Number Nouns| types, definition, formation, examples
Nouns can also be divided on the bases of Numbers, i.e., a noun either presents a singular number or a plural number. Thus, in English only two numbers exist as follows:
1. Singular Number:
A Noun that is used to denote only one person or thing, is said to be in the Singular Number. For example:
- Boy
- Girl
- Cow
- Bird
- Tree
- Book
- Pen
2. Plural Number:
A Noun that is used to denote more than one person or thing, is said to be in the Plural Number. For example:
- Boys
- Girls
- Cows
- Birds
- Trees
- Books
- Pens
Formation of Plural Numbers:
Plural Numbers can be formed in the following ways.
1. Formation of Plural Numbers by adding “s” to the Singular Numbers
Plural Numbers can be formed by adding only “s” to the Singular Numbers.
| Singular | Plural |
| Boy | Boys |
| Pen | Pens |
| Girl | Girls |
| Desk | Desks |
| Book | Books |
| Cow | Cows |
| Animal | Animals |
| Bear | Bears |
| Dog | Dogs |
| Fault | Faults |
| King | Kings |
| Ticket | Tickets |
| Arm | Arms |
| Cap | Caps |
| Desert | Deserts |
| Friend | Friends |
| Mosque | Mosques |
| Poet | Poets |
| Thread | Threads |
| Battle | Battles |
| Caliph | Caliphs |
| Example | Examples |
| Gun | Guns |
| Nation | Nations |
| Rate | Rates |
| Conch | Conchs |
2. Formation of Plural Numbers by adding “es” to the Singular Numbers that end in “s, sh, ch, ss, x,”
| Singular | Plural |
| Ass | Asses |
| Box | Boxes |
| Church | Churches |
| Watch | Watches |
| Brush | Brushes |
| Branch | Branches |
| Class | Classes |
| Wish | Wishes |
| Bench | Benches |
| Bush | Bushes |
| Match | Matches |
| Kiss | Kisses |
| Tax | Taxes |
| Dish | Dishes |
3. Formation of Plural Numbers by adding “es” to the Singular Numbers that end in “o” which is preceded by a consonant
Plural Numbers of the Singular Numbers that have “o” in the end and are preceded by a consonant, can be made by adding “es” to the Singular Number ending.
| Singular | Plural |
| Buffalo | Buffaloes |
| Mango | Mangoes |
| Potato | Potatoes |
| Echo | Echoes |
| Mosquito | Mosquitoes |
| Volcano | Volcanoes |
| Hero | Heroes |
| Negro | Negroes |
| Cargo | Cargoes |
4. Formation of Plural Numbers by adding “s” to the Singular Numbers that end in “o”
Plural Numbers can be formed only by adding “s” to the Singular Numbers that end in “o”.
| Singular | Plural |
| Canto | Cantos |
| Quarto | Quartos |
| Memento | Mementos |
| Kilo | Kilos |
| Dynamo | Dynamos |
| Halo | Halos |
| Stereo | Stereos |
| Logo | Logos |
| Piano | Pianos |
| Solo | Solos |
| Photo | Photos |
| Commando | Commandos |
| Ratio | Ratios |
5. Formation of Plural Numbers of the words that end in “f” or “fe ” by adding “es” and converting “f” or “fe” into “v”
Singular words that have “f” or “fe” in the end can make plural by converting the “f” or “fe” into “v” and then adding “es”.
| Singular | Plural |
| Thief | Thieves |
| Life | Lives |
| Loaf | Loaves |
| Half | Halves |
| Sheaf | Sheaves |
| Wife | Wives |
| Calf | Calves |
| Knife | Knives |
| Elf | Elves |
| Wolf | Wolves |
| Leaf | Leaves |
| Shelf | Shelves |
| Self | Selves |
6. Formation of Plural Numbers either by adding only “s” or “ves” to the Singular Numbers that end in “f” or “fe”
Some Singular Numbers that end in “f” or “fe” either take “s” or “ves” to form their Plural Numbers.
| Singular | Plural |
| Dwarf | Dwarfs/ Dwarves |
| Hoof | Hoofs/ Hooves |
| Scarf | Scarfs/ Scarves |
| Wharf | Wharfs/ Wharves |
| Belief | Beliefs |
| Proof | Proofs |
| Grief | Griefs |
| Strife | Strives |
| Safe | Safes |
| Chief | Chiefs |
| Roof | Roofs |
| Gulf | Gulfs |
| Handkerchief | Handkerchiefs |
| Cliff | Cliffs |
7. Formation of Plural Numbers of the words that end in “y” and are preceded by a consonant, by adding “es” and converting “y” into “i”
The Singular Numbers that have “y” in the end and are preceded by a consonant, can make their Plural Numbers by adding “es” and converting the “y” into “i”.
| Singular | Plural |
| Army | Armies |
| Beauty | Beauties |
| Copy | Copies |
| Enemy | Enemies |
| Lady | Ladies |
| Baby | Babies |
| City | Cities |
| Fly | Flies |
| Sky | Skies |
| Pony | Ponies |
| Duty | Duties |
| Body | Bodies |
| Lorry | Lorries |
| Story | Stories |
8. Formation of the Plural Numbers of the words that end in “y” and are preceded by a vowel, only by adding “s” to the Singular Numbers
The Singular Numbers that end in “y” and are preceded by a vowel, can form Plural Numbers by adding only “s” to the Singular Numbers.
| Singular | Plural |
| Boy | Boys |
| Holiday | Holidays |
| Storey | Storeys |
| Donkey | Donkeys |
| Key | Keys |
| Toy | Toys |
| Day | Days |
| Monkey | Monkeys |
| Valley | Valleys |
9. Formation of the Plural Numbers by changing the inside vowel of the Singular Numbers
The plural of some Singular Numbers can be formed by changing the inside vowels.
| Singular | Plural |
| Man | Men |
| Woman | Women |
| Foot | Feet |
| Tooth | Teeth |
| Goose | Geese |
| Mouse | Mice |
| Louse | Lice |
| Dormouse | Dormice |
10. Formation of Plural Numbers by adding “en” or “ren” to the Singular Numbers
Plural Numbers of some Singular Numbers can be formed by adding “en” or “ren” to the Singular Numbers.
| Singular | Plural |
| Brother | Brethren |
| Ox | Oxen |
| Child | Children |
11. Formation of Plural Numbers of the Compound Nouns by adding “s” to the principal word
A Compound Noun generally forms its Plural by adding “s” to the principal word.
| Singular | Plural |
| Brother-in-law | Brothers-in-law |
| Mother-in-law | Mothers-in-law |
| Father-in-law | Fathers-in-law |
| Step-father | Step-fathers |
| Step-son | Step-sons |
| Step-daughter | Step-daughters |
| Commander-in-chief | Commanders-in-chief |
| Forget-me-not | Forget-me-nots |
| Handful | Handfuls |
| Spoonful | Spoonfuls |
| Passer-by | Passers-by |
| Son-in-law | Sons-in-law |
| Maidservant | Maidservants |
| Coat-of-mail | Coats-of-mail |
| Court-martial | Courts-martial |
| Governor-General | Governor Generals/ Governors-General |
| Hanger on | Hangers on |
| Poet-laureate | Poet-laureates/ Poets-laureate |
| Step-mother | Step-mothers |
