Numbers
Number in English is a grammatical category of verbs, nouns, pronouns and adjectives that denotes count distinctions. There are two number categories.
1. Singular Number
2. Plural Number
Examples:
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Category
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Singular
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Plural
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Verbs
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Is, am, was, has, he works, I write.
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Are, have, were, they work, we write.
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Nouns
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House, place, man, dog, idea.
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Houses, places, men, dogs, ideas.
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Pronouns
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He, she, I, it, you.
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They, you, we,
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Adjectives
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a, an, this, that,
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These, those.
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1. Singular Number: When a noun or pronoun denotes a single object, it is said to be Singular. For example: book, boy, plan, box, thing, mango, etc.
< /o:p>
2. Plural Number: When a Noun or Pronoun denotes more than one object of the kind, it is said to be Plural. For example: books, boys, plans, boxes, things, mangoes, etc.
How to form the plural:
(a) Most of the nouns form their plural by adding (s) to the singular. For example: Pen – Pens, River- Rivers, Plan – Plans, file – Files, etc.
(b) Nouns that end in (s, ss, sh, ch, x and z) take (es) in plural. For example: bus – buses, ass – asses, bush – bushes, bench – benches, box – boxes, topaz – topazes, etc.
(c) Nouns that end in (y) preceded by a vowel, take (s) in plural. For example: boy – boys, joy – joys, key – keys, etc.
(d) Nouns that end in (y) preceded by a consonant, take (es) in plural and (y) is changed into (i). For example: city – cities, lady – ladies, malady – maladies, etc.
(e) Nouns that end in (f) or (fe), take (es) in plural and (f) or (fe) is changed into (v). For example: knife- knives, wife- wives, life – lives, calf- calves, etc.
But nouns that end in (ief, ff, oof,rf and eef), generally take only (s) in plural. For example: chief – chiefs, cliffs – cliffs, proof – proofs, dwarf – dwarfs, reef- reefs, etc.
Exceptions: thief – thieves, safe – safes, scarf – scarfs,
(f) Nouns that end in (o) preceded by a consonant, generally take (es) in the plural. For example: hero – heroes, mango – mangoes, volcano – volcanoes, etc.
Exceptions: bamboo – bamboos, photo – photos, manifesto – manifestos, piano – pianos, etc.
(g) Some nouns are changed into plural by changing the vowels. For example: man – men, goose – geese, mouse – mice, foot – feet, tooth – teeth, etc.
(h) Some nouns form their plural by adding (en/ ren). For example: child – children, ox – oxen, brother – brethren (also brothers), etc.
(i) Some nouns are in plural form but they are used in singular. For example: economics, physics, politics, whereabouts, news, gallows, etc.
(j) Some nouns are in singular form but they are used in plural. For example: people, folk, gentry, cattle, poultry, etc.
(k) Some nouns do not have singular forms. For example: fetters, billiards, ashes, assets, alms, bowels, measles, etc.
(l) Some nouns do not have plural forms. For example: luggage, furniture, expenditure, poetry, scenery, offspring, information, hair, alphabet, etc.
Mary has learnt the alphabet.
There are my offspring (children).
The reporter has got all the information.
Do you want to sell your luggage / furniture?
Did you comb your hair?
(m) Plural of compound nouns is generally formed by adding (s) to the important word. For example: brothers-in-law, commanders-in-chief, Governors- General, passers-by, on-lookers, etc.
Exceptions: mouthfuls, handfuls, pitfalls, waterfalls, etc.
(n) Plural of letters of the alphabet numbers are formed by adding (s). For example:
Dravir has hit three 4’s.
I require two MBA’s for my office.