In grammar, the number refers to the count of a noun or pronoun.
Example: Boy-Boys, Wife-Wives, My-Our, Ox-Oxen, etc.
Types of Number:
1.Singular Number
It refers to the count of only one of a noun or pronoun.
Example: pen, table, aunt, father, goose, etc.
2.Plural Number
It refers to the count of more than one of a noun or pronoun.
Example: pens, tables, aunts, fathers, geese, etc.
How to change number
Numerous RULES are there to change the number from singular to plural. They are as follows-
Rule 1:
In general, “s” is used at the end of a singular noun to make it plural
Examples:
Singular Plural
Pencil Pencils
Cow Cows
House Houses
Dog Dogs
Mobile Mobiles
Rule 2:
If there exist s, sh, ch, x and z in the end, “es” gets to be used.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Bus Buses
Dish Dishes
Branch Branches
Fox Foxes
Fez Fezes
Rule 3:
While pronunciation of ch is like “k”, just “s” is added at the end
Examples:
Singular Plural
Monarch Monarchs
Patriarch Patriarchs
Matriarch Matriarchs
Stomach Stomachs
Hierarch Hierarchs
Part 1:
when there’s a “y” in the end and a Consonant before that “y”, “i” substitutes it and an “es” thereafter.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Story Stories
Hobby Hobbies
Army Armies
Fly Flies
Baby Babies
Part 2:
But if there’s a vowel ahead of that “y”, no need to change it, only “s” to add.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Donkey Donkeys
Toy Toys
Day Days
Joy Joys
Play Plays
Rule 4:
“v” replaces f or fe and then adds an “es” to finish it.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Thief Thieves
Wife Wives
Knife Knives
Wolf Wolves
Leaf Leaves
Part 1: “es” to be added if the noun is finished by “o” and a consonant places ahead.
Examples:
singular Plural
Hero Heroes
Mango Mangoes
Zero Zeroes
Potato Potatoes
Echo Echoes
Part 2: but when there’s a vowel before that “o”, only “s” is enough.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Cuckoo Cuckoos
Bamboo Bamboos
Studio Studios
Portfolio Portfolios
Cameo Cameos
Exception 1: though there’s an “o” and a consonant ahead of it, some nouns use only “s”.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Photo Photos
Piano Pianos
Radio Radios
Canto Cantos
Memo Memos
Exception 2: for some, “s” and “es” both are correct.
Singular Plural
Mosquito Mosquitos/mosquitoes
Commando Commandos/commandoes
Portico Porticos/porticoes
Calico Calicos/calicoes
Memento Mementos/mementoes
Rule 5:
Some require changing the middle-vowel of the word to make it plural.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Man Men
Woman Women
Foot Feet
Mouse Mice
Tooth Teeth
Rule 6:
Some require en, ren and ne to add at last.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Ox Oxen
Child Children
Brother Brethren (brothers also correct)
Cow Kine (cows also correct)
Sister Sistren (sisters also correct)
Part 1: if “man” means human being in a compound noun(a noun that contains two or more words that jointly make a single noun), “men”replaces that “man”.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Fisherman Fishermen
Workman Workmen
Boatman Boatmen
Man-of-war Men-of-war
Salesman Salesmen
Part 2: but when “man” is just a part of the word, or it refers to any ethnic group, race or civilian, there comes “s”.
Singular Plural
Mussalman Mussalmans
Brahman Brahmans
German Germans
Norman Normans
Rule 7:
“s” to be added when there’s a “ful” in the end.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Handful Handfuls
Mouthful mouthfuls
Spoonful Spoonfuls
armful Armfuls
cupful cupfuls
Part 1: If compound noun contains several words, “s” comes to join with the main part of that noun.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Brother-in-law Brothers-in-law
Passers-by b Passers-by
Step-brother Step-brothers
Commander-in-chief Commanders-in-chief
Maid-servant Maid-servants
Part 2: in some cases,“s”comes in every part to make it so.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Lord-justice
Lords-justices
Man-servant
Men-servants
Woman-servant
Women-servants
Rule 8:
Besides, adding “s” only in the end gets it done for few.
Examples:
Singular Plural
Book-shelf Book-shelves
Book-case Book-cases
Major-general Major-generals
Poet-laurete Poet-lauretes
Forget-me-not Forget-me-nots
Rule 9:
Some singular nouns have no plural form, only used in singular.
Examples:
Furniture
Scenery
Issue
Bread
expenditure
Rule 9:1
Adversely, some are always used as a plural form.
Examples:
Mumps
Scissors
Trousers
Spectacles
Assets
Rule 10:
Though some nouns seem like singular, but actually they are plural.
Examples:
Government
Peasantry
People
Cattle
Mankind
Rule 11:
Similarly, some nouns seem like plural though they are singular.
Examples:
Physics
Politics
Ethics
News
Wages
Rule 12:
Some have the same singular and plural form.
Examples:
Deer
Sheep
Species
Corps
Canon
Rule 12:
In case of letters, numbers and other symbols, it takes an apostrophe and s to change it.
Examples:
Sam, write your g’s and y’s clearly.
John, add two 5’s and three 8’s.
Rule 13:
There is no specific rule for changing the number of pronouns. It’s all about memorizing.
Singular plural singular plural
I We Him/her Them
My Our Your Your
Mine Ours This These
Me Us That Those
You You It They
He/she they His/her their
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