Defenition
In English grammar, number refers to the grammatical contrast between singular (the concept of one) and plural (more than one) forms of nouns, pronouns, determiners, and verbs.
Types of Number
| 1. Singular number | A singular noun is a word that indicates that there is only one person, animal place, thing, or idea.Example:- Book, Brother, Cow, Tree etc. |
| 2. Plural number | A plural noun is a word that indicates that there is more than one person, animal place, thing, or idea.Example:- Books, Brothers, Cows, Trees etc. |
Examples of Number
Although most English nouns form the plural by adding -s or -es to their singular forms, there are numerous exceptions. Below are examples of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs in the two number categories:
| Word Type | Number Category | |
| Singular Example | Plural Example | |
| Noun | cat, mouse | cats, mice |
| Pronoun | I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it | we, us, you, they, them |
| Adjective | this, that, a, an, my, your, his, her, its | these, those, our, your, their |
| Verb | am, is, was, has, I play, he plays | Are, were, have, they play |
Rules on changing Singular number to Plural Number
Rule 1: By suffixing s to the singular-noun.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Cow | cows | boat | boats |
| Boy | Boys | toy | toys |
| Girl | Girls | idea | ideas |
| Cat | Cats | lion | lions |
| House | Houses | house | houses |
| Hand | Hands | cat | cats |
| Eye | Eyes | river | rivers |
| Tiger | Tigers | bug | bugs |
| Desk | Desks | truck | trucks |
| Run | runs | Chair | chairs |
Rule 2: By suffixing es to the singular-noun if a Singular noun ends with o, x, z, ss, sh, ch.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Bus | Buses | fox | foxes |
| Class | Classes | beach | beaches |
| Brush | Brushes | quizzes | quiz |
| Bush | Bushes | wish | wishes |
| Box | Boxes | pitch | pitches |
| Brunch | Brunches | Bench | benches |
| Inch | Inches | Church | churches |
| Watch | Watches | Buffalo | buffaloes |
| Match | matches | Negro | negroes |
| Hero | heroes | Mango | mangoes |
| Echo | echoes | Potato | potatoes |
Exceptional: In the case of singular nouns, if the pronunciation of the ending ‘ch’ sounds like ‘k’ instead of ‘ch’, we add only ‘s’ to make it plural instead of adding ‘es’. For example –
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Stomach | Stomachs | Monarch | Monarchs |
| Patriarch | Patriarchs | ||
Rule 3: If the last letter of a singular noun is ‘o’ and the letter before it is a consonant, we add ‘es’ at the end to make the noun plural. For example –
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Mango | Mangoes | Cargo | Cargoes |
| Potato | Potatoes | Volcano | Volcanoes |
| Hero | Heroes | Buffalo | Buffaloes |
| Negro | Negroes |
Some nouns are exceptions where, despite ending with ‘o’ and having a consonant before the ‘o’, we add only ‘s’ to make them plural.
