Number:Number is a form of the noun, by which we know whether the name (noun) refers to one of something or more than one of that thing.
When the thing named is one, we say that the noun has a Singular number.
The word pen is a name given to a writing instrument—just a single one of it.
If the thing named is more than one, we say that the noun has a Plural number.
In our example, suppose we have more than one of that writing instrument, say two of them, then we have to give the two together a different name—the name pen will not suffice. We therefore give it a different name, i.e. pens.
Pen and pens are not identical names; they are different names. Through those different names, the language community clearly differentiates between the one and the many.
The Singular and the Plural forms of the noun are usually similar.
They are similar implies…
They are not identical (i.e. they are not the same in every respect). If they were the same, we would have difficulty in distinguishing the singular and plural forms. In row number 12 in the table below, we have such a case.
They are not completely different. Had the singular and plural forms been totally different, then English language would have been burdened with too many forms and it would have made learning difficult.
The forms are similar because a plural is formed out of a singular. In most cases this is done by making a small change in the spelling or sound.
Pattern of Singular and Plural in English
Singular:stone,teacher,chair, girl, goat, table, uncle,computer
Plural:chairs, girls, goats, computers, stones, tables, uncles, teachers
Method:Adding ‘s’. with singular.
Singular:mango, tomato, box, tax, match, watch, catch, stitch, lash, crash
Plural:mangoes, tomatoes, boxes, taxes, matches, watches, catches, stitches, lashes, crashes
Method:Add ‘es’ for words ending in ‘o’, ‘x’, ‘ch’ or ‘sh’.
Singular:photo, dynamo, piano, stomach
Plural:photos, dynamos, pianos, stomachs
Method:Exceptions to no. 2 above.
Add only ‘s’. The first three words are commonly used short forms for photograph, dynamoelectric, pianoforte. In the word stomach, the ‘ch’ is pronounced as ‘k’
Singular:bamboo, igloo, cuckoo
Plural:bamboos, igloos, cuckoos
Method:Add ‘s’ for words ending in ‘oo’
Singular:boy, day, key,donkey, bay, way, toy
Plural:boys, donkeys, days, keys, bays, ways, toys
Method:Add ‘s’ to words ending in ‘y’ before which comes a vowel letter.
Singular:lady, lorry, body, berry, story
Plural:ladies, lorries, bodies, berries, stories
Method:Add ‘es’ after changing the ‘y’ into ‘i’. This is for words which end in ‘y’ and have a consonant letter coming before the ‘y’.
Singular:leaf, wife, life, thief, sheaf
Plural:leaves, wives, lives, thieves, sheaves
Method:Change the ‘f’ or ‘fe’ ending of these words into ‘v’ and then add ‘es’
.
Singular:brief, chief, roof, belief
Plural:briefs, chiefs, roofs, beliefs
Method:These words are exceptions to the ones given in 7 above.
Singular:scarf, hoof
Plural:scarves or scarfs, hooves or hoofs
Method:Both forms of plural (nos. 7 and 8 above) can be used for these words.
Singular:man, tooth, goose, foot
Plural:men, teeth, geese, feet
Method:The vowel sound (between two consonant sounds) is changed to form the plural.
Singular:louse, mouse
Plural:lice, mice
Method:The same rule as in 10 above, except that the last consonant (sound) has also its spelling changed.
Singular:deer, sheep
Plural:deer, sheep
Method:The plural is the same as the singular.
Singular:No singular
Plural:scissors, pants, pliers, tongs, pincers, tweezers
Method:These words have no singular form
Singular:measles, diabetes, mumps, aerobics, gymnastics, economics, mathematics, politics
Plural:No plural
Method:These words appear to be plural, but they are singular always.
Singular:child, ox
Plural:children, oxen
Method:by adding ‘ren’ or ‘en’