesses
address – addresses
atlas – atlases
ax – axes
beach – beaches
bench – benches
box – boxes
branch – branches
brush – brushes
bunch – bunches
bus – buses
church – churches
class – classes
congress – congresses
crash – crashes
dish – dishes
dress – dresses
fox – foxes
gas – gases
kiss – kisses
lunch – lunches
mass – masses
match – matches
patch – patches
radish – radishes
research – researches
search – searches
sketch – sketches
speech – speeches
stress – stresses
status – statuses
stitch – stitches
success – successes
tax – taxes
touch: touches
watch – watches
wish – wishes
witch – witches

Rule No 5: When Nouns end in –’y’ and –’y’ is preceded by a consonant, we change the ‘y’ into ‘i’ and add -’es’ to form plurals.

Examples:

berry – berries
cherry – cherries
city – cities
colony – colonies
copy – copies
country – countries
daisy – daisies
duty – duties
dictionary – dictionaries
enemy – enemies
fairy – fairies
family – families
fly – flies
gallery – galleries
hobby – hobbies
injury – injuries
lady – ladies
lorry – lorries
lily – lilies
party – parties
penny – pennies
pony – ponies
puppy – puppies
reply – replies
story – stories
study – studies
theory – theories
trophy – trophies
university – universities
victory – victories

Exception: But, in case –’y’ is preceded by a vowel, we add only –’s’.

boy – boys
day – days
delay – delays
donkey – donkeys
essay – essays
guy – guys
holiday – holidays
joy – joys
key – keys
monkey – monkeys
play – plays
ray – rays
storey – storeys
toy – toys
tray – trays
valley – valleys

Rule No 6: When Nouns end in -’ch’ and ‘ch’ is pronounced as ‘k’, we add –’s’ to form the plural.

Examples:

hierarch – hierarchs
epoch – epochs
eunuch – eunuchs
monarch – monarchs
patriarch – patriarchs
matriarch – matriarchs
stomach – stomachs
hierarch – hierarchs

Rule No 7: When Nouns end in ‘f’ or ‘fe’, we replace it with –‘v’ and then add -‘es’ to form the plural.

Examples:

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

Exception 1: The following nouns become plural when we add only ‘s’.

belief – beliefs
brief – briefs
chief – chiefs
cliff – cliffs
cuff – cuffs
gulf – gulfs
grief – griefs
proof – proofs
roof – roofs
safe – safes
scarf – scarfs
serf – serfs
strife – strifes
turf – turfs

Exception 2: But for some nouns, we can add both -’s’ or –’ves’. Both are correct.

dwarf – dwarfs or dwarves
hoof – hoofs or hooves
scarf – scarfs or scarves
kerchief – kerchief or kerchieves
wharf – wharfs or wharves

Rule No 8: We change inside vowels of some nouns to make them plural

Examples:

dormouse – dormice
goose – geese
foot – feet
louse – lice
man – men
mouse – mice
person – people
tooth – teeth
woman – women

Exception: We add -’en’ to a few nouns to make them plural.

child – children
ox – oxen
brother – brethren (brothers also correct)
cow – kine (cows also correct)
sister – sistren (sisters also correct)

Rule No 9: Some nouns are the same in singular and plural.

Examples:

aircraft – aircraft
barracks – barracks
deer – deer
dozen – dozen
gross – gross
pair -pair
score – score
series – series
sheep – sheep
spacecraft – spacecraft
species – species

Rule No 10: Some nouns have two types of plural forms

Examples:

antelope – antelope or antelopes
fish – fish or fishes
reindeer – reindeer or reindeers
herring – herring or herrings

Rule No 11: Some nouns are used only in the plural form

Names of certain tools and things:

bellows, scissors, spectacles, binoculars, glasses, goggles, sunglasses

headphones, pliers, tweezers, tongs, pincers, chopsticks etc.

Names of clothes and footwear:

shorts, trousers, panties, briefs, drawers, tights, jeans, pants, pyjamas, clothes, shoes, sandals, gloves, slippers, boots, socks etc.

Note: We can use ‘a pair of’ with these plural nouns.

Examples:

a pair of trousers, a pair of pants, a pair of glasses, a pair of scissors, a pair of chopsticks, a pair of sandals, a pair of gloves etc.,

Certain other different nouns:

earnings, belongings, assets, congratulations, thanks, annals,

outskirts, premises, surroundings, environs, alms, riches, eaves etc.,

Certain Collective Nouns:

Poultry, cattle, vermin, people, gentry, children etc.,

Rule No 12: Some nouns are used only in the singular form

Names of subjects and others:

mathematics, physics, economics, electronics, news, innings, politics, wages, ethics etc.,

Names of some common diseases:

measles, mumps, rickets etc.,

Names of some games:

billiards, draughts, carroms etc.,

Certain Collective Nouns:

knowledge, information, stationery, luggage, furniture, homework, scenery, bread, expenditure money, power etc.,

Some nouns that refer to number, weight etc., if preceded by numerals.

dozen, gross, hundred, thousand, horse-power, million-foot etc.,

Examples:

Two dozen bananas
Two gross of pencils
Three hundred rupees
A three-foot stick
Four thousand dollars

Note: But, we add –’s’ to these nouns if they are used without numerals and are followed by ‘of’.

