Exceptional Plurals

(7) There are eight nouns that form the Plural by changing the inside vowel of the Singular:

Singular. Plural. Singular. Plural.

Man men Goose geese

Woman women Tooth teeth

Foot feet Mouse mice

Louse lice Dormouse dormice

(8) There are four nouns, that make the Plural terminate in “en” or “ne”:

Singular. Plural. Singular Plural.

Ox oxen Child children

Cow kine (or cows) Brother brethren (по духу)

brothers (по крови)

(9) There are a few nouns that have the same form for the Plural as for the Singular:

Singular. Plural. Singular. Plural.

Deer deer Trout trout

Sheep sheep Cod cod

Fish fish Brace brace

Swine swine Dozen dozen

Grouse grouse Score score

Salmon salmon Stone stone

(weight)

(10) Some nouns have no Singular:

Annals Gallows Pincers Victuals

Bellows Statistics Scissors Tidings

Tongs Suds Shambles News

Shears Nuptials Thanks Means

In spite of the Plural form we say, “By this means”, “ This news is not true”.

Note. – Nouns “earth”, “sun” etc., have no Plural, because in nature there is only one earth and only one sun.

Ex. I Write the plurals of the nouns and explain them.

Stimulus, Russian, Dutchman, Englishwoman, neucleus, fish, crisis, looker-on, on looker, cuff, rifleman, tooth, commander-in-chief, muff, foot, boot, mouth, sheep ship, cheese, Burmese, deer, goose, swine, analysis, criterion, series, corps, fruit, datum, thesis, radius, trout, phenomenon, room-mate, species, fellow-worker, basis, apparatus, tie, handkerchief, portfolio, zero, roof, enemy, solo, stimulus, leaf, youth, court-martial, ditto, merry-go-round, stratum, salmon, formula, memorandum, scarf, handful, Mary.

Ex. 2. Explain the difference of meaning of the following double plurals:

1. brothers 1. geniuses

brother genius

2. Brethren 2. genii

1. pennies 1. staffs

penny staff

2. pence 2. Staves

1. cloths 1. indexes

cloth index

2. clothes 2. indices

Ex. 3. In the following exercises – (1) pick out all the nouns; (2) say whether each noun is Singular or Plural as it stands; (3) change every Plural into a Singular, and every Singular into a Plural:

1. There are many cities in England, many smaller towns, and an immense number of villages.

2. A cat and a dog are seldom good friends.

3. The earth turns round once in one day and one night.

4. When the cat is away, the mice play.

5. The branch of that tree has leaves of a bright green colour.

6. The cries of animals are many and various: a horse neighs; a dog barks; a cat mews; a swine or pig grunts; an elephant trumpets; an ass brays; an ox lows; a monkey chatters; a goose cackles; a boy laughs or weeps; a fish is silent.

7. If we stop in this wood, we shall be lost. So let us get back into the public road, before night comes on.

8. The wolf living in that forest killed many calves.

9. Some thieves broke into the house of my friend.

10. The stars are seen through the leaves and branches of that oak-tree. He went out fishing for salmon, and caught two dozen and more in his net, besides some trout to the number of two or three score.

11. Sheep cannot run as fast as deer; and so the sheep were caught first by the wolves.

12. The cat has caught two mice and one rat today.

13. Oxen are of more value than deer to a farmer.

14. The feet of men are larger than those of women; but the teeth are about the same in size.

15. The sun’s light is brighter than the moon’s; but the moon’s rays are not so hot as those of the sun.

16. Joseph had eleven brethren who sold him as a slave to some merchants on their way to Egypt.

17. A valley is usually hotter than the top of a hill.

18. He is a big man, and weighs fourteen stone.

Дополнительный материал по теме “The category of number” изложен в учебном пособии “I Love English Grammar” Л.Д. Червяковой (раздел “Subject – verb agreement” пункты 8, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19).