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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.)

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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

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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

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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

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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