Types of Number
There are two types of Numbers in English Grammar.
1. Singular Number
2. Plural Number
What is Singular Number ? Example
A singular number of a noun or pronoun is used to denote one person or thing.
For example,
Boy, Mango, Tree, Country, etc.
What is Plural Number ? Example
A plural number of a noun or pronoun is used to denote more than one person or thing.
For example,
Boys, Mangoes, Trees, Countries, etc.
How Plurals are formed: Singular Noun – Plural Noun
There are some rules to form plural Nouns from Singular Nouns.
Rule : 1
Generally, the plural form of a noun is formed by adding ‘s’ to the singular form.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Book | Books |
Boy | Boys |
Pen | Pens |
Table | Tables |
Bird | Birds |
Dog | Dogs |
Cat | Cats |
Chair | Chairs |
Girl | Girls |
Pencil | Pencils |
Rule : 2
Nouns ending in -s, -ss, -ch, -sh, and -x form their plural by adding -es to the singular form.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Bus | Buses |
Class | Classes |
Bench | Benches |
Watch | Watches |
Brush | Brushes |
Box | Boxes |
Fox | Foxes |
When ‘ch‘ sounds like ‘k‘, the plural is formed by adding ‘s‘.
Stomach | Stomachs |
Monarch | Monarchs |
Though “Ox” ends with “-x“, the plural form of “Ox” is “Oxen“.
Rule : 3
Nouns that end with “-o” having a vowel before it, form their plural by adding “-s“
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Radio | Radios |
Bamboo | Bamboos |
Studio | Studios |
Rule : 4
Nouns that end with “-o” having a consonant before it, form their plural by adding “-es“
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Hero | Heroes |
Mango | Mangoes |
Potato | Potatoes |
Mosquito | Mosquitoes |
Buffalo | Buffaloes |
Exceptions :
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Photo | Photos |
Piano | Pianos |
Rule : 5
If there are “double vowels” at the end of a noun, add ‘s‘ to make it plural.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Tree | Trees |
Bee | Bees |
Radio | Radios |
Zoo | Zoos |
Rule : 6
Nouns that end with “y” having a vowel before it, form their plural forms by adding “s“.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Boy | Boys |
Day | Days |
Key | Keys |
Toy | Toys |
Monkey | Monkeys |
Valley | Valleys |
Rule : 7
Noun ending in “y” having a consonant before it, forms the plural by removing “y“, then adding “ies“.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Baby | Babies |
Lady | Ladies |
City | Cities |
Country | Countries |
Story | Stories |
Family | Families |
Body | Bodies |
Rule : 8
Nouns ending in “-f“, or “-fe“, form the plural by removing “-f“, or “-fe” and then adding “-ves“.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Life | Lives |
Knife | Knives |
Calf | Calves |
Half | Halves |
Leaf | Leaves |
Thief | Thieves |
Wolf | Wolves |
Shelf | Shelves |
Exceptions :
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Belief | Beliefs |
Proof | Proofs |
Roof | Roofs |
Cliff | Cliffs |
Safe | Safes |
Chief | Chiefs |
Gulf | Gulfs |
Rule : 9
Some nouns form their plural form by changing inside Vowel of the singular form.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Tooth | Teeth |
Goose | Geese |
Foot | Feet |
Man | Men |
Woman | Women |
Gentleman | Gentlemen |
Rule : 10
A few Nouns form their plural forms by changing the inside Vowel and the Consonant of the singular.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Mouse | Mice |
Louse | Lice |
Rule : 11
In Compound Nouns, we make their plural forms by adding ‘s‘ to the main word.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Brother-in-law | Brothers-in-law |
Daughter-in-law | Daughters-in-law |
Passer-by | Passers-by |
Sister-in-law | Sisters-in-law |
Rule : 12
Compound Nouns written without hyphen take ‘s‘ to form the plural.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Bookcase | Bookcases |
Armchair | Armchairs |
Rule : 13
There are some compound nouns that take double plural.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Man-servant | Men-servants |
Woman-servant | Women-servants |
Rule : 14
There are some Nouns that have singular and plural forms alike.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Deer | Deer |
Sheep | Sheep |
Rule – 15
A few Nouns form their Plural by adding ‘en’ to the Singular.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Ox | Oxen |
Child | Children |
Rule – 16
For abbreviations, we add an ‘s’ to the last letter of Singular.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
MP | MPs |
VIP | VIPs |
Rule – 17
Some Latin words ending in “um” form their plurals by removing “um” and, then adding “a”.
For example,
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Datum | Data |
Memorandum | Memoranda |
Exceptions :
Singular Number | Plural Number |
Asylum | Asylums |
Museum | Museums |
Singular and Plural Number : Pronoun
There are some pronouns that have plural forms.
Singular Number | Plural Number |
I | We |
He / She / It | They |
You | You |
This | These |
That | Those |
Me | Us |
My | Our |
Mine | Ours |
Your | Your |
Him / Her | Them |
His / Her/ Its | Their |
Myself | Ourselves |
Yourself | Youselves |
Himself / Herself | Themselves |
FAQs
Q1. What is the plural form of “Deer” ?
The plural form of “Deer” is “Deer”.
Q2. What is the plural form of “Ox” ?
The plural form of “Ox” is “Oxen”.
Q3. What is the plural form of “Sheep” ?
The plural form of “Sheep” is “Sheep”.
Q4. What is the plural form of “Leaf” ?
The plural form of “Leaf” is “Leaves”.
Q5. What is the plural form of “Goose” ?
The plural form of “Goose” is “Geese”.
Q6. What is the plural form of “Child” ?
The plural form of “Child” is “Children”.