Category of number of the noun
2. Category of Number of the Noun.
Regular – one.
Plural – more than one.
Regular Plurals:
1. Nouns ending in vowels & voiced consonants - -s(bee-bees, dog-dogs, [z])
2. Voiceless consonants - -s(book-books, [s])
3. –s,-sh,-ss,-ch,-x,-z - -es (actress-actresses, [iz])
4. –o: -es-hero-heroes. But:
-os:
after a vowel – bamboos, embryos, folios, kangaroos, radios, studios, zoos.
In proper names – Romeos, Eskimos, Filipinos.
In abbreviations - kilos, photos, pros(professional).
Also: pianos, concertos, dynamos, quartos, solos,tangos, tobaccos.
In other cases the spelling is -oes (tomatoes, echoes, Negroes, potatoes,
vetoes, torpedoes, embargoes)
–oes/-os : cargo(e)s, banjo(e)s, halo(e)s
5. Consonant+y - -ies (sky-skies). But:
-ys
After vowels, except nouns ending –quy(day-days, soliloquy-soliloquies)
In proper names: the two Germanys, the Kennedys, the Gatsbys
In compounds: stand-bys, lay-bys.
Penny: pence-the British currency(äåíåæíàÿ ñóììà), pennies-for individual
coins.
6. –f(e)
–ves: wife-wives, life-lives, leaf-leaves, knife-knives, wolf-wolves, calf-
calves, half-halves, loaf-loaves, self-selves, shelf-shelves.
–s: other nouns(proof-proofs, chief-chefs, safe-safes, cliff-cliffs, gulf-
gulfs, dwarf-dwarfs, reef-reefs, grief-griefs
–ves/-s: scarf-scarfs/scarves, dwarf-dwarfs/dwarves, hoof-hoofs/hooves.
7. –th - -ths (mouth-mouths)
8. in abbreviations - -s(M.P.-M.P.s) But: Ms(manuscript)-MSS, p.(page)-pp.,
Mr-
Irregular Plurals.
1. By vowel change (Man-men, woman-women, tooth-teeth, foot-feet, goose-
geese, mouse-mice, louse-lice).
2. –en (ox-oxen, child-children)
3. Identical
(sheep-sheep, swine-swine(ñâèíüÿ), deer-deer, grouse-grouse(êóðîïàòêà).
But: 2 variants: fish-fish/fishes, pike-pile/pikes, trout-trout(s), carp-
carp(s), salmon-salmon(s). The zero plural is more common to denote hunting
quarries. (We caught a few fish, five salmon); the regular plural –
different individuals, species.
Nationality nouns in –ese, -ss: Chinese, Swiss. And: Englishmen = the
English, Dutchmen = the Dutch.
Latin & French nouns: series-series(ðÿä, ñåðèÿ), species-species(âèä,
ïîðîäà, ðîä), corps [ko:]-corps[ko:z] (êîðïóñ, ðîä âîéñê).
Pair, couple, dozen, score(20), stone(6,35 kg), head (ïîãîëîâüå): 2 dozen
of children, dozens of children.
4.
Loans of Greek origin -(-is - -es: basis-bases, crisis-crises, analysis,
thesis, parenthesis, axis[âàë, îñü, øïåíäåëü], hypothesis, diagnosis; -on –
a: criterion – criteria, phenomenon, -a – ata: miasma-miasmata)
Loans of Latin origin (-us - -i, -ora, -era: stimulus-stimuli, nucleus-
nuclei[ÿäðî],radius-radii[òåëî], genus-genera[ðîä]; -a - -ae: formula-
formulae(formulas), antenna, vertebra[ïîçâîíîê]; -um - -a: datum-
data[äàííàÿ âåëè÷èíà], stratum-strata[îïèñêà], erratum-errata[îïå÷àòîê];
-es,-ix - -ices, -es: index-indices(indexes), appendix, matrix)
Other loan nouns (-ean - -eaux: tableau-tableaux, bureau; -o - -i: tempo-
tempi)
2 variants (memorandum –memoranda, memorandums, curriculum-curricula,
curriculums[êóðñ îáó÷åíèÿ], formula-formulae, formulas, cherub-
cherubim[õåðóâèì], cherubs, focus-foci, focuses)
Different meaning index-indexes-list of contents of books, indices-
ïîêàçàòåëü; genius-geniuses-men of talent, genii-äóõè, äîìîâûå)
Plural in compound nouns
1. The 2nd component takes the plural form as a rule (housewives, tooth-
brushes)
2. –ful – at the end of the word(handfuls, spoonfuls)
3. man & woman –the 1st components(men-servants, women-docters)
4. ending –man – men(policeman-policemn) But:Germans, Romans(not compounds)
5. prepositional noun phrase where the preposition is a linking element
only – the 1st noun takes the plural form(editors-in-chief-ãëàâíûé
ðåäàêòîð, mothers-in-law, commanders-in-chiefs-ãëàâíîêîìàíäóþùèé, coats-
of-mail-êîëü÷óãà, men-of-war-âîåííûé êîðàáëü)
6. compounds = conjunction as a linking element – the plural is taken by
the 2nd noun (gin-and-tonics)
7. compound=noun+preposition/adverb/adjective-the 1st element-
plural(passers-by, lookers-on-çðèòåëü, courts-material-âîåííî-ïîëåâîé
ñóä, attorneys-general-ìèíèñòð þñòèöèè)
8. when the compound is a substantivized phrase which doesn’t contain a
noun, the last element –plural(forget-me-nots-íåçàáóäêà, breakdowns-
ïîëîìêà, stand-bys-çàïàñíîé, grown-ups, close-ups-êðóïíûé ïëàí, pick-ups-
ñëó÷àéíûå çíàêîìñòâà, drop-outs-äåçåðòèð, go-betweens-ïîñðåäíèê)
Invariable nouns(can’t change their number)
Singular invariable nouns
1. Non-count
Material(tea, sugar) But:cheeses-kind of cheese
Abstract-music, anger
2. Proper nouns The Thames, Henry
3. Some ening-s
news(10 o’clock news), means-by this means(ýòèìè ñðåäñòâàìè),
Gallows(âèñåëèöà)
diseases(mumps-ñâèíêà, measles-êîðü, rickets-ðàõèò, shingles-êðàñíóõà)
games(billiards, bowls-ãîëüô, dominoes, draughts)
some proper nouns(Algiers, Athens, Brussels, Flanders, Marseilles, Naples,
Wales, The United Nations, the United States.
