Nouns (number)
Nouns (number) 2
The English number system
Singular
Plural (>1)
one and a half years
one half year
BUT: a year and a half, a year or two, more than one year
Plus: dual number, i.e.: reference to two
e.g.: both, neither, either
Nouns (number) 3
noun classes
invariable nouns
singular (e.g.: news, milk)
plural (e.g.: people, cattle)
variable
regular (e.g.: cat ~ cats)
irregular (e.g.: shelf ~ shelves)
Nouns (number) 4
singular invariable nouns
proper nouns (some, but not all) e.g.: John, the Thames
noncount nouns (i.e. uncountable/mass Ns) concrete noncount Ns
e.g.: butter, beer
BUT: butters ['kinds/types of butter']
abstract noncount Ns
e.g.: music, advice
reclassiffication (noncount as count) also possible
abstract adjective heads (abstract reference) e.g.: the unknown, the (very) best
Nouns (number) 5
singular invariable nouns
Ns ending in -s the word news
Ns ending in -ics,
e.g.: mathematics, linguistics
BUT: ‘Mathematics is easy.’ vs. ‘His mathematics are weak.’ (knowledge/science vs. practical application)
diseases ending in –s
e.g.: measles, mumps, rickets, shingles
names of some games
e.g.: darts, billiards
Nouns (number) 6
plural invariable nouns
proper nouns
e.g.: the West Indies, the Alps
summation plurals tools, instruments
e.g.: scissors, binoculars
dress articles
e.g.: jeans, trunks
Number consrast: pair of, pairs of
‘Are they expensive?’ vs. ‘Is it expensive?’
pluralia tantum ending in -s
plural: sense distinct from singular (if singular exists at all)
e.g.: arms, goods, surroundings
Nouns (number) 7
plural invariable nouns
unmarked plurals people
synonym: persons;
when used to mean ‘nation’ → a regular count N, but with plural concord
e.g.: They are a great people.
folk
police
cattle, poultry (when used as collective N), livestock, vermin
personal adjective heads e.g.: the youth, the poor, the unprivileged
Nouns (number) 8
nouns with regular plural
pronunciation: /z/, /iz/, /s/
spelling is usually -s (added to the base form), but Ns without silent -e ending: -es after -s (gases), -ch (churches), -
sh (bushes), -x (boxes), -z (buzzes)
Ns ending in -o preceded by
a vowel: -os (studios)
a consonant: usually -os (pianos, solos)
Ns ending in -o: -oes (embargoes, potatoes, tomatoes)
Ns (except for proper nouns) ending in -y preceded by
a consonant (OR when ending is -quy): change from -y to -i + -es
a vowel: no change (day ~ days)
duplication of final consonant in some cases (quiz ~ quizzes)
apostrophe +s in case of unusal nouns (two PhD’s)
Nouns (number) 9
nouns with irregular plural
voicing and -s plural -f ~ -ves (e.g.: half ~ halves, shelf ~ shelves)
BUT with regular plural: belief, chief, cliff, proof, roof, safe
mutation
(e.g.: foot ~ feet, louse ~ lice, woman ~ women)
-en plural brother ~ brethren
child ~ children
ox ~ oxen
Nouns (number) 10
irregular plural nouns: Ns with zero plural
nouns with zero plural
animal names
some animal names have zero plural; especially used by people dealing with animals
e.g.: fish (He didn’t catch many fish.), duck, sheep, deer, cod
nationality nouns
e.g.: Japanese, Chinese, Portugese, Swiss
in addition: Apache(s), Bantu(s), Eskimo(s), etc.
Nouns (number) 11
irregular plural nouns: Ns with zero plural
quantitative nouns
dozen, hundred, thousand, million zero plural when premodified by another quantitative word
e.g.: three thousand people, They need three thousand.
