Singular and Plural Nouns

For Intermediate learners

Singular nouns refer to one item, while plural nouns indicate more than one. Understanding the difference helps form correct sentences and observe agreement.

"Singular and Plural Nouns" in English Grammar

What Are Singular and Plural Nouns?

In English, we use different forms of nouns to refer to one or more things. They are categorized as listed below:

Singular Nouns
Plural Nouns

Singular Nouns

When referring to a single item or person, we use a singular noun, which can be used with either an indefinite article or a definite article. Look at the following examples:

She gave me a single black rose the other day.

As you can see, the sentence is about one item.

Julie wanted to wear a t-shirt.

Plural Nouns

When referring to two or more objects, things, or people, plural nouns are used. However, regular and irregular nouns have different ways of forming their plural forms.

Regular Nouns

Regular nouns typically form their plural by adding "-s" to the end of the word.

She reads 3 books every week.

When a noun ends in "-y", the plural form is created by replacing the "-y" with "-ies".

He took care of the babies himself.

When a singular noun ends in "-s", "-ch", "-sh", "-x", or "-o", the plural form is typically created by adding "-es" to the end of the word.

The tomatoes are on the table.

Please note that not all nouns with '-o' at the end will become plural like this.

Irregular Nouns

Some nouns have irregular plural forms and undergo significant changes. Let's explore a few examples:

Shape-Shifters

Certain English nouns undergo significant changes when they become plural and can be memorized from a dictionary. Take a look at the table below:

Singular Noun	Plural Noun
Man	Men
Mouse	Mice
Woman	Women
Person	People
Foot	Feet
Child	Children

Unchanged Nouns

Some nouns have the same form in both singular and plural, with no change in spelling. Take a look at the examples below:

There is too many fish here.

As you can see, the sentence is about a large number of fish but the noun is singular.

Do you like to see sheep on the way?

Warning!

It's important to note that when using a singular noun as subject, the verb should also be in singular form. Similarly, when the subject is a plural noun, the verb should be changed to its plural form accordingly.

The children are at the park.

( Not the children is ...)

The cat eats meat every day.

( Not the cat ~~eat~~ meat... )

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- Singular Nouns
- Regular Nouns
  Irregular Nouns
  Shape-Shifters
  Unchanged Nouns

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