Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns
b) Box-Boxes
Final -es is added to nouns that end in -sh, -ch, -s, -z, and x
e) Correct: (1) I drove a car./I drove the car (2) I drove that car. (3) I drove his car Incorrect: I drove car
Guideline: A singular count noun ( e.g. car) is always precede by: (1) an article (a/an or the); or (2) this/that; or (3) a possessive pronoun.
c) Correct: Apples are my favorite fruit Incorrect: The apples are my favorite fruit. d) Correct: Gold is a metal Incorrect: The gold is a metal
Guideline: Do not use the with a plural count noun ( e.g. apples) or a noncount noun (e.g. gold) when you are making a generalization
d) Man-men Woman-women Child-children Ox-oxen Foot-feet Goose-geese Tooth-teeth Mouse-mice Louse-lice
The nouns in (d) have irregular plural forms that do not end in -s-
a) song-songs
The plural of most nouns is formed by adding final -s.
b) Yesterday I saw some dogs. The dogs were chasing a cat. The cat was chasing a mouse. The mouse ran into a hole. The hole was very small
Guideline: Use the for the second mention of an indefinite noun. In (b): first mention= some dogs, a cat, a mouse, a hole; secod mention= the dogs, the cat, the mouse, the hole.
a) The sun is bright today. Please hand this book to the teacher. Please open the door. Omer is in the kitchen.
Guideline: Use the when you know or assume that your listener is familiar with and thinking about the same specific thing or person you are talking about.
j) One deer-two deer One fhis-two fish One means-two means One offspring-two offspring
Some nouns have the same singular and plural form: e.g. One deer is .... Two deer are....
k) Criterion-criteria Phenomenon-phenomena
Some nouns that English has borrowed from other languages have foreign plurals.
l) Bacterium-bacteria Curriculum-curricula Datum-data Medium-media Memorandum-memoranda
Some nouns that English has borrowed from other languages have foreign plurals.
m) Analysis-analyses Basis-bases Crisis-crises Hypothesis-hypotheses Parenthesis-parentheses Thesis-theses
Some nouns that English has borrowed from other languages have foreign plurals.
i) Belief-beliefs Chief-chiefs Cliff-cliffs Roof-roofs
Some nouns that end in -f simply add -s to fors the pulral
e) Echo-echoes Hero-horoes Potato-potatoes tomato-tomatoes
Some nouns that end in -o add -es to form the plural
g) Memento-mementoes/mementos Mosquito-mosquitoes/mosquitos Tornado-tornadoes/tornados volcano-volcanoes/volcanos Zero-zeroes/zeros
Some nouns that end in -o add either-es or -s to form the plural (with -es being the more usual plural form)
f) Autos-autos Ghetto-ghettos Kangoroo-Kangoroos Kilo-kilos Memo-memos
Some nouns that end in -o add onlyh -s to form the plural. Note: When in foubt, use your dictionary or spellcheck
h) Calf-calves Half-halves Knofe-knives Leaf-leaves Life-lives Loaf-loaves Self.selves Shelf-shelves Thief-thieves Wolf-wolves Scarf-scarves/scarfs
some nouns that end in -f of -fe are changed to -ves to form the plural
