3. The category of number
English countable nouns have two numbers: the singular and the plural.
2. If the noun ends in -s, -ss, -x, -z, -sh, -ch, -tch, -o the plural is formed by adding -es [Zz], [ij after -o |
buses, glasses, boxes, brushes, benches, matches, cargoes, potatoes |
But: pianos, photos, cuckoos, videos, zoos |
3. There are seven nouns which form the plural by changing the root vowel |
man - men woman - women ['woman] - ['wimin] foot - feet tooth - teeth goose - geese mouse - mice louse - lice |
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4. There are two nouns which form the plural in -en |
ox - oxen child - children |
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5. In some nouns the plural form does not differ from the sinqular |
deer, sheep, swine, fish, trout, dozen, score, aircraft, salmon |
But: Pack the books in dozens; scores of people. |
6. Some words borrowed from Latin or Greek keep their Latin or Greek plural forms |
In the technical languages of science: phenomenon - phenomena datum - data crisis - crises stimulus - stimuli formula - formulae index - indices antenna - antennae |
In fiction and colloquial English some of these nouns have acquired English plural forms: memorandums, formulas, indexes, terminuses. |
7. In compound nouns the plural is formed in different ways: a) adding -s to the head-word b) the final element takes the plural form c) if the compound begins with the words man/woman both words are plural d) if there is no noun-stem in the compound -s is added to the last element |
a) editors-in-chief brothers-in-law lookers-on b) lady-birds, hotel-keepers housewives postmen c) men-servants women-doctors d) forget-me-nots merry-go-rounds |
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there
are,
however,
many
peculiarities
1. Nouns consisting of two or more parts are used only in the plural (as in Russian). They are:
trousers □ Your trousers are too long.
spectacles □ Where are my spectacles?
scissors □ These scissors are sharp,
scales tongs
2. Remember the nouns which are used in the plural in English whereas they are singular in Russian:
wages □ His wages are high.
contents □ The contents have not been changed.
3. There are nouns which are used in the singular in Russian, but they are plural in English.
clothes □ His clothes were wet as he had been caught in the rain,
arms
stairs □ The stairs are steep,
riches
goods □ The goods have arrived from France.
potatoes □ Potatoes are very cheap in autumn.
onions □ Spanish onions are sweet.
carrots □ Carrots are very healthy,
oats
But: a potato (one) an onion a carrot
4. The noun vacation is used only in the singular in English (it is plural in Russian).
□ Our summer vacation lasts 2 months. But: We have two vacations a year.
5. In English the nouns gate, sledge, watch, clock are used both in the singular and in the plural (in Russian they are only plural):
The gate is open.
All the gates were closed.
My watch (clock) is slow.
He has two watches (clocks).
EXERCISES
Ex. 1. (A) Write the plurals of these nouns in the columns below to show their pronunciation.
Shop, glass, friend, bottle, cinema, clock, guitar, hotel, island, lake, light, month, office, park, piece, smile, space, tape, village, box, match, beach, address.
[s] [z] [iz]
1. snop 7. friend 13. glasses
8. 14.
9. 15.
10. 16.
11. 17.
12. 18.
Ex. 2. (A, B) Give the plural of the following nouns. A
Toe, city, hero, piano, calf, cliff, proof, chief, stitch, bath, belief, life, shelf, berry, valley, roof, pen, window, wall, week, clock, ship, library, watch, dress, country, glass, day, party, play, bus, leaf, life, colony, fox, half, mass, eye, language, place, key, thief, ray, bush, mouth, journey;
В
foot, boot, ox, fox, man, woman, month, mouse, child, ship, goose, deer, cheese, sheep; С
crisis, phenomenon, datum, nucleus, basis, apparatus, criterion, series, analysis, formula; D
room-mate, fellow-worker, court-martial, man-of-war, boy-messenger, onlooker, passer-by, sister-in-law, postman, son-in-law, fisherman, schoolgirl, text-book, pocket-knife, statesman, editor-in-chief.
Ex. 3. (B) Change the number of the noun in italic type where possible and make all other necessary changes.