Examples:

Dozens of bananas
Hundreds of rupees
Thousands of people
The tree is 30 feet high.

Rule No 13: Change of Compound Nouns into plural:

Examples:

Compound Nouns in Singular	Compound Nouns in Plural
*By adding -’s’ to the base or important word*
Governor-general	Governors-general
Doctor Of Philosophy	Doctors Of Philosophy
Commander-in-chief	Commanders-in-chief
Brother-in-law	Brothers-in-law
Father-in-law	Fathers-in-law
Mother-in-law	Mothers-in-law
Sister-in-law	Sisters-in-law
Son-in-law	Sons-in-law
Passer-by	Passers-by
Looker-on	Lookers -on
Sergeant Major	Sergeants Major
Heir Apparent	Heirs Apparent
*By removing -’y’ and adding -’ies’ to the base or important word*
Attorney-general	Attorneys-general
Assistant Secretary Of State	Assistant Secretaries Of State
Notary Public	Notaries Public
Lady-in-waiting	ladies-in-waiting
lily-of-the-valley	lilies-of-the-valley
*By adding -’s’ or -’es’ to the word ending*
Step-parent	Step-parents
Step-daughter	Step-daughters
Step-mother	Step-mothers
Maid-servant	Maid-servants
General Staff	General Staff(s)
Court-Martial	Court-Martials / Courts-Martial
Vice-Principal	Vice-Principals
Book-case	Book-cases
Go-between	Go-betweens
Has-been	Has-beens
Good-for-nothing	Good-for-nothings
Forget-me-not	Forget-me-nots
Higher-up	Higher-ups
Grown-up	Grown-ups
Mix-up	Mix-ups
Takeoff	Takeoffs
Armful	Armfuls
Handful	Handfuls
Cupful	Cupfuls
Mouthful	Mouthfuls
Tablespoonful	Tablespoonfuls
Blackboard	Blackboards
Bystander	Bystanders
Toothbrush	Toothbrushes
*By changing both the words*
Man-servant	Men-servants
Man-driver	Men-drivers
Woman-writer	Women-writers
Woman-teacher	Women-teachers
Woman-doctor	Woman-doctors (Women-doctors)
*By changing words ‘man and woman’ into ‘men and women’*
Fisherman	Fishermen
Workman	Workmen
Boatman	Boatmen
Man-of-war	Men-of-war
Saleswoman	Saleswomen
Workingwoman	Workingwomen
*By adding -’s’ to the word ‘man’, when it refers to any ethnic group, race or civilian*
Mussalman	Mussalmans
German	Germans
Norman	Normans
Brahman	Brahmans
*Other phrases*
Many Stops For Buses	Many Bus Stops
150 Trees With Oranges	150 Orange Trees

Rule No 14: In the case of letters, numbers, and abbreviations, we add an apostrophe and -’s’ to make them plural.

Examples:

Akshay, write your q’s and p’s clearly.
Mohini, add two 8’s and subtract three 2’s.
Ten M.A.’s and only two B.E.’s have attended the interview.

Rule No 15: Some Greek and Latin Nouns can form their plurals in the following manner:

1.Some nouns can be added –’es’ in place of –’is’ to make them plural

Examples:

analysis – analyses
axis – axes
basis – bases
crisis – crises
ellipsis – ellipses
hypotheses – hypothesis

neurosis – neuroses
oasis – oases
paralysis – paralyses
parenthesis – parentheses
synopsis – synopses
thesis – theses

2. Some Nouns that end in -’a’ can be added -’e’ to make the plural

Examples:

antenna – antennae or antennas
alga – algae
formula – formulae
larva – larvae
nebula – nebulae
vertebra – vertebrae

3. Some nouns can be added –’i’ in place of –’us’ to make them plural

Examples:

cactus – cacti
focus – foci
fungus – fungi
nucleus – nuclei
radius – radii
syllabus – syllabi
terminus – termini

4. Some nouns can be added –’a’ in place of –’um’ to make them plural

Examples:

agendum (agenda) – agenda (nowadays, agenda is used mostly as a singular form)
aquarium – aquaria or aquariums
bacterium – bacteria
curriculum – curricula
corrigendum – corrigenda
datum – data
erratum – errata
forum – fora
gymnasium – gymnasia or gymnasiums
maximum – maxima or maximums
medium – media
memorandum – memoranda or memorandums
millennium – millennia
moratorium – moratoria or moratoriums
podium – podia or podiums
referendum – referenda or referendums
stratum – strata