(regular) plural used when of-phrase follows
e.g.: (several) thousands of people
million can occur with -s when no noun head follows
e.g.: They need three million(s).
pound weight sense: can have zero plural when numeral follows
e.g.: three pound(s) fifty, three pounds
Nouns (number) 12
irregular plural nouns: Ns with zero plural
foot in front of Ns: foot
e.g.: a three-foot rod
when large measurement, zero plural (foot) or irregular plural (feet) with the words high, long, tall
with the word inches (but high, long, tall, etc. not present): feet
e.g.: three feet four inches
when the word inches and words like high, long, tall, etc. are not present: foot.
e.g.: three foot four
Nouns (number) 13
irregular plural nouns: Ns with zero plural
other quantitative nouns with zero plural
head (=1)
e.g.: 400 head of cattle
score (=20)
e.g.: four score and ten years ago
BUT: scores (and scores) of people
Nouns (number) 14
irregular plural nouns: Ns with zero plural
Ns with equivocal number:
Can be treated as singular or plural
e.g.: barracks, craft (also with compounds)
({This barracks is / These barracks are} new.)
Nouns (number) 15
irregular plural nouns: foreign plurals
foreign plurals
Latin -us ~ -i
e.g.: stimulus ~ stimuli
BUT: corpus ~ corpora, genus ~ genera,
regular plurals: apparatus, bonus, campus, virus, etc.
both regular and foreign plural (-us ~ -i): focus, syllabus, etc.
-a ~ -ae
e.g.: alga ~ algae, larva ~ larvae
BUT: regular plurals: area, diploma, etc.
both plurals: antenna, formula, etc.
Nouns (number) 16
irregular plural nouns: foreign plurals
-um ~ -a
e.g.: bacterium ~ bacteria
BUT: regular plural: musem, album
both plurals: curriculum, referendum, etc.
-ex, -ix ~ -ices
e.g.: index ~ indices, appendix ~ appendices, codex ~ codicies
BUT: both plurals: index (book parts), appendix (body parts), matrix
Nouns (number) 17
irregular plural nouns: foreign plurals
Greek
-is ~ -es
e.g.: analysis ~ analyses, basis ~ bases, thesis ~ theses
BUT regular plural: metropolis
-on ~ -a
e.g.: criterion ~ criteria, phenomenon ~ phenomena
BUT regular plurals: proton, neutron, electron
Nouns (number) 18
irregular plural nouns: foreign plurals
French
e.g.: bureau ~ bureaux / bureaus, adieu ~ adieux / adieus
Italian
-o ~ -i
e.g.: tempo ~ tempi
BUT regular plural: solo, etc.
Hebrew
-im
e.g.: kibbutz ~ kibbutzim / kibbutzes
BUT regular plural: cherub, serpah
Nouns (number) 19
compound nouns
generally, the last element is pluralized
e.g.: babysitter ~ babysitters, take-off ~ take-offs
the first element is pluralized when compound contains a
postmodifier or a particle e.g.: grant-in-aid ~ grants-in-aid, man-of-war ~ men-of-war
both elements pluralized in case of appositional
compounds e.g.: woman doctor ~ women doctors, manservant ~ menservants
Nouns (number) 20
collective nouns
either singular or plural, without change of form
singular: focuses on the whole as one
plural: emphasizes the individuals/members
e.g.: audience, committe, family, team
usually in the singular with the definite article:
the aristocracy, the clergy, the elite, etc.
Nouns (number) 21
plural attributive nouns
Ns plural in postmodification are singular in premodification
e.g.: a chair with arms ~ an armchair
hyphenation before singular in expressions related to age, time, weight, size
e.g.: a ten-year-old child
quantitaive expressions: variabilty
e.g.: a ten day absence, a ten-day absence, a ten days absence, a ten days’ absence
singular element that is normally plural
e.g.: a sharpener of scissors ~ scissor sharpener
Nouns (number) 22
plural attributive nouns
BUT: institutionalization of plural forms
frequent constructions as careers guidance, a grants
commetee, a new systems analyst
exlusive plurals (semantic distinction)
carreer girl vs. carreers girl
head noun: collective N or name of institution
stress on premodifying plural
courses committee, parks department, examinations board, etc.
pluralia tantum: no singular form
e.g.: customs officer, goods train
Nouns (number) 23
plural attributive nouns
plural denoting variety
generic terms: plural
specific terms: singular
soft drinks manufacturer vs. car manufacturer
temporary institutionalization
headlines: use of plurals instead of of-construcions
e.g.: tapes issue, levels idea