
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:
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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)
- Types of Nouns
- Proper Nouns
- Common Nouns
- Collective Nouns
- Nouns of Multitude
- Material Nouns
- Abstract Nouns
- Compound Nouns
- The Noun – Case
- Gender of the Noun
- Possessive Nouns
- A list of Partitives
- Appositive
- List of Countable and Uncountable Nouns
- Countable and Uncountable Nouns