4. Some nouns can be added –’ices’ in place of –’ex/ix’ to make them plural

Examples:

appendix – appendices or appendixes
index – indices or indexes
matrix – matrices
vertex – vertices

6. Some nouns can be added –’a’ in place of –’on’ to make them plural

Examples:

automaton – automata or automatons
criterion – criteria
ganglion – ganglia or ganglions
polyhedron – polyhedra
phenomenon – phenomena

7. Some nouns that end in –’ma’ can be added –’ta’ to make them plural

Examples:

dogma – dogmata
stigma – stigmata

8. The following words are from French:

Examples:

madame (madam) – mesdames
monsieur – messieurs

Greek and Latin Nouns Worksheets

Rule No 16: Some Nouns have two plural forms each with a different meaning.

Examples:

Singular	Plural	Meaning
brother	brothers	sons of the same parent
	brethren	members of a society or a community
Cloth	cloths	pieces of cloth
	clothes	dresses or garments
Die	dies	stamps for coining
	dice	small cubes used in games
Index	indexes	tables of contents to books
	indices	signs used in algebra
Penny	pennies	number of coins
	pence	amount in value
fish	fish	denote the same kind of two or more fish
	fishes	denote the different kinds of fish
genius	geniuses	intelligent or talented persons
	genii	spirits or ghosts

Rule No 17: Some Nouns have two meanings in the singular but only one in the plural:

Examples:

Singular	Meaning	Plural	Meaning
people	1. nation 2. men or women	peoples	nations
powder	1.dust 2. a dose of medicine	powders	doses of medicine
practice	1. habit 2. exercise of a profession	practices	habits
light	1.a lamp 2. radiance	lights	lamps

Rule No 18: Some nouns have one meaning in the singular, but two in the plural.

Examples:

Singular	Meaning	Plural	Meaning
arm	upper limb	arms	1.upper limbs 2.weapons
colour	hue	colours	1.hues 2. the flags of a regiment
custom	habit	customs	1.habits 2.duties levied on imports
manner	method	manners	1.methods 2.correct behaviour
minute	A unit of time	minutes	1.units of time 2.proceedings of a meeting
moral	a moral lesson	morals	1.moral lessons 2.conduct
number	a quantity	numbers	1.quantities 2.verses
effect	result	effects	1) results 2) property
pain	suffering	pains	1.suffering 2.care, exertion
quarter	fourth part	quarters	1.fourth parts 2.lodgings
spectacle	a sight	spectacles	1.sights 2.eye-glasses
premise	proposition	premises	1. propositions 2. buildings
letter	1.a letter of the alphabet 2.epistle	letters	1.letters of the alphabet 2.epistles 3.literature

Rule No 19: Some nouns have different meanings in the singular and in the plural.

Examples:

Singular	Meaning	Plural	Meaning
advice	counsel	advices	information
air	atmosphere	airs	affected manners
authority	power	authorities	persons in power
beef	flesh of ox	beeves	bulls, cattle and cows
blind	unable to see because of injury, disease, or a congenital condition	blinds	a screen for a window
good	benefit, well-being	goods	merchandise
compass	extent, range	compasses	in an instrument for drawing circles
iron	a metal	irons	fetters
physic	medicine	physics	natural science
character	the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.	characters	a person in a novel, play, or film
respect	regard	respects	compliments
force	strength	forces	troops
return	coming back	returns	statistics
vesper	evening	vespers	evening prayers
sand	a kind of matter	sands	a desert
wood	the hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of the trunk or branches of a tree or shrub, used for fuel or timber.	woods	a small forest

Rule No 20: Some nouns are normally used in the plural.

1.Proper Nouns:

India, Telangana, Warangal, Ashoka, Mary, Ganga etc

Note.1 When a Proper Noun is used in the plural, it becomes a Common Noun.

He is a Bruce Lee in fighting.

Kalidasa is called the Shakespeare of India

Note.2 But Some Nouns can be used in Plural like

The United States of America, The Alps, The Himalayas etc.,

2.Abstract Nouns:

Hope, charity, love, kindness, friendship, death, beauty etc.,

Note: When the Abstract Noun is used in the plural, it becomes a Common Noun.

Truly, the beauties of Kashmir are enticing.

3.Material Nouns:

Copper, iron, tin, wood, glass, rice, oil etc.,

Note: When a Material Noun is used in the plural, it becomes a Common Noun

Examples:

He does not have any coppers with him. (copper coins)

The convict has been found in irons. (fetters)

Last summer, we enjoyed ourselves in the nearby woods. (forests)