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Contents overview irregular and special pluralsaircraft: singular and plural the sameaircraft: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310068analysis: pluralanalysis: pluralanalysisanalyses plural 117.410102appendix: pluralappendix: pluralappendixappendices plural 117.410127arms: plural with no singulararms: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710137athletics: singular, no pluralathletics: singular, no plural singular, no plural 117.310182bacterium: pluralbacterium: pluralbacteriumbacteria plural 117.410198barracks: singular and plural the samebarracks: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310205basis: pluralbasis: pluralbasisbases plural 117.410206billiards: singular, no pluralbilliards: singular, no plural singular, no plural 117.310241binoculars: plural with no singularbinoculars: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710243cactus: pluralcactus: pluralcactuscacti plural 117.410288calf: pluralcalf: pluralcalfcalves plural 117.110290cattle: plural with no singularcattle: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710306child: pluralchild: pluralchildchildren plural 117.210325Chinese: singular and plural the sameChinese: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310326clothes: plural with no singularclothes: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710344compound nouns: pluralscompound nouns: plurals plurals 117.610372contents: plural with no singularcontents: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710388corpus: pluralcorpus: pluralcorpuscorpora plural 117.410398craft: singular and plural the samecraft: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310414crew: plural with no singularcrew: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710417crisis: pluralcrisis: pluralcrisiscrises plural 117.410418criterion: pluralcriterion: pluralcriterioncriteria plural 117.410419crossroads: singular and plural the samecrossroads: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310421customs: plural with no singularcustoms: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710425deer: singular and plural the samedeer: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310447diagnosis: pluraldiagnosis: pluraldiagnosisdiagnoses plural 117.410463dice: singular and plural the samedice: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310465draughts: singular, no pluraldraughts: singular, no plural singular, no plural 117.310509elf: pluralelf: pluralelfelves plural 117.110547fish: singular and plural the samefish: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310649formula: pluralformula: pluralformulaformulae plural 117.410674funds: plural with no singularfunds: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710695fungus: pluralfungus: pluralfungusfungi plural 117.410696glasses: plural with no singularglasses: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710719goods: plural with no singulargoods: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710733goose: pluralgoose: pluralgoosegeese plural 117.210734groceries: plural with no singulargroceries: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710745headquarters: singular and pluralheadquarters: singular and plural singular and plural 117.310776hovercraft: singular and plural the samehovercraft: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.310813hypothesis: pluralhypothesis: pluralhypothesishypotheses plural 117.410834jeans: plural with no singularjeans: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.710973kibbutz: pluralkibbutz: pluralkibbutzkibbutzim plural 117.410981knife: pluralknife: pluralknifeknives plural 117.110991leaf: pluralleaf: pluralleafleaves plural 117.111008louse: plurallouse: plurallouselice plural 117.211053manners: plural with no singularmanners: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711074mathematics: singular, no pluralmathematics: singular, no plural singular, no plural 117.311080media: singular (uncountable) or pluralmedia: singular (uncountable) or pluralmediamedium singular (uncountable) or plural 117.311093Middle Ages: plural with no singularMiddle Ages: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711103mother-in-law: pluralmother-in-law: pluralmother-in-lawmothers-in-law plural 117.611134mouse: pluralmouse: pluralmousemice plural 117.211135nucleus: pluralnucleus: pluralnucleusnuclei plural 117.411221oasis: pluraloasis: pluraloasisoases plural 117.411224odds: plural with no singularodds: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711231outskirts: plural with no singularoutskirts: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711288ox: pluralox: pluraloxoxen plural 117.211295pants: plural with no singularpants: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711301passer-by: pluralpasser-by: pluralpasser-bypassers-by plural 117.611311people, person(s) and peoplespeople, person(s) and peoples, person(s) and peoples 117.211323person, persons, people and peoplesperson, persons, people and peoples, persons, people and peoples 