I
1. Put the box on the shell. 2.1 was presented with a dozen handkerchiefs. 3. The boy must have two teeth pulled out. 4. The hunter got a prize for killing the woli that had caused much damage to the village flock. 5. The child was bitterly crying over the broken toy. 6. He showed me a photo of his country house. 7. The scout brought some valuable information. 8.1 bought a pair of nylon gloves. 9.1 saw a mouse in the kitchen. 10. The ox drove a cart of hay. 11. A very strange phenomenon was observed by astronomers yesterday. 12. Her hair was soft and curly.
II
1. Boy drove the sheep to the village. 2.1 have hurt my foot. 3. This is a lady-bird. 4. Where is the knife? 5. This factory has a good laboratory. 6. The last leal fell from the tree. 7. This story is very long. 8. The speech was very interesting. 9. He left the key on the table. 10. Where is the brush? 11.1 like his new play. 12. The root of the noivse was covered with snow. 13. The wife of the sailor stood on the shore. 14. My aunt has a goose.
Ill
1. The mice live behind the stove. 2. The keys to the boxes were lost. 3. The wolves have been shot. 4. The f/'sn were caught. 5. We have good postmen in our area. 6. The cargoes will be discharged tomorrow.
Ex. 4. (B) Supply the missing words.
1. The stairs worn by thousands of visitors. 2. Where the scissors? -
are in the first drawer on the left. 3.The scales broken. 4. How
much did you pay for trousers? - were very expensive! 5. If your clothes
dirty, please put them in the laundry basket. 6. His old grandfather's watch
made of gold. 7. All their belongings been destroyed in a fire. 8. My earnings (not)
high, but at least they regular. 9. These shorts fit me at all!
Ex. 5. (B) Use the appropriate form of the verb.
1. "There money in my pocket," I said to the porter (is, are). 2.1 know my hair
beautiful, everybody says so (is, are). 3. These white swine not live (does, do).
4. ... this watch a special favourite with Mr Pickwick, having been carried about...
for a greater number of years than we feel called upon to state, at present (was, were).
5. The deer ravaging the man's fields (was, were). 6. Money so scarce that it
could fairly be said not to exist at all (was, were). 7. I was here before the gates
opened, but I was afraid to come straight to you (was, were). 8. The papers dull, the
news local and stale, and the war news all old (was, were). 9. At Capracotta, he
had told me, there trout in the stream below the town (was, were). 10. Her hair
loose and half-falling, and she wore a nurse's dress (was, were). 11. The nurse's wages good (was, were).
Ex. 6. (В, C) Translate into English.
A
1. Эта лестница ведет к морю. 2. Он дал мне хороший совет 3. Все сведения были очень важные. 4. Мы получили такие же сведения. 5. Эти деньги не мои. 6. У меня было мало денег. Я не мог позволить себе покупать такие дорогие вещи. 7. Его познания в математике поразили нас. 8. Ваших знаний недостаточно, чтобы сдать экзамен. 9. Какая интересная работа! 10. Какие вы нам принесли новости? 11. Эти новости уже всем известны.
В
1. Я купил эти часы в Лондоне. Они очень хорошие. 2. Ваши часы спешат. 3. Я не мог войти в сад, так как ворота были закрыты. 4. Сани стоят у ворот. 5. Экспорт этого товара значительно увеличился.
с
1. Какие из этих овец будут посланы на выставку? 2. Этот груз прибыл на прошлой неделе. 3. Его одежда совсем новая. 4. Там было очень мало людей. 5. Картофель очень хороший в этом году. 6. Морковь очень дешевая осенью. 7. Фрукты в нашем саду уже созрели. 8. Его заработная плата очень высокая. 9. Содержание его письма было совсем неожиданным. 10. Франция славится своими винами.
D
1. В аквариуме пять рыбок. Одна рыбка золотая. 2. Эти новости очень интересные. 3. Кому принадлежат деньги? - Я не знаю, кому они принадлежат. 4. Фермеры довольны. Они вырастили много свиней и овец. 5. Ваши деньги на столе. Возьмите их. 6. Наши зимние каникулы кончаются 6-го февраля. 7. Вы получили эти сведения несколько дней тому назад. 8. Ваши советы мне очень помогли. 9. Витрина привлекала внимание всех прохожих.