How to pluralize a noun?
How to pluralize a noun?
· English nouns are pluralized by adding the morpheme‘s’ to the noun. Eg- boy- boys
Yet there are several sub rules
· Some nouns that end with a sibilant letter/letters(letters that give ‘s’ sound) eg: s,ss,z,zz,sh,ch,tch,x make the plural form by adding ‘es’
Eg- buses, inches, boxes, matches, dishes…
· When the noun ends with ‘f’ or ‘fe’ most of the time ‘f’ and ‘fe’ change into 've’ and then the morpheme ‘s’ is added.
Calf-calves, wife-wives, hoof-hooves, wolf-wolves, loaf-loaves…
· However in few chases this rule differs and it follows the general rule which is adding‘s’.
Belief- beliefs, gulf-gulfs, chief-chiefs, safe-safes, proof-proofs …
· In few cases both rule are applicable.
Handkerchief- handkerchiefs, hankerchieves, wharf- wharves, wharfs…
· Nouns end with ‘ff’ make the plural by adding the morpheme ‘s’
Puff-puffs, stuff-stuffs, staff-staffs…
· Nouns that end with a vowel + y the regular rule is followed and we add only‘s’ to the noun. Eg; tray-trays, day-days, boy-boys, play-plays etc
· Nouns that end with ‘ey’ follow the same way. Eg: trolley, monkey, turkey…
· Nouns end with ‘oy’ and ‘uy’ also follow the same rule. Eg: decoy, boy, guy…
· Exception – ‘qui’ (kwi) although it ends with ‘uy’ we don’t use the regular rule but we follow the sub rule changing vowel adding ‘i’ then ‘es’. Eg: soliloquy –soliloquies…
· When a noun ends with a consonant ‘y’ it too follows the above rule that ‘y’ changes to ‘ies’.
Eg: baby-babies, body-bodies, buggies- buggies, city, industry, puppy …
· After proper nouns we follow the regular rule which is adding‘s’. eg: names of countries…
· When a noun ends with ‘o’ we add ‘es’
Eg: echo-echoes, potato- potatoes, mango-mangoes …
· Yet nouns which are borrowed rather late to the English language follows the regular pattern that adding ‘s’
Eg: banjo, lasso, ghetto, cello, dynamo …
· Both sub rules can be used in some cases. Eg: motto, cargo, mosquito, manifesto…
· Regular rule is used in the following nouns. Eg: piano, radio, stereo, memo…
· Using Latin suffixes to make plural forms. Eg: formula-formulae, antenna – antennae…
· Words end with ‘um’ Eg: medium-media, curriculum- curricula, memorandum-memoranda…
· Compounds – two nouns together.
Close up- close ups, spoonful –spoonfuls, mouthful – mouthfuls …
· Pluralizing the first part in compound nouns. Eg: brother in law- brothers in law, passerby- passersby…
· English nouns are pluralized by adding the morpheme‘s’ to the noun. Eg- boy- boys
Yet there are several sub rules
· Some nouns that end with a sibilant letter/letters(letters that give ‘s’ sound) eg: s,ss,z,zz,sh,ch,tch,x make the plural form by adding ‘es’
Eg- buses, inches, boxes, matches, dishes…
· When the noun ends with ‘f’ or ‘fe’ most of the time ‘f’ and ‘fe’ change into 've’ and then the morpheme ‘s’ is added.
Calf-calves, wife-wives, hoof-hooves, wolf-wolves, loaf-loaves…
· However in few chases this rule differs and it follows the general rule which is adding‘s’.
Belief- beliefs, gulf-gulfs, chief-chiefs, safe-safes, proof-proofs …
· In few cases both rule are applicable.
Handkerchief- handkerchiefs, hankerchieves, wharf- wharves, wharfs…
· Nouns end with ‘ff’ make the plural by adding the morpheme ‘s’
Puff-puffs, stuff-stuffs, staff-staffs…
· Nouns that end with a vowel + y the regular rule is followed and we add only‘s’ to the noun. Eg; tray-trays, day-days, boy-boys, play-plays etc
· Nouns that end with ‘ey’ follow the same way. Eg: trolley, monkey, turkey…
· Nouns end with ‘oy’ and ‘uy’ also follow the same rule. Eg: decoy, boy, guy…
· Exception – ‘qui’ (kwi) although it ends with ‘uy’ we don’t use the regular rule but we follow the sub rule changing vowel adding ‘i’ then ‘es’. Eg: soliloquy –soliloquies…
· When a noun ends with a consonant ‘y’ it too follows the above rule that ‘y’ changes to ‘ies’.
Eg: baby-babies, body-bodies, buggies- buggies, city, industry, puppy …
· After proper nouns we follow the regular rule which is adding‘s’. eg: names of countries…
· When a noun ends with ‘o’ we add ‘es’
Eg: echo-echoes, potato- potatoes, mango-mangoes …
· Yet nouns which are borrowed rather late to the English language follows the regular pattern that adding ‘s’
Eg: banjo, lasso, ghetto, cello, dynamo …
· Both sub rules can be used in some cases. Eg: motto, cargo, mosquito, manifesto…
· Regular rule is used in the following nouns. Eg: piano, radio, stereo, memo…
· Using Latin suffixes to make plural forms. Eg: formula-formulae, antenna – antennae…
· Words end with ‘um’ Eg: medium-media, curriculum- curricula, memorandum-memoranda…
· Compounds – two nouns together.
Close up- close ups, spoonful –spoonfuls, mouthful – mouthfuls …
· Pluralizing the first part in compound nouns. Eg: brother in law- brothers in law, passerby- passersby…
