4. REGULAR AND IRREGULAR PLURAL NOUNS
REGULAR PLURAL NOUNS
• Regular nouns are predictable, taking an -s suffix to form the plural
IRREGULAR PLURAL NOUNS
• An irregular plural noun is an irregular noun in the plural form. An
irregular noun is a noun that becomes plural by changing it’s spelling in
other ways than adding an “s” or “es” to the end of the word. This
change can happen in a variety of ways.
5. To form the plural of most nouns in English, simply add the suffix -s to the end of the noun.
For example, the following list includes the singular and plural forms of some common
English nouns :
> Book – books
> Boy– boys
> Table – tables
> Girls– girls
For nouns that end in an -s, -z, -x, -ch, or -sh, add the suffix -es to the end of the noun. For
example:
> Bush – bushes
> Hex – hexes
> Match – matches
> Coach – coaches
Examples of Regural Plural Nouns
6. Examples of Irregural Plural Nouns
Words that end in “f ” are a good example of this case. To make such a word plural, you
change the “f ” to “ve” and add an “s.”
> More than one knife = knives > More than one wolf = wolve
Irregular nouns made plural by changing vowels, changing the word, or adding a different
ending:
> More than one person = people > More than one child = children
Some irregular plural nouns have the same spelling as their singular form such as scissors, pants,
bison, deer, and sheep. And then some animal nouns become plural by keeping the same spelling as
the singular form or by adding an s or es.
> More than one fish = fish or fishes > More than one shrimp = shrimp or shrimps
8. Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns are
used to show that
something belongs to a
person, place, thing, or
idea.
To make a singular noun possessive, add an apostrophe and an “s” to the
end. Do this even if the noun already ends with an “s”.
+ The classroom belongs to Mr. Gonzales Mr. Gonzales’s classroom
+ The book belongs to Jeff Jeff’s book
To make a plural noun that ends in “s” possessive, add an apostrophe to
the end.
+ The restroom belongs to the girls The girls’ restroom
+ The flavor belongs to the beans The beans’ flavor
To make an irregular plural noun that does not end in “s” possessive,
add an apostrophe and an “s” to the end.
+ The toys belong to the children The children’s toys
+ The food belongs to the geese The geese’s food
10. WHAT IS A COUNT NOUN?
• Count nouns refer to things that can be divided up into smaller units which
are separate and distinct from one another. They usually refer to what can
individually be seen or heard:
SINGULAR PLURAL
Desk Desk
Parent Parents
Computer Computers
Bridge Bridges
11. WHAT IS A NON-COUNT NOUNS?
• Noncount nouns refer to things that cannot be counted
because 1) they are regarded as wholes which cannot be
divided into parts: furniture, education, weather, or they
refer to abstractions and occasionally have a collective
meaning: anger, warmth, leisure, courage.
14. MUCH, MANY, LOTS OF and A LOT OF are expressions of quantity that indicate a large number or amount.
LITTLE and FEW indicate a small number or amount of something.
MUCH AND MANY
MUCH is used with uncountable nouns in negative sentences and questions.
MANY is used with countable nouns in negative sentences and questions.
+ I don't drink much alcohol.
+ Were there many people at the party?
+ You didn't eat much last night.
However, we usually use TOO MUCH / SO MUCH / TOO MANY / SO MANY in
affirmative sentences.
+ She spends too much money.
+ There are so many cars that it's impossible to park.
15. LITTLE AND FEW
LITTLE is used with uncountable nouns in affirmative sentences.
FEW is used with countable nouns in affirmative sentences.
LITTLE and FEW (without “a") have a negative meaning and are equivalent to not much / not many.
+ There were few people in class yesterday. = There weren’t many people in class yesterday.
+ I have little patience with people who don't listen.
We often say VERY LITTLE, VERY FEW, ONLY A LITTLE and ONLY A FEW.
+ There were very few students / only a few students in class yesterday. = There weren't many students.
+ I've got very little work to do today. / I've got only a little work to do today. = I haven't got much work to do today.
A LITTLE (=some, a small amount) and A FEW (=some, a small number) have a more positive meaning.
+ There's a little wine left. Would you like another glass? (There's enough wine for you to have some more.)
+ There are a few new books in the library. Why don't you take one home to read?
16. A LOT (OF) AND LOTS (OF)
LOTS OF and A LOT OF are used with both countable and uncountable nouns in
affirmative sentences.
+ I have a lot of friends who would disagree with you.
+ This recipe requires lots of sugar and chocolate.
+ (How many glasses of wine did you drink?) Lots. / A lot.
+ They go out a lot