NUMBER, TYPES, RULES & EXAMPLES

In grammar, the number refers to the count of a noun or pronoun.
Example:   Boy-boys, wife-wives, my-our, ox-oxen, it-they, etc.

Types of Number:

Two types exist

SINGULAR NUMBER

It refers to the count of only one of a noun or pronoun.

Example: pen, table, aunt, father, goose, etc.

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

Example:

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

Example:

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.

Example:

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.

Example
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.

Example:

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.

Example:

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.

Example

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”.

Example:

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.

Example:

Singular	Plural
Man	Men
Woman	Women
Foot	Feet
Mouse	Mice
Tooth	Teeth

Rule 6:

Some require en, ren and ne to add at last.

Example:

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”.

Example:

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.

Example:

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.

Example:

Singular	Plural
Brother-in-law	Brothers-in-law
Passers-by	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.

Example:

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.

Example:

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.

Example:

Furniture

Scenery

Issue

Bread

expenditure

Rule 9:

Adversely, some are always used as a plural form.

Example:

Mumps

Scissors

Trousers

Spectacles

Assets

Rule 10:

Though some nouns seem like singular, but actually they are plural.

Example:

Government

Peasantry

People

Cattle

Mankind

Rule 11:

Similarly, some nouns seem like plural though they are singular.

Example:

Physics

Politics

Ethics

News

Wages

Rule 12:

Some have the same singular and plural form.

Example:

Deer

Sheep

Species

Corps

Canon

Rule 12:

In case of letters, numbers and other symbols, it takes an apostrophe and s to change it.

Example:

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