The English Noun shows the grammatical features of number, person, gender and case.

It is these features that determine its form in many cases.

There are two numbers in English The Singular Number denoting one person or thing. The Plural Number denoting more than one person or thing. In respect of number English nouns can be grouped as under: 1) Nouns which have different forms for the singular and plural (e.g. boy boys) 2) Nouns which have the same form in both singular and plural (e.g. one sheep/ twenty sheep) 3) Nouns which are normally used in plural only (e.g. gallows, trousers, cattle, scissors) 4) Nouns which are normally used in singular only ( gold, air, courage) We shall now examine each of these sub-classes in some detail. 1) Nouns which have different forms for the singular and plural (e.g. boy boys) The nouns having a singular and plural form fall in to two groups: a) Nouns having a regular plural form ( such nouns forms vast majority of English nouns) b) Nouns having irregular plural form (such nouns forms a small group)

The usual way to form the plural

Add s or es to the singular

-s Most nouns Book books Seat seats Lip lips Rope ropes -es Noun endings in s.-ss, -sh, -ch , -x, -z Bus buses Fuss fusses Wish wishes Match matches Box boxes Buzz- buzzes Consonant+ y consonant + ies Fly flies Country countries Party parties Baby - babies

Including Nouns ending in ay, -ey, -oy uy Day days Key- keys Boy boys Guy guys

Noun ending in o
Memo memos Photo photos Video videos Kilo kilos Piano pianos Dynamo dynamos Solo solos Soprano sopranos Studio studios

except following nouns in o

cargo cargoes domino dominoes echo echoes hero heroes potato - potatoes tomato tomatoes

Noun ending in f Belief beliefs Chief chiefs Cliff cliffs Roof roofs Handkerchief handkerchiefs* Scarf scarf* * handkerchieves *scarves

except the following nouns in f ---- ves calf calves self selves half halves shelf shelves knife knives thief thieves life lives wife wives loaf loaves wolf wolves

The pronunciation of the plural endings -s and es

The plural ending (e)s is pronounced in one of the three ways : (Iz) after s, - ss, -ch, -z , se ge , dge Z after vowel sounds and other voiced consonants (s) after other unvoiced consonant

Iz Buses (horse) Kisses (wage) wishes (bridge) Matches Boxes Buzzes horses wages bridges

Z Days Cars Beds Dogs Home (homes) (Line) lines Hill hills Halves books seats lips ropes

The following are the chief sub groups of irregular plurals: 1) Words in which the plural is formed by an internal vowel change ( e.g. oo is replaced by ee) Tooth teeth; man-men; foot feet; mouse mice 2) The plural is formed by adding an en: ox- oxen ; child children
3) Some words of Geek and Latin origin retain theie original plural forms: Singular Number Denotes One Plural Denotes more than one

Foreign plurals:
Foreign plurals often occur along with regular plurals. They are commoner in technical usage, whereas the s plurals is more natural in everyday language. Formula formulae ( In mathematics) Formulas (general)

Antenna Antennas ( general and in electronics ) Antennae ( in biology)

Nouns in us (Latin) can have three forms : a) Regular plural b) Both plurals i.e. regular and foreign plural C) Only Foreign plural

Only regular plural ( -uses

Noun ( singular) Apparatus Bonus Chorus caucus Census Campus Circus impetus Minus Prospectus Sinus Status Virus Noun ( plural) Apparatuses bonuses choruses Caucuses Censuses Campuses Circuses Impetuses Minuses Prospectuses Sinuses Statuses Viruses

Both plurals i.e. regular and foreign plural

Noun ( singular) Cactus Focus Fungus Nucleus Syllabus Terminus

Noun ( plural - regular ) cactuses Focuses Funguses Nucleus Syllabuses Terminuses

Noun ( plural - foreign) Cacti Foci Fungi Nuclei syllabi Termini

Only Foreign plural Noun ( singular) Stimulus Alumnus Bacillus Locus Noun ( plural) Stimuli Alumni Bacilli Loci

Nouns in -a (Latin) can have three forms

a) Regular plural b) Both plurals i.e. regular and foreign plural C) Only Foreign plural Only regular plural Noun ( singular) Area Arena Dilemma Noun ( plural)-as Areas Arenas Dilemmas

Diploma Drama

Diplomas Dramas

Both plurals i.e. regular and foreign plural Noun ( singular) Formula Antenna Nebula Vertebra Noun ( plural - regular as Formulas Antennas Nebulas Vertebras Noun ( plural - foreign)- ae Formulae Antennae Nebulae Vertebrae

Only Foreign plural Noun ( singular) Alga Alumna Larva Noun ( plural)- ae Algae Alumnae Larvae

Nouns in um (Latin) can have three forms

a) b) c) d) e) Only regular plural Usually regular Both plurals i.e. regular and foreign plural Usually Foreign plural Only Foreign plural Only regular plural Noun ( singular) Album Chrysanthemum Museum Premium Noun ( plural) Albums Chrysanthemums Museums Premiums

a) Usually regular Noun ( singular) Forum stadium Ultimatum Noun ( plural) Forums Stadiums Ultimatums

a) Both plurals i.e. regular and foreign plural

Noun countable Non countable Non Countable 1

Important points to keep in mind

A Singular Noun must be followed by a Singular Verb. A Plural Noun must be followed by a Plural verb. An uncountable Noun is always singular. A Collective Noun is usually singular. Irregular nouns are formed in different way