| Singular | Plural | ||
| Photo | Photos | Momento | momentos |
| Solo | Solos | Dynamo | dynamos |
| Piano | Pianos | kilo | kilos |
| Canto | Cantos |
Rule 4: If a singular noun ends with ‘o’ and has a vowel before the ‘o’, we simply add ‘s’ to make it plural.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Radio | Radios | Bamboo | Bamboos |
| Cuckoo | Cuckoos | Studio | Studios |
| Stereo | Stereos |
Rule 5: By changing the last letter y into ies.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| City | Cities | penny | pennies |
| Baby | Babies | spy | spies |
| Army | Armies | daisy | daisies |
| Body | Bodies | family | families |
| Hobby | Hobbies | party | parties |
| Lady | Ladies | Story-stories |
However, if there is a vowel before ‘y’, then for singular nouns, we simply add ‘s’ to make them plural.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Key | Keys | Boy | Boys |
| Donkey | Donkeys | Toy | Toys |
| Monkey | Monkeys | Day | Days |
| Joy | joys |
Rule 6: By changing f , ef or fe into ves.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Calf | Calves | Knife | knives |
| Leaf | Leaves | Wolf | wolves |
| Wife | Wives | Shelf | shelves |
| Thief | Thieves | Life | Lives |
For exceptions, words that end with ‘ief’, ‘oof’, ‘ff’, ‘rf’, ‘if’, ‘eef’, ‘ife’, or ‘fe’ require adding only ‘s’ at the end to make them plural.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Roof | Roofs | Belief | Beliefs |
| Hoof | Hoofs | Chief | chiefs |
| Safe | Safes | Gulf | gulfs |
| Dwarf | Dwarfs | Proof | proofs |
| Cliff | Cliffs | Reef | Reefs |
Rule 7: By changing the inside vowel of the singular.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Man | Men | Foot | Feet |
| Woman | Women | Tooth | Teeth |
| Mouse | Mice | Goose | geese |
Rule 8: By suffixing en to the singular.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Ox | Oxen | Child | Children |
| Brother | Brethren |
Rule 9: By suffixing s to the main word or changing vowel in a compound noun.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Brother-in-law | Brothers-in-law | Commander-in-chief | commanders-in-chief |
| Son-in-law | Sons-in-law | Man-servant | men-servant |
| Washer-man | Washer-men | Step-son | Step-sons |
| Passer-by | Passers-by | Maid-servant | Maid-servants |
Rule 10: Compound nouns without a hyphen are made plural by simply adding ‘s’ at the end.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Handful | Handfuls | Armchair | Armchairs |
| Bookcase | Bookcases | Spoonful | Spoonfuls |
Rule 11: Several compound nouns are made plural by adding ‘s’ at the end.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Man-servant | Men-servants | Woman-servant | Women-servants |
| Lord-justice | Lords-justices | Knight-templar | Knights-templars |
Rule 12: Some compound nouns require adding ‘s’ to the last noun in order to make them plural.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Bookcase | Bookcases | Showcase | Showcases |
| Inspector-general | Inspector-generals | Armchair | Armchairs |
Rule 13: Few nouns have the same forms both in singular and plural forms.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
| Sheep | Sheep | Dozen | Dozen |
| Pair | Pair | Gross | Gross |
| Swine | Swine | cod | cod |
| Deer | Deer | fish | fish |
| species | species | aircraft | aircraft |
Rule 14: Few collective nouns, though they are in singular forms, are used in plural forms.
Examples: poultry, people, cattle, gentry, public, vermin, majority, mankind.
Rule 15: Few common nouns, though they are in singular forms, are used in plural forms.
Examples: the rich, the poor, the virtuous, the pious.
The rich are not always happy.
The virtuous are blessed.
Rule 16: Special cases few nouns which end in s are used in singular form.
Examples: physics, mathematics, politics, economics, wages, athletics, news, innings optics, linguistics darts billiards statistics. etc
Mathematics is hard subject to me.
This news is is important. .
Rule 17: Few nouns are always used in plural forms.
Examples: Furniture, alphabet, brick, business, hair, information, scenery, machinery, beard, issue, poetry, progress, money, abuse, expenditure, baggage. Mumps, measles, billiards, draughts,. trousers, drawers , spectacles, scissors
Her hair is very black.
Money is not a matter.
Rule 18:To make letters, numbers, or symbols plural, an apostrophe (’) is used.
– There are five M.A’s in our village.
– Add four 3’s and five 2’s.
Rule 19: Few nouns have different meanings in the singular and in the plural:
|
Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
|
Advice (counsel) |
Advices (information) |
Good (morally correct) |
goods (merchandise) |
|
Wood (portion of tree) |
woods (a grove of trees) |
Force (strength) |
forces (troops) |
|
Physic (medicine) |
physics (a branch of science) |
Sand (বালি) |
Sands (desert) |
|
Air (atmosphere) |
airs (artificial manners) |
Physic (medicine) |
physics (a branch of science) |
|
Custom (habit) |
customs (habits & taxes collected on imports |
Quarter (one fourth & a direction) |
quarters (fourth parts, living places & directions) |
|
Effect (result) |
effects (results & property) |
|
|
Rule 20. Few nouns have two different forms in plural. But the two forms have different meanings.
| Singular | Plural | Plural |
| Brother | Brothers (sons of same parents) | Brethren (members of a society) |
| Cloth | Cloths (pieces of cloth) | Clothes (items of cloth) |
| Fish | Fish (more than one of same variety) | Fishes (of different varieties) |
| Genius | Geniuses (persons of great talent) | Genii (spirits) |
| Index | Indexes (tables of contents) | Indices (signs used in algebra) |
Rule 21: Material nouns generally do not have a plural form.
