In English, a noun has two numbers – Singular and Plural. The plural of the English nouns:
1. The plural is formed by adding the ending -s to the singular form. It is pronounced as [z] after voiced consonants and vowels; like [s] after voiceless consonants; and like [iz] after hissing and whistling sounds -se, -ce, -ge, -s, – ss, -sh, -ch
[z]: plans, beds, cinemas
[s]: caps, books, hats
[iz]: buses, dresses, pages
2. If a noun ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -tch, -x, -z, the plural is formed by adding -es [iz]
glass – glasses
box – boxes
brush – brushes
match – matches
3. Nouns with -y at the end and a preceding consonant form the plural by adding the ending -es, with -y becoming a letter -i.
city – cities
army – armies
If there is a vowel before -y, then the plural is formed according to the general rule.
day – days
key – keys
4. The plural of nouns ending in -o is formed by adding the ending -es.
hero – heroes, tomato – tomatoes
Exception: piano – pianos, photo – photos, video – videos, cuckoo – cuckoos, zoo – zoos
5. Nouns ending in -f, -fe form the plural by replacing -f with -v + -es.
leaf – leaves, wife – wives
Exception: chief – chiefs, roof – roofs, safe – safes, proof – proofs, cliff – cliffs, handkerchief – handkerchiefs
The noun “wharf” has two plural forms: wharfs, wharves.
6. There are seven nouns that are made plural by changing the root vowel.
man – men, woman – women, foot – feet, tooth – teeth, goose – geese, mouse – mice, louse – lice
7. Two nouns are pluralized by adding -en.
ox – oxen, child – children
8. Some nouns have the same plural form as their singular form.
deer – deer, sheep – sheep, swine – swine, fish – fish,dozen – dozen, score – score, aircraft – aircraft
However, when talking about different types of fish, the word “fish” has a plural form “fishes”: There are fishes of many varieties in this lake.
9. Nouns borrowed from Latin and Greek retain the original plural forms of these languages.
phenomenon – phenomena, datum – data, crisis – crises, basis – bases, formula – formulae
10. Compound nouns form their plurals as follows:
a) In those compound nouns that are written separately, the plural form is usually taken by the main word.
custom-house – custom-houses, motherin-law- mothers-in-law, editor-in-chiefeditors-in-chief
b) If there is no main word in a compound noun, then the ending -s is added to the last word.
lady-bird – lady-birds, forget-me-not – forget-me-nots
c) Compound nouns, which are written together, form the plural according to the rule that the second word included in their composition obeys.
schoolboy – schoolboys, housewife – housewives, postman – postmen
d) If a noun begins with the word “man” or “woman”, then both elements take the plural form.
man-doctor – men-doctors, woman-manage – women-managers
11. The noun “penny” has the plural form “pence” when talking about a sum of money. When individual coins are meant, the form “pennies” is used:
It costs eighteen pence.
Pennies are made of bronze.
12. The nouns “dozen” (dozen) and “score” (twenty) have the same form for singular and plural when they come after numerals: two dozen (of) eggs; three score (of) years. When these nouns are not accompanied by numerals, they form the plural as a general rule by adding the ending “-s”:
Pack the books in dozens, please.
Scores of people were present there.
13. The noun “works” can be used with both singular and plural meanings:
A new glass works has been built near our town.
There are two brick works outside the city.
14. The noun “means” is also used with both singular and plural meanings:
He found a means of helping them.
Are there any other means of helping them?
15. The nouns “gate”, “sledge”, “watch” are used in both singular and plural, unlike the Russian language, in which the corresponding nouns are used only in the plural.
The gate is open.
All the gates were closed.
My watch is on the table.
He has two watches.
16. The nouns “export” and “import” are used in both singular and plural, while in Russian the words “export” and “import” are used only in the singular. “Export”, “import” are used in the plural form – “exports, imports”, when talking about the quantity or value of exported or imported goods:
Russian exports to Poland as well as Russian imports from this country have greatly increased.
When referring to the process of export or import, the singular forms “export” and “import” are used.:
This organization is engaged in the export and import of different machines.