Plural nouns in English: grammar and Bukowski's cocktail

The plural form of nouns in English is formed by adding the endings -s or -es to the singular form. For example, one apple – several apples; one fox – several foxes. However, plural is not always formed according to such a clear rule, as there are many exceptions and nouns that always have only plural or only singular form in English.

Rules for forming plural nouns in English

The general rule for forming plural forms is quite simple: when a singular noun ends in a consonant sound or the letter -e, we add the ending -s. If the word ends with such combinations as -s, -ss, -ch, -sh, -x, -z, then we use the ending -es. For example, cat – cats, box – boxes.

However, the rules for forming plural forms have their exceptions due to different noun endings. In particular, we can also use the plural endings -ves, -oes, -ies. Check and memorize the rules and examples of such words in the table below:

It is worth remembering a few more exceptions to the formation of plural nouns:

• if the word has the ending -um, it should be removed and the ending -a should be used instead: bacterium – bacteria;

• if a word ends in letters -is, they must be replaced with -es: crisis – crises;

• when the singular form ends in -on, we should use -a in the plural: criterion – criteria;

• the ending -us is sometimes replaced by -i: radius – radii.

Words that don't change at all in the plural

In addition, the plural form in English may not affect writing or speaking at all:

• deer;

• moose;

• offspring;

• sheep.

Nouns that change completely

Who among us has not confused the words “woman” and “women” at school? English has a lot of nouns that are partially or fully changed in the plural:

• child – children;

• foot – feet;

• person – people;

• mouse – mice;

• goose – geese.

Irregular nouns

As mentioned above, the plural in English is not always formed according to one general rule. In particular, there are irregular nouns in English that always have only one form – singular or plural. Here are some examples:

• Nouns that have only a singular form. These nouns have the ending -s and can mislead us by suggesting plurality. However, they are always singular: billiards, maths, aerobics, politics. Nouns that have only a singular form most often refer to sciences, sports disciplines, and names of diseases. This category includes words ending in -ics.

• Nouns that have only a plural form. Such words most often refer to paired things that cannot exist separately: binoculars, glasses, jeans, pincers, slippers. However, there are some nouns that are used in plural without any logic: congratulations, earnings, goods. Many words that have only these form can also have a singular form with a different meaning: “savings” is money that you have saved and “saving” is when you pay less money than you would usually have to.

Also note that in sentences with singular nouns, verbs must also be used in the singular. With irregular plural nouns, use the verb in the same form.

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The course is designed for beginners and intermediate learners who want to improve their understanding of English. The course contains only one comprehensive lesson that will help you learn a very important topic in just 20 minutes. However, we recommend that you return to it from time to time to revise your new knowledge (as well as the recipe for a delicious and unusual cocktail).