Singular and plural nouns: page 2 - English Grammar Step by Step

Change the singular words given in the exercises below into plural. 13 Examples: (Latin-origin nouns) alumnus→alumni ¹⁰ bacillus→bacilli cactus→cacti/cactuses (The Latin language took it from Greek.) crocus→croci/crocuses focus→foci/focuses fungus→fungi/funguses hippocampus→hippocampi hippopotamus→hippopotami/hippopotamuses locus→loci nucleus→nuclei octopus→octopi/octopuses/octopodes (Greek origin) radius→radii/radiuses stimulus→stimuli syllabus→syllabi/syllabuses thesaurus→thesauri/thesauruses (The Latin language took it from Greek.) terminus→termini/terminuses a nucleus b octopus c radius d syllabus e terminus 14 Examples: (Latin-origin nouns ¹¹) alga→algae ¹² alumna→alumnae antenna→antennae (part of an insect), antennas (of a radio) formula→formulae/formulas lacuna→lacunae/lacunas larva→larvae nebula→nebulae/nebulas persona→personae/personas pupa→pupae/pupas vertebra→vertebrae/vertebras vulva→vulvae/vulvas vagina→vaginae/vaginas a nebula b antenna c alga d formula e larva 15 Revision exercise. a six b torpedo c crocus d loaf e knapsack f fife g trigger h double dealer i bookcase j sofa k boxing ring l beetle m feline n view o puppy p stimulus q bypass r impediment s analysis t lady u day v tile w focus x goose y nanny z electricity meter 16 Examples: (Latin-origin nouns) addendum→addenda ¹³ aquarium→aquaria/aquariums corrigendum→corrigenda curriculum→curricula/curriculums datum ¹⁴→data erratum→errata fulcrum→fulcra/fulcrums medium→media/mediums memorandum→memoranda/memorandums millennium→millenia/millenniums ovum→ova scrotum→scrota/scrotums spectrum→spectra/spectrums stadium→stadia/stadiums stratum→strata/stratums a memorandum b erratum c addendum d datum e stratum 17 Revision exercise. a sailor b turban c doll d season e porch f radio g family h bush i solo j brooch k pea l saucepan m piano n studio o flamingo p quota q alumna r crab s aquarium t motto u ovum v toy w corpus x chain y zoo z reveller 18 Example: (Greek-origin substantives) criterion→criteria¹⁵ a ganglion ¹⁶ b automaton c phenomenon d demon e proton 19 Examples: (French-origin nouns) chateau (or château)→chateaux/chateaus adieu→adieux/adieus a bureau b plateau c trousseau d portmanteau e gâteau 20 Revision exercise. a nappy b sex c parenthesis d half e lacuna f mischief g stadium h tableau i vignette j wheelchair k spoonful l curriculum m hole n branch o alibi p deity q valley r codex s peach t means u trout v neurosis w album x millennium y tusk z pumpkin 21 Examples: (plural words ¹⁷) advances alms amends annals the Antipodes archives arms arrears ashes auspieces banns bellows binoculars bowels braces brains breeches callipers cattle clothes contents crow’s feet customs damages dividers dregs dungarees earnings entrails fireworks flannels funds genitals, genitalia glasses goggles goings-on goods greens grounds guts handcuffs hindquarters holidays jeans jodhpurs knickers leads leggings listings lists lodgings looks makings manners the Middle Ages minutes noes odds outskirts pains pan-pipes panties pants particulars parts pincers pliers police possessions premises proceeds pyjamas quarters regards reinforcements reins remains riches road works roots savings scales scissors shears shorts spectacles spirits stairs stalls statistics suds surroundings suspenders takings terms thanks tights togs toilitries toils tongs travels trousers trunks tweezers underpants valuables values vermin wares the wings winnings a binoculars b clothes c fireworks d spectacles e police 22 Examples: a German→two Germans a Portuguese→two Portuguese a Swiss→two Swiss an Englishman→two Englishmen an Englishwoman→two Englishwomen a Japanese b American c Chinese d Australian e Irishman 23 Revision exercise. a bacillus b campus c splash d monkey e pony f Dutchwoman g spectrum h vermin i