2. Grammatical category of number

From a logical point of view the distinction is between one and more than one. The corresponding of grammatical distinctions are the singular and the plural (a table - tables).

Some linguists say that the essential meaning of category of number is that of quantity. The plural, according to them, denotes something consisting of distinguishable parts (spectacles, scissors, trousers, etc.). These nouns do indicate discrete things consisting of two parts, but we are hardly justified in referring them to the plural number because they have no singular counterparts, and the plural and the singular are correlative notions (when there is no singular, we can't speak about the plural form, and vise versa).

So, the generalized grammatical meaning of number is that of quantity. In Modern English it is represented by the opposition oneness (singular) and 'more than oneness' (plural).

At first sight it may seem that the difference between the singular and the plural is not grammatical, but lexical. Since 'table' singular and 'tables' plural denotes different objects of reality (Fortunatov).

However, we know that the meaning of a word can't be identified with the thing it is used to denote. Besides, we should not disregard the fact that the idea of plurality usually has constant grammatical forms of its expression. In English it is the inflection -s, -es (a lamp - lamps, a box - boxes). We can only speak of more than one, i.e. of the plural in regard to things which without being identical, belong to the same kind. Plurality, thus, presupposes difference, but if the difference is too great, it is impossible to use words like 'two' or 'three' (a musical sound is not two).

Some linguists single out two other types of the plural: lexicalized plural and the plural of approximation. The so-called lexicalized plural either introduces new shades of meaning into the singular,

E.g. Tragedy is lack of experience - Трагедии происходят из-за недостатка опыта.

He has had many odd experiences - Он обладал различными знаниями.

Or comes to render a total different meaning,

e.g. colour (цвет) - colours (флаг)

The form of lexicalized plural is identical with that of grammatical plural (-es), but the meaning of lexicalized meaning is always different from the corresponding singular hands. It should be excluded from the grammatical category of number, for the components of the grammatical category of number should be lexically identical.

The plural of approximation is also close to lexical forms, for like the grammatical plural, it ends in -s and denotes several objects, and the latter do not belong to the same kind,

E.g. There are many things people remember about the 60s (where '60s' doesn't mean one 60 to another 60, but it means 60+61+62 and so on till 69). The combinability with singular verbs and the substitution by the singular pronouns testifies to the word-building, i.e. lexical and not the form-building, i.e. grammatical nature of the morpheme -s in formations of the kind ‘the 60s’, ‘the 90s’, etc.,

E.g. The 60s was the time when young people used to do whatever they wanted.

There are many things people remember about the 60s. Some remember it for many skirts and hippies.

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In other words only those forms are qualified by us as plural which introduce the grammatical meaning of more than oneness, without changing the lexical meaning of the singular form.

The category of number in English is represented by the opposition of the singular and the plural. The singular form denotes 'oneness', it is non-marked member of the opposition, the plural form denotes 'more than oneness', it is the marked member of the opposition. The regular way of forming the plural is adding the -(e)s inflection, but there are several survivals of earlier formations (child - children, mouse - mice, tooth - teeth, ox - oxen). A different kind of irregularities is found in many learned words where scholars having introduced the plural as the singular forms from foreign languages (crisis - crises, formula - formulae). There is a strong tendency to inflex such words in an English way (formula - formulas).

There is no special form for the common number; the meaning of the common or the so-called generic number in English is rendered in the following ways:

1) The singular without any article,

E.g. Man should be lonely.

2) The singular with the indefinite article,

E.g. A barking dog doesn't bite.

3) The singular with the definite article,

E.g. The devil is not so black as he is painted.

4) The plural without any article,

E.g. But rich people do have their problems.

As regards the category of number, all English nouns can be divided into two classes: countable and uncountable. Countable nouns are those which have the opposition 'singular - plural' (book - books). Uncountable nouns do not call up the idea of any different thing with a certain shape or precise limits. They may be either material (silver, water, butter, gas, etc.) or abstract (music, success, etc.). Those uncountable nouns that always combine with singular verbs and are substituted by singular pronounce are called Singularia tantum,

E.g. Sugar is not fashionable any more.

Take the money out and count it.

I know my hair is beautiful.

Well, what's the news?

Those uncountable nouns that always combine with plural verbs and are substituted by plural pronouns are called Pluralia tantum,

E.g. My trousers are getting too small round the waist.

The nurse's wages were good.

Where are my scissors?

According to professor Smirnitsky these nouns also have the category of number, but his point of view does not seem convincing. We know that every grammatical category must be represented by an opposition of at least two forms. In the case of Singularia and Pluralia tantum we deal with one form only. That's why it seems more reasonable to accept the conception of Zhigadlo, Ivanova, and Iofik and say that both Singularia and Pluralia tantum stand outside the grammatical category of number.