Download Plural Noun Forms

PLURAL NOUN FORMS
When a word ends in -ex or -ix the more formal plural ending is ices. In more general contexts -es is used
Irregular Plurals
o
There are many common nouns that have irregular plurals.
For example: child - children | person - people | foot - feet | mouse mice | tooth - teeth
Some nouns have identical plural and singular forms, although
they are still considered to have a plural form.
For example: aircraft - aircraft | fish - fish | headquarters - headquarters
| sheep - sheep | species - species
Uncountable nouns on the other hand have no plural form and take
a singular verb (is / was ...).
For example: advice | information | luggage | news
Some nouns (especially those associated with two things) exist
only in the plural form and take a plural verb (are / were...).
For example: cattle | scissors | trousers | tweezers | congratulations | pyjamas
Nouns that stem from older forms of English or are of foreign
origin often have odd plurals.
For example: analysis - analyses | crisis - crises | ox - oxen | index - indices or indexes
eg.: appendices, appendixes, indices, indexes
In compound nouns the plural ending is usually added to the main
noun.
For example: court martial - courts martial | son-in-law - sons-in-law |
passer-by - passers-by
In certain cases the plural form of a word is the same as the singular
o eg.: deer, sheep, swine
and in some words both forms end in -s
o eg.: measles, corps, species, means
There are two main types of plural which take either singular of
plural verbs:
o words like media and data. These are in common use as singular nouns although, strictly, this
is incorrect
o words ending in -ics. Generally, these are treated
as plural when the word relates to an individual
person or thing
 eg.: his mathematics are poor, the hall's
acoustics are good
and as singular when it is regarded more strictly as a science
 eg.: mathematics is an important subject.
PLURAL NOUN FORMS
Irregular Plurals
There are many common nouns that have irregular plurals.
For example: child - children | person - people | foot - feet | mouse mice | tooth - teeth
Some nouns have identical plural and singular forms, although
they are still considered to have a plural form.
For example: aircraft - aircraft | fish - fish | headquarters - headquarters
| sheep - sheep | species - species
Uncountable nouns on the other hand have no plural form and take
a singular verb (is / was ...).
For example: advice | information | luggage | news
Some nouns (especially those associated with two things) exist
only in the plural form and take a plural verb (are / were...).
For example: cattle | scissors | trousers | tweezers | congratulations | pyjamas
Nouns that stem from older forms of English or are of foreign
origin often have odd plurals.
For example: analysis - analyses | crisis - crises | ox - oxen | index - indices or indexes
When a word ends in -ex or -ix the more formal plural ending is ices. In more general contexts -es is used
o
eg.: appendices, appendixes, indices, indexes
In compound nouns the plural ending is usually added to the main
noun.
For example: court martial - courts martial | son-in-law - sons-in-law |
passer-by - passers-by
In certain cases the plural form of a word is the same as the singular
o eg.: deer, sheep, swine
and in some words both forms end in -s
o eg.: measles, corps, species, means
There are two main types of plural which take either singular of
plural verbs:
o words like media and data. These are in common use as singular nouns although, strictly, this
is incorrect
o words ending in -ics. Generally, these are treated
as plural when the word relates to an individual
person or thing
 eg.: his mathematics are poor, the hall's
acoustics are good
and as singular when it is regarded more strictly as a science
 eg.: mathematics is an important subject.
Nouns which are only singular and take singular verb form:
Hair, money, advice, news, baggage, trouble, information, progress, success, weather, works, furniture, evidence, knowledge,
funeral
Nouns which are only plural and take plural verb form:
Goods, arms, wages, clothes, customs, looks, savings, belongings,
surroundings + pair nouns: jeans, glasses, sunglasses, scissors,
trousers, shorts, tights, overalls
A collective noun is a noun that denotes a collection of persons or
things regarded as a unit.
Usage Note: In American usage, a collective noun takes a singular
verb when it refers to the collection considered as a whole, as in:
 The family was united on this question.
 The enemy is suing for peace.
It takes a plural verb when it refers to the members of the group
considered as individuals, as in:
 My family are always fighting among themselves.
 The enemy were showing up in groups of three or four to
turn in their weapons.
 In British usage, however, collective nouns are more often treated as plurals:
Nouns which are only singular and take singular verb form:
Hair, money, advice, news, baggage, trouble, information, progress, success, weather, works, furniture, evidence, knowledge,
funeral
Nouns which are only plural and take plural verb form:
Goods, arms, wages, clothes, customs, looks, savings, belongings,
surroundings + pair nouns: jeans, glasses, sunglasses, scissors,
trousers, shorts, tights, overalls
A collective noun is a noun that denotes a collection of persons or
things regarded as a unit.
Usage Note: In American usage, a collective noun takes a singular
verb when it refers to the collection considered as a whole, as in:
 The family was united on this question.
 The enemy is suing for peace.
It takes a plural verb when it refers to the members of the group
considered as individuals, as in:
 My family are always fighting among themselves.
 The enemy were showing up in groups of three or four to
turn in their weapons.
 In British usage, however, collective nouns are more often treated as plurals:


The government have not announced a new policy.
The team are playing in the test matches next week.
A collective noun should not be treated as both singular and plural
in the same construction; thus:
 The family is determined to press its (not their) claim.
Among the common collective nouns are:
Committee, clergy, company, enemy, group, family, flock, public,
team
Since proper nouns usually refer to something or someone unique,
they do not normally take plurals. However, they may do so, especially when number is being specifically referred to:
There are three Davids in my class
We met two Christmases ago
For the same reason, names of people and places are not normally
preceded by determiners the or a/an, though they can be in certain
circumstances:
It's nothing like the America I remember
My brother is an Einstein at maths


The government have not announced a new policy.
The team are playing in the test matches next week.
A collective noun should not be treated as both singular and plural
in the same construction; thus:
 The family is determined to press its (not their) claim.
Among the common collective nouns are:
Committee, clergy, company, enemy, group, family, flock, public,
team
Since proper nouns usually refer to something or someone unique,
they do not normally take plurals. However, they may do so, especially when number is being specifically referred to:
There are three Davids in my class
We met two Christmases ago
For the same reason, names of people and places are not normally
preceded by determiners the or a/an, though they can be in certain
circumstances:
It's nothing like the America I remember
My brother is an Einstein at maths