Example: water, sugar, iron, cooper, oil, silver, wood.
Rule 22: abstract nouns do not have a plural form either.
Example: kindness, hope, charity, love, honesty.
Rule 23:.Letters, numbers and other symbols form their plural by adding an apostrophe ands.
Examples: Write your i’s and l’s clearly.
Add two 8’s and six 4’s.
Note the use of foreign plurals
|
Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
|
Agendum |
Agenda |
Curriculum |
Curricula |
|
Erratum |
Errata |
Memorandum |
memoranda |
|
Axis |
Axes |
Crisis |
Crises |
|
Index |
indices |
Terminus |
termini/ terminuses |
|
Analysis |
Analyses |
Focus |
Focuses /foci |
|
Basis |
bases |
Hypothesis |
hypotheses |
|
Criterion |
criteria |
Formula |
Formulas /formulae |
|
cactus |
cacti |
Cherub |
cherubim/ cherubs |
|
Medium |
Media |
Oasis |
Oases |
|
Parenthesis |
parentheses |
fungus |
fungi |
|
Radius |
Radii |
Genus |
Genera |
|
nucleus |
nuclei |
syllabus |
syllabi/syllabuses |
|
Forum |
Forums |
analysis |
analyses |
|
diagnosis |
diagnoses |
thesis |
theses |
|
datum |
data |
phenomenon |
phenomena |
|
Stratum |
Strata |
Appendix |
Appendixes/appendices |
|
Alumnus |
Lumni |
Medium |
Media |
|
Bacterium |
Bacteria |
Stimulus |
Stimuli |
Exercises
1. Give the plural number of the following
branch, tomato, monarch, knife, monkey story, box, stomach, house, boy, army, hero, photo, roof, hoof potato, cuckoo, bamboo, mango, mosquito, dish, man-of-war, woman, ox, salesman, Musalman, fisherman, German, brother-in-law, maid servant, servant, man servant, major-general, bookcase, handful, spoonful, party, scarf, analysis, agendum, bandit, basis, Mr., Mrs., crises, phenomenon
2. Give the singular number of the following:
asses, dishes, monarchs, flies, leaves, babes, wives, mangoes, studies, pionos, heroes, staffs, Chiefs, feet, geese, mice, oxen, lice, boatmen, brahamans, spoonfuls, step brothers, fathers in-law, lords-justices, men-servants, book-cases
3. Give the opposite number of the following:
loaves, bus, bones, days, cliff, radio, foot, workmen, Norman, passer-by, commanders-in-chief, memorandum, criterian, data, hypothesis, these fez, key
4. Give the correct number of the nouns in the brackets.
(a) The girl lost all her — (tooth).
(b) The green — (leaf) look fresh.
(c) He has two — (brother-in-law).
(d) He bought ten —- (sheep).
(e) He has one — (maid-servants).
(f)The — (passer-by) were looking at the sky.
(g)Local — (buses) does not run fast.
(h) A — (lice) fell from her head.
(i) The cat killed two — (mouse).
(j) Seven — (fox) are grazing in the field.
5. Give the correct number of the nouns in the brackets
(a) (Fly) — sit on uncovered food.
(b) The — (baby) are crying.
(c) The — (day) have become shorter.
(d) The — (women) in the room is my sister.
(e) The — (lady) in the club are gossiping.
(f) (Child) — are playing.
(g) (Herd) — are always welcome.
(h) The — (woman) of our country are poor.
(i) The — (boatmen) is taking rest.
(j) (Mango) — are not available.
6. Change the following sentences into singular
(a) Roses are flowers.
(b) Do are animals
(c) Houses are shelters
(d) Nouns are the names of things
(e) Dogs have tail.
(f) Soldiers carry guns
(g) The workers are clearing the floors.