117.211333phenomenon: pluralphenomenon: pluralphenomenonphenomena plural 117.411335physics: singular, no pluralphysics: singular, no plural singular, no plural 117.311342police: plural with no singularpolice: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711367premises: plural with no singularpremises: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711395pyjamas: plural with no singularpyjamas: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711449radius: pluralradius: pluralradiusradii plural 117.411463regards: plural with no singular;regards: plural with no singular; plural with no singular 117.7;11490remains: plural with no singularremains: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711497runner-up: pluralrunner-up: pluralrunner-uprunners-up plural 117.611534savings: plural with no singularsavings: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711541scales: plural with no singularscales: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711544scissors: plural with no singularscissors: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711547self: pluralself: pluralselfselves plural 117.111559series: singular and plural the sameseries: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.311568sheep: singular and plural the samesheep: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.311579shelf: pluralshelf: pluralshelfshelves plural 117.111582spacecraft: singular and plural the samespacecraft: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.311649species: singular and plural the samespecies: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.311655spectacles: plural with no singularspectacles: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711656staff: plural with no singularstaff: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711668statistics: singular and plural the samestatistics: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.311674stimulus: pluralstimulus: pluralstimulusstimuli plural 117.411679surroundings: plural with no singularsurroundings: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711723Swiss: singular and plural the sameSwiss: singular and plural the same singular and plural the same 117.311726the Middle Ages: plural with no singularthe Middle Ages: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711766thief: pluralthief: pluralthiefthieves plural 117.111789tooth: pluraltooth: pluraltoothteeth plural 117.211824troops: plural with no singulartroops: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711837trousers: plural with no singulartrousers: plural with no singular plural with no singular 117.711839vertebra: pluralvertebra: pluralvertebravertebrae plural 117.411889wife: pluralwife: pluralwifewives plural 117.111968wolf: pluralwolf: pluralwolfwolves plural 117.111980works: (= factory) singular and plural the sameworks: (= factory) singular and plural the same (= factory) singular and plural the same 117.311987Nouns and Noun Phrases; Agreement117 irregular and special plurals1irregular plurals in -vesThe following nouns ending in -f(e) have plurals in -ves.| Singular | Plural |
|---|
| calf | calves | | elf | elves | | half | halves | | knife | knives | | leaf | leaves | | life | lives | | loaf | loaves | | self | selves | | sheaf | sheaves | | shelf | shelves | | thief | thieves | | wife | wives | | wolf | wolves | | | |
Dwarf, hoof, scarf and wharf can have plurals in either -fs or -ves. Hooves, scarves and wharves are more common than the plurals in -fs.Other words ending in -f(e) have regular plurals, for example roofs, beliefs, safes.2other irregular plurals| Singular | Plural |
|---|
| child | children | | foot | feet | | goose | geese | | louse | lice | | man | men | | mouse | mice | | ox | oxen | | penny | pence | | person | people | | tooth | teeth | | woman | women | | | |
The regular plural pennies can be used to talk about separate penny coins (and one-cent coins in the USA); pence is used to talk about prices and sums of money. Some British people now use pence as a singular (e.g. That'll be three pounds and one pence, please).Persons is sometimes used as a plural of person in official language. There is also a singular noun people (plural peoples) meaning 'nation'.3plural same as singularSome words ending in -s do not change in the plural. Common examples:| Singular | Plural |
|---|
| barracks | barracks | | crossroads | crossroads | | headquarters | headquarters | | means | means | | series | series | | species | species | | Swiss | Swiss | | works (= factory) | works |