Nepalese j cell k rope l witness m bulldozer n pepper pot o letter box p handful q veto r paradox s Russian t locus u ostrich v lighthouse w fungus x series y elf z hippopotamus ____________________ ¹⁰ But bonus→bonuses, campus→campuses, chorus→choruses (the Lating language took it from Greek), circus→circuses, genius→geniuses, since they have completely adapted. Notice also corpus→corpora/corpuses; genus→genera. ¹¹ Some words have only regular plurals because they have adapted totally: area→areas, quota→quotas. Panorama→ panoramas and idea→ideas come from Greek. Others have the Latin form only: alumna→alumnae. ¹² The singular form is seldom used in modern English. The plural form algae occurs in scientific contexts, and is sometimes treated as an uncountable noun. In spoken English, weed or seaweed replaces algae. ¹³ But we say album→albums, ie this word is entirely adapted to the English language. As for asylum→asylums, bacterium→ bacteria, gymnasium→gymnasiums/gymnasia, museum→museums and stadium→stadiums/stadia, the English language took them from Latin; and the Latin one, from Greek. As a general rule, we use irregular plurals when the meaning is specialized, and regular ones when it is not. Note also candelabrum/ candelabra→candelabra/candelabras. ¹⁴ Its plural form is sometimes treated as an uncountable noun. The singular form ‘datum’ is not used in modern English. ¹⁵ But demon→demons, electron→electrons, neutron→neutrons (Latin origin), proton→protons, as they have already adapted to the English language. ¹⁶ ‘Ganglions’, ‘automatons’ and ‘phenomenons’ are also possible. ¹⁷ Some words have the appearance of a plural word, but they are uncountable: darts, linguistics, mathematics, measles, news, and so on and so forth. In general, collective nouns may be treated as singular words or as plural words: The team is/are playing very well tonight. Phrases referring to distances, liquids, money and time are often considered singular: Two litres of petrol isn’t enough. There are also some expressions which are regarded as one unit. They are therefore singular: Bacon and eggs is her favourite breakfast. The United States of America is a very interesting country to visit. Niagara Falls is on the border between North America and Canada.

   Contents
   Introduction
   Notes
1  Negative and interrogative sentences (Page 2 and the key)
2  Short answers (Page 2 and the key)
3  Question tags (Page 2 and the key)
4  Questions and exclamations (Page 2 and the key)
5  So, neither, nor, either (the key)
6  Be, used to, would, be/get/become used to, dare, have, get, become, grow, go, turn, fall and feel (Page 2 and the key)
7  Verb tenses: forms (Page 2 and the key)
8  Irregular verbs
9  Verb tenses: uses (Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5 and the key)
10 Personal pronouns, possessives and reflexive pronouns (Page 2 and the key)
11 The genitive case (the key)
12 Singular and plural nouns (Page 2 and the key)
13 Gender (the key)
14 A, an, some, any, no, not, none, each, every and the; compounds of some, any, no and every (Page 2, Page 3 and the key)
15 Neither, not...either, none, not...any, both and all (the key)
16 A few, few, a lot, lots, a little, little, many, much, no and plenty (the key)
17 Enough, too, so and such (the key)
18 Comparative and superlative sentences (Page 2 and the key)
19 Adjective order (the key)
20 Relative clauses (Page 2 and the key)
21 Do and make (the key)
22 Modal verbs (Page 2, Page 3 and the key)
23 Infinitives, gerunds and present participles (Page 2 and the key)
24 Conditional sentences (Page 2 and the key)
25 Passive sentences (the key)
26 Reported speech (Page 2 and the key)
27 Purpose (the key)
28 Word order (the key)
29 Inversion (the key)
30 Connectors (Page 2 and the key)
31 Prepositions (Page 2, Page 3 and the key)
32 Phrasal verbs (the key)