The number is a grammatical category. Numbers express the count distinctions of a noun or pronoun.
Example: a girl, ten girls, a boy, boys, etc
Types of Number
There are two types of numbers in grammar:
- singular and
- plural.
Singular number
Example: mother, bird, pen, mobile
Plural number
- When a noun expresses more than one object or person, it is called a plural.
Example: mothers, birds, pens, mobiles
How to change the number
There are some rules for forming a plural number from a singular.
Have a look-
Rule 1
We can make the plural form of a noun simply by adding -s to the singular.
Examples:
Rule 2
A noun ending in -y that follows a consonant becomes plural by changing -y to -ies.
Examples:
- City cities
- Country countries
- Fly flies
- Pony ponies
Rule 3
The plural form of a noun ending in -ch, -sh, -ss, or -x is made by adding -es.
Examples:
- Church churches
- Matchmatches
- Dish dishes
- Brushbrushes
- Class , classes
- Glass glasses
- Tax taxes
- Box and boxes
Rule 4
We can also make the plural form of most nouns ending in -o by adding -es.
Examples-
- Buffalo , buffaloes
- Heroheroes
- Tomato tomatoes
- Potato potatoes
Rule 5
Add only -s to create the plural form of an acronym or foreign origin ending in -o.
Examples:
- Kilo kilos
- Photo photos
- Ratio ratios
- Solo solos
Rule 6
Adding -ves creates the plural form of nouns with an -f or -fe ending.
Examples-
- Shelf shelves
- Loaf loaves
- Thief thieves
- Wife wives
Exceptions:
But we can make some exceptional nouns by adding only -s.
Examples-
- Handkerchief handkerchiefs
- Dwarf dwarfs
- Safe safes
- Strifestrifes
Rule 7:
We can make the plural form of a few nouns by adding -en.
Examples:
- Child children
- Ox oxen.
Related Lessons-
- Vowels and consonants
- Persons
- Gender
- Use of ‘am’: profession
All Lessons of Listening Grammar