Note that some singular uncountable nouns end in -s. These have no plurals. Examples are news, billiards, draughts (and some other names of games ending in -s), measles (and some other illnesses).Here is the news. (not Here are the news.)Most words ending in -ics (e.g. mathematics, physics, athletics) are normally singular uncountable and have no plural use.Too much mathematics is usually taught in schools. (not Too many mathematics are …)Some words ending in -ics (e.g. politics, statistics) can also have plural uses.Politics is a complicated business. (BUT What are your politics?)Statistics is useful in language testing. (BUT The unemployment statistics are disturbing.)Other nouns which do not change in the plural are craft (meaning 'vehicle'), aircraft, hovercraft, spacecraft, Chinese, Japanese (and other nationality nouns ending in -ese), sheep, deer, fish, and the names of some other living creatures, especially those that are hunted or used for food. Fish has a rare plural fishes, but the normal plural is fish.Dozen, hundred, thousand, million, stone (= 14 pounds) and foot (= 12 inches) have plurals without -s in some kinds of expressions. For details, 322.14.Dice (used in board games) is originally the plural of an old noun die. In modern English it is used as both singular and plural.Data is originally the plural of datum, which is not now used. In modern English data can be used either as an uncountable noun (this data is …) or as a plural (these data are …), with no difference of meaning. The uncountable use is more common in modern English.Media is originally the plural of medium. The plural expression the media (meaning 'radio, TV, newspapers, the internet …') is now quite often used as an uncountable noun with a singular verb.4foreign pluralsSome words which come from foreign languages have special plurals. Examples:| Singular | Plural |
|---|
| analysis | analyses (Latin) | | appendix | appendices (Latin) | | bacterium | bacteria (Latin) | | basis | bases (Greek) | | cactus | cacti (Latin) or cactuses (less common) | | corpus | corpora (Latin) | | crisis | crises (Greek) | | criterion | criteria (Greek) | | diagnosis | diagnoses (Greek) | | formula | formulae (Latin) or formulas | | fungus | fungi (Latin) or funguses | | hypothesis | hypotheses (Greek) | | kibbutz | kibbutzim (Hebrew) | | nucleus | nuclei (Latin) | | oasis | oases (Greek) | | phenomenon | phenomena (Greek) | | radius | radii (Latin) | | stimulus | stimuli (Latin) | | vertebra | vertebrae (Latin) |
Note that some foreign plurals (e.g. agenda, spaghetti) are singular in English (119.5).5plurals in 'sAn apostrophe (') can be used before the -s in the plurals of letters of the alphabet, and sometimes in the plurals of dates and abbreviations.She wrote 'necessary' with two c's.I loved the 1990's. (the 1990s is more common)PC's are getting cheaper. (PCs is more common)It is not correct to use -'s in other plurals, e.g. jean's.6compound nounsIn noun + adverb combinations, the plural -s is usually added to the noun.| Singular | Plural |
|---|
| passer-by | passers-by | | runner-up | runners-up |
The plural of mother-in-law and similar words is generally mothers-in-law, etc, but some people use mother-in-laws, etc. The plural of court martial (= military court or military trial) is either courts martial (more formal) or court martials (less formal).In noun + noun combinations, the first noun is usually singular in form even if the meaning is plural (e.g. shoe shop). There are some exceptions. (125.4).7plurals with no singular formsCattle is a plural word used to talk collectively about bulls, cows and calves; it has no singular, and cannot be used for counting individual animals (one cannot say, for instance, three cattle).At one time many cattle suffered from a disease called BSE. (not Much cattle suffered …)Police, staff and crew are generally used in the same way.The police are looking for a fair-haired man in his twenties. (not The police is looking …) or A police …The staff are on strike. but A member of staff said … (not A staff …)However, numbers are sometimes used before these three words (e.g. four staff, six crew).The expressions the British, the Dutch, the English, the French, the Irish, the Spanish and the Welsh (188.2) are also plural, with no singular forms.In 1581 the Dutch declared their independence from Spain. (BUT A Dutchman came into the shop. not A Dutch …)Trousers, jeans, pyjamas (AmE pajamas), pants, tights, shorts, scales, scissors, glasses, spectacles (meaning 'glasses'), goggles, binoculars, pliers, and the names of many similar objects that consist of two parts are plural, and have no singular forms. (The equivalent words in some other languages are singular.)Your jeans are too tight. (not Your jean is …)'Where are my glasses?''They're on your nose.'To talk about individual items, we can use a pair of (121.3).Have you got a pair of nail scissors?Other common words which are normally plural and don't have singular forms include:arms (= guns, etc), clothes (423), congratulations, contents, customs (at a frontier), earnings, funds (= money), goods, groceries, leftovers, lodgings, manners (= social behaviour), the Middle Ages (a period in history), oats (but corn, wheat, barley and rye are singular uncountable), odds (= chances), odds-and-ends, outskirts, premises (= building), proceeds, refreshments, regards, remains, savings, supplies, surroundings, thanks, troops, valuables, wages.Congratulations on your new job. (not Congratulation …)She lives on the outskirts of Cambridge. (not … the outskirt …)For cases where plural nouns are used with singular verbs and pronouns (and the opposite), 128–129.Previous Next |