www.ENGLISH.345.czHOME | private-list | private-modify | © |Irregular Nouns -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SINGULAR PLURAL alumnus alumni analysis analyses antenna antennae/antennas appendix appendices axis axes bacterium bacteria basis bases beau beaux bureau bureaux/bureaus child children corpus corpora/corpuses crisis crises criterion criteria curriculum curricula datum data deer deer diagnosis diagnoses ellipsis ellipses fish fish focus foci/focuses foot feet formula formulae/formulas fungus fungi/funguses genus genera goose geese hypothesis hypotheses index indices/indexes louse lice man men matrix matrices means means medium media mouse mice nebula nebulae nucleus nuclei oasis oases ox oxen paralysis paralyses parenthesis parentheses phenomenon phenomena radius radii series series sheep sheep species species stimulus stimuli stratum strata synthesis syntheses synopsis synopses tableau tableaux thesis theses tooth teeth vertebra vertebrae vita vitae woman women http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/pluralsl.htm English Irregular Plural Nouns Contents: Why is English so hard? Regular Plural Forms Irregular Plurals Lists: Nouns that end in -f or -fe Nouns that change vowel sounds, and Old English forms Nouns that end in -o Nouns that do not change Foreign plural forms References Other Grammar Links Lists adapted and compiled by: Joanna Crump-- gs08jlc@panther.gsu.edu Graduate student, Department of Applied Linguistics/ESL Georgia State University January 27, 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular Plural Forms The majority of English count nouns are regular and predictable in the spelling of the plural form. Add -s to the end of the singular form or -es to those singulars that end in a sibilant sound (/s/, /z/, /ts/, /dz/). -s -es boy boys horse horses bed beds edge edges book books patch patches pencil pencils prize prizes day days box boxes However, if the singular ends with -y and the -y is not preceded by a vowel (or is not a proper name) the -y changes to -i and the plural is then -es. -y becomes -ies -y becomes -ys spy spies osprey ospreys poppy poppies bay bays penny pennies Germany Germanys Outside of this pattern, however, are several nouns which are irregular in their spelling. Below is a semi-comprehensive list compiled from various sources. Back to Table of Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irregular Plural Nouns - List One Some nouns that end in -f or -fe are changed to -ves in the plural: -f or -fe becomes -ves calf calves elf elves half halves hoof hooves knife knives leaf leaves life lives loaf loaves scarf scarfs/scarves self selves sheaf sheaves shelf shelves thief thieves wife wives wolf wolves Back to Table of Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irregular Plural Nouns - List Two Some nouns change the vowel sound in becoming plural: singular plural fireman firemen foot feet goose geese louse lice man men mouse mice tooth teeth woman women Some Old English plurals are still in use: singular plural child children ox oxen Back to Table of Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irregular Plural Nouns - List Three Some nouns ending in -o take -s as the plural, while others take -es. -o becomes -os -o becomes -oes auto autos echo echoes kangaroo kangaroos embargo embargoes kilo kilos hero heroes memo memos potato potatoes photo photos tomato tomatoes piano pianos torpedo torpedoes pimento pimentos veto vetoes pro pros solo solos soprano sopranos studio studios tattoo tattoos video videos zoo zoos Some nouns ending in -o take either -s or -es: singular plural buffalo buffalos/buffaloes cargo cargos/cargoes halo halos/haloes mosquito mosquitos/mosquitoes motto mottos/mottoes no nos/noes tornado tornados/tornadoes volcano volcanos/volcanoes zero zeros/zeroes Back to Table of Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irregular Plural Nouns - List Four Some nouns do not change at all: singular plural cod* cod* deer deer fish* fish* offspring offspring perch* perch* sheep sheep trout* trout* *Notice that these are names of fish. Many (but not all!) fish have irregular plural forms. Salmon, pike, halibut and tuna are further examples, but one shark becomes two sharks. These include nouns that are traditionally plural, but are also used for singular forms: singular plural barracks barracks crossroads crossroads dice/die dice gallows gallows headquarters headquarters means means series series species species Back to Table of Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irregular Plural Nouns - List Five Other nouns retain foreign plurals. Note that some of these have adapted a regular English plural form as well. singular foreign plural English plural in use alga algae amoeba amoebae amoebas antenna antennae antennas formula formulae formulas larva larvae nebula nebulae nebulas vertebra vertebrae Nouns ending in -us with plural -a (only in technical use): singular plural corpus corpora genus genera Nouns ending in -us with plural -i: singular foreign plural English plural in use alumnus alumni bacillus bacilli cactus cacti cactuses focus foci fungus fungi funguses nucleus nuclei octopus octopi octopuses radius radii stimulus stimuli syllabus syllabi syllabuses terminus termini Nouns ending in -um with plural -a: singular Foreign plural English plural in use addendum addenda bacterium bacteria curriculum curricula curriculums datum data erratum errata medium media memorandum memoranda memorandums ovum ova stratum strata symposium symposia symposiums Nouns ending in -ex, -ix becoming plural -ices: singular Foreign plural English plural in use apex apices apexes appendix appendices appendixes cervix cervices cervixes index indices indexes matrix matrices matrixes vortex vortices Nouns ending in -is becoming -es in plural: singular plural analysis analyses axis axes basis bases crisis crises diagnosis diagnoses emphasis emphases hypothesis hypotheses neurosis neuroses oasis oases parenthesis parentheses synopsis synopses thesis theses Nouns ending in -on becoming -a: singular plural criterion criteria phenomenon phenomena automaton automata Other irregular plurals, retained from different languages: singular plural Italian libretto libretti tempo tempi virtuoso virtuosi Hebrew cherub cherubim seraph seraphim Greek schema schemata http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/crump.htm#Regular%20Plural%20Forms Strange collections of animals As well as having special names for their homes or babies, some animals have special names given to them when they are together in groups. Here are just a few: A nest of adders A colony or army of ants A cete of badgers A colony of bats An army of caterpillars A flock of chickens A clutch or peep of chicks A bed of clams A murder of crows A herd of deer A covey of doves A raft of ducks A gang of elk A business of ferrets A school of fish A gaggle of geese (on the ground) A skein of geese (in flight) A cloud of gnats A band of gorillas An array of hedgehogs A brood of hens A charm of hummingbirds A party of jays A mob of kangaroos An exaltation of larks A leap of leopards An infestation of lice A pride of lions A plague of locusts A mischief of mice A troop of monkeys A swarm of mosquito A parliament or study of owls A drive of oxen A bed of oysters A pandemonium of parrots An ostentation of peacocks A rookery of penguins A prickle of porcupines A town of Prairie dogs A litter of pups A conspiracy of ravens A crash of rhinoceroses A flight of seagulls A school or shiver of sharks A flock of sheep A wisp of snipe A gang of weasel A pod of whales A pack of wolves A herd or crossing of zebra http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/educate/kids/groups.htm |
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