7. Change the following sentences into singular.
(a) These oranges are very sweet.
(b) Those mangoes are not ripe.
(c) Three boys were present yesterday.
(d) Good children are liked by all.
(e) There are ten geese in the pond.
(f) Some women are waiting at the station.
(g) Many boatmen are sailing their boats in the sea.
(h) Some oxen are found in the field.
(i) Mosquitoes are insects.
(j) Babies are playing with their toys.
8. Change the following sentences into singular.
(a) The brave are heroes.
(b) The guests were narrating their stories.
(c) Our friends send us letters.
(d) Many women are garment workers.
(e) Asses carry loads.
(f) Lions are ferocious animals.
(g) Owls are nocturnal birds.
(h) Children like toys.
(i) Fishermen catch fishes.
(j) Nurses serve patients.
9. Change the following sentences into plural.
(a) There is a deer on the hill side.
(b) This sheep is white.
(c) That bookcase is made of wood.
(d) He has caught a fish.
(e) I am going to pay the workman.
(f) My school is big.
(g) He is a school boy.
(h) This woman has an umbrella.
(i) This is a boy.
(j) That is a big house.
10. Change the following sentences into plural.
(a) I saw a man sleeping.
(b) This is the boy whose pen is lost.
(c) This is a woman.
(d) A cow is a useful animal.
(e) Chair is made of wood.
(f) Loaf is made from flour.
(g) Chair is made of wood.
(h) A cat is under my table.
(i) A horse is useful to farmers.
(j) A noun is the name of a thing.
11. Choose the correct number in brackets.
(a) More than one — (singer/singers) sang beautiful songs.
(b) I always use — (spectacle/ spectacles).
(c) His — (circumstance/circumstances) are good.
(d) Spare — (part/parts) are sold in the market.
(e) I bought three — (dozen/dozens) oranges.
(f) He addressed all — (lady/ladies) present there.
(g) I bought five — (kilo/kilos) meat.
(h) There are many — (wolf/wolves) in the zoo.
(i) The old man has not a single — (tooth/teeth).
(j) He divided the mangoes into two — (hall/halves).
12. Choose the correct number in brackets.
(a) The police arrested all the — (thief/thieves).
(b) (That/those) — trees are very tall.
(c) I like to wear ready-made — (trouser/trousers).
(d) The (brother/brothers) — of the club are very co-operative.
(e) The (salesman/salesmen) — in this shop are very skilled.
(f) His (step-brother/step-brothers) — like him very much.
(g) (Bamboo/Bamboos) — are used for various purposes.
(h) (Baby/Babies) — usually like to play with toys.
(i) Seven (day/days) — make a week.
(j) (Hero/Heroes) — are respected by all.
13. Give the correct number of the nouns in the brackets.
(a) The — (wage) of sin is death.
(b) There are many — (fox) in this jungles.
(c) (Potato) — grow plenty in Bangladesh.
(d) His shop is full of — (piano).
(e) All the — (chief) met together.
(f) He used to tell me many — (story).
(g) Beware of — (fly).
(h) The old man has two — (wise).
(i) Meghna is the deepest — (river) in Bangladesh.
(j) The Padma is one of the biggest — (river) in Bangladesh.
14. Use the right form of nouns in the brackets.
(a) (Child) — like sweets. (b) (Baby) — love toys.
(c) The farmer has five — (sheep).
(d) The hunter killed three — (deer).
(e) He bought two dozen of — (pen).
(f) Ten — (mile) is a long way.
(g) She will draw some — (picture).
(h) He has six — (ox).
(i) There are three —– (knife) on the table.
(j) He lost all his — (tooth).
15. Use the right form of nouns in the brackets.
(a) The green — (leaf) look beautiful.
(b) He has five — (man-servant) in his house.
(c) A large number of — (people) have gathered.
(d) Every — (babies) has a toy.
(e) The furniture is made of — (woods).
(f) — (lice) fell from her head.
(g) There are some — — (boatman) in the river.
(h) A few — (passer-by) are crossing the road.
(i) He has sold all his — (furnitures).
(j) Both of his — (foot) are injured.