Nouns ending –ics(classics, phonetics)
Plural invariable nouns
1. Marked
Names of tools…consisting 2 equal parts(bellows-ìåõè, binoculars, breeches-
áðèäæè, braces-ôèãóðíûå ñêîáêè, flannels-ôëàíåëåâûå áðþêè, glasses, pants-
áðþêè, òðóñû, pincers-ùåïöû, pliers-ùèï÷èêè, ïëîñêîãóáöû, pyjamas, scales,
scissors, shorts, spectacles-î÷êè, suspenders-ïîäòÿæêè, tights-êîëãîòêè,
tongs-ùèïöû, trousers, tweezers-ïèíöåò)
Miscellaneous nouns(ñìåøàííûé) (annals, antics, archives, arms, ashes, the
Commons, contents, customs, customs-duty, customs-house, earnings, goods,
goods train, greens, holidays, manners, minutes, outskirts, quarters,
stairs, suds, surroundings, thanks, troops, wages, whereabouts, the Middle
Ages)
Some proper nouns (the East Indies, the West Indies, the Hibrides, the
Highlands, the Midlands, the Netherlands)
2. Unmarked(nouns of multitude & collective):
C: the family was large, m: the family were fond of their house.
Ways of showing partition
A piece of, a loaf of, a stick of, a bar of, a sheet of, lump, blade,
block, strip, grain, pile, heap, word, item, article, fit
2. Category of Case of the noun
Shows the relation of the noun with other words in the sentence
Common case-zero inflexion
Genitive case-apostrophe s(‘s)
1. Genitive
Pronunciation:
[z]-after vowels & voiced consonans-negro’s, dog’s
[s]-after voiceless consonants-student’s
[iz]-after sibilants(ñâèñòÿùèé)- prince’s, judge’s; Marx’s ideas
zero ending-girls’, boys’
with regular plural nouns(boys’)
greek nouns in –s(Socrates’ wife, Xerxes’(çåðêñèñ)
other names: 2 variants – Burns’ & Burns’s poems
Compound nouns-s joined to the final component(the editor-in chief’s
office)
Group genitive(when ‘s can be joined)
1. 2 persons possess or are related to smth they have in common(mom & dad’s
room, John & Mary’s car)
2. to a more extensive phrase which may even contain a clause(the Duke of
Norfolk’s sister, the secretary of state’s room, the man I saw
yesterday’s son)
3. to a noun(pronoun)+a pronoun group(someone else’s benefit)
4. to a group ending in a numeral(in an hour or two’s time)
The main meaning of the genitive case-possession, Possessive case, main
modifications:
1. the idea of belonging: John’s coat
2. Different kinds of relations:
Relation of the whole to its part(Jon’s leg)
Personal or social relations(John’s wife)
3. subjective relations(The doctor’s arrival, the Chekhov’s book)
4. authorship(Byron’s poem)
5. objective relations(John’s arrest-he was arrested)
6. measure(an hour’s trip, a mile’s distance)
‘s lost the meaning of possession (woman’s work, idiot’s smile, women’s
college, angel’s eyes)
The use of genitive case & its equivalent of-phrase
with nouns denoting persons & animals(John’s idea, swalow’s nest). With
other nouns-of+noun phrase
with nouns denoting time & distance(minute, moment, year & substantivized
adverbs - today)today’s papers-ñåãîäíÿøíèå, the papers of today-
ñåãîäíÿøíåãî äíÿ)
with the names of countries & towns(Britain’s national museum, Canada’s
population)
with the names of newspapers denoting different kinds of
organizations(company’s plan, Guardian’s analysis, Geographical Society’s
gold medal)
with the nouns world, nation, country, city, town(the nation’s health)
with the nouns ship, boat, car(ship’s crew)
with nouns denoting planets(sun, moon, earth)(this earth’s life)
set expressions: to one heart’s content(desire), at death’s door, at arm’s
length, out of harm’s way, a hair’s breadth, a needle’s eye, at a stone’s
throe, to move at a snail’s pace, at the water’s edge
The syntactical function of the genitive –attribute. It’s always used as a
premodifier & sometimes called the depend genitive.
The absolute genitive – when the genitive case is not followed by the
headword & when it stands for the whole noun phrase:
It is used:
to avoid repetition(our house is better than Mary’s(house))
after the preposition of(an old frend of my mother’s)
to denote shops(the grocer’s, the baker’s)
saints’ nameSt Paul’s(cathedral)
places of residence(at my uncle’s, at Timothy’s)
Double genitive
My mother’s father’s people
The boy’s half-hour’s run
