Word teacher in modern Russian it has two meanings. The first of them is a specialist who has a pedagogical education and teaches a subject at school; the second is a person with high authority in a certain field of knowledge or professional activity, an ideological mentor.

Depending on the meaning of the word, the plural of the noun teacher may have the form teachers or teachers.

Word teacher in the first meaning refers to nouns denoting a person on a professional basis. In accordance with modern spelling standards, in such masculine nouns it is productive to form plural forms with the ending - A (I):

teacher - teachers; doctor - doctors; paramedic - paramedic; master - masters.

In the meaning of “an authoritative person who has his followers,” the word teacher is one of the nouns with an abstract meaning denoting personal qualities. Most of them form the plural using the ending - s (-And):

teacher - teachers; inspirer - inspirers; creator - creators; shepherd - shepherds.

Spelling plural endings of nouns teacher should be correlated with the meaning of the word, which manifests itself in a specific semantic environment, that is, in a sentence:

the site gives the following recommendations for spelling endings in nouns teachers and teachers:

1. Writing – I or - And at the end of the plural of a noun teacher depends on its lexical meaning.
2. Noun teacher meaning “school subject teacher” in the plural has the ending – I.
3. If the word teacher has the meaning “mentor, ideological leader”, in the plural it is written with the ending – And: teachers.

Names of people, names of objects, cities, countries, various institutions; names of plant and animal species; designation of a process of action - all this cannot be expressed without nouns. It would not be an exaggeration to say that perhaps 90% of sentences cannot do without this part of speech, if we exclude the simplest constructions with pronouns and adjectives. Today we will look at this most important category of English grammar. Let's find out how it is used, what varieties it has, as well as how the plural of nouns is formed in the English language. The topic is simple and beginners usually master it quickly; they just have to learn a few exceptions and reinforce the theory by doing a practical task.

This part of speech denotes persons or objects when answering questions what?who?(what/who?). In a sentence, such words can play the role of subject, object, circumstance, and even attribute, provided that the noun is used in the possessive case. By the way, this is the only case of changing the ending of this part of speech, with the exception of the formation of the plural form.

This category is divided into the same sections as in Russian: common nouns, proper nouns, collective nouns, concrete nouns, abstract nouns, countable and uncountable nouns. For our topic, it is important to note that abstract and uncountable representatives of this category cannot have plural constructions. At the same time, there are words that are used exclusively in a collective form: policeclothes,glasses,scissors,peopletrousers and so on. We will talk about all other types of words in detail in the next section.

The English language, and in this it is similar to Russian, has endowed the noun with two numerical categories: singular and plural. And, if everything is clear in principle with the singular number, since this is the dictionary form of the word, then the formation of multiple meanings requires knowledge of certain grammatical laws. Let's look at them in more detail.

Endings –s/-es

The simplest and most widespread way to obtain the plural form of nouns is to add a letter to the base of the word s.

• I bought a magazine for my mother yesterday – YesterdayIboughtForhismothersmagazine.
• I bought magazine s for my mother yesterday – YesterdayIboughtmagazinesForhismothers.

Note that the indefinite article can only accompany the singular, while the definite article appears with nouns of both categories.

• Usually, I read the newspaper in the morning – Usually, II'm readingthisnewspaperin the morning.
• Usually, I read the newspaper s in the morning s - Usually, II'm readingthesenewspapersByin the morning.

Some nouns in English perceive this rule in a peculiar way. The table below will help us consider special cases of adding endings.

These rules must be carefully worked out and remembered, because they are the ones used to form the plural of nouns in the English language in the vast majority of cases. It remains to add comments about how these endings are pronounced.

Pronunciation of the ending s depends on the letter preceding it. If a word ends with a dull vowel, then the ending sounds like [s] (Russian S). And when a word ends in a vowel or a voiced consonant, the ending s pronounced as [z] (Russian Z). Additional ending - es , with transcription, in all words pronounced as IZ.

Ending en and vowel alternation

English is a dynamic language, and constantly strives to simplify its system. But some forms of words become so firmly established in everyday speech that they subsequently no longer obey the rules accepted in modern grammar. Therefore, the formation of the plural of definite nouns in English has retained its structure since ancient times.

The singular becomes plural by alternating vowels in the following words: foot,gooselouse,mousetooth. In this case, the root letter combinations turn into one letter: oo ⟶ ee , ou ⟶ i .

• My elder sister is afraid of mice - Myoldersisterfearsmice.
• Last night the geese flew to the south – Pastat nightthesegeeseflew awayonsouth.

Joining the ending en to construct the plural in English it is typical for words such as childmanwoman,ox. In some of these examples, the root vowel is replaced rather than added to produce en.

• The child was afraid of oxen - Child scaredbulls.
• Women read fairy tales for them children more often than men do – Womenreadfairy tales For children more oftenhow, howThisdomen.

This group of words is very small in number, so it is quickly and easily remembered.

Matching Forms

There are situations when in English both forms of a noun will sound the same. In such cases, the noun receives absolutely no changes, and the number can only be determined by the context of the sentence. This category includes words deerswine,series, seriessheep,fish.

• Yesterday I saw a deer in the forest – YesterdayIsawVforestdeer.
• Yesterday I saw 8 days in the forest – YesterdayIsawVforest8 deer.
• The fish is tasty – Fishdelicious.
• There there are many fish in this lake – Inthislakea lot offish.

In this category, it is important to note that this method of obtaining the plural in English is used when denoting representatives of nationalities whose names end in – es/ese.

• Iknowthatthis Swiss lives inNorway – I know that this Swiss man lives in Norway.
• These Swiss live inmyflat – These Swiss people live in my apartment.
• Five Japanese and five Chinese play football in the yard – 5 JapaneseAnd5 ChineseplayVfootballinyard.
• Jessicasawa lot of Portuguese inSpain – Jessica saw a lot of Portuguese in Spain.

In this grammatical subgroup there are also lexical examples that have the same types of stems in the singular and in plural. But they are used extremely rarely, so there is no point in memorizing them at the initial stage of learning.

Compound Basics

In complex combinations connecting two or more stems, the construction of the plural in English can be done using different methods. The choice of method depends on the original construction of the expression and the meaning of the statement.

The largest group of compound nouns constructs their plural using the traditional method - by adding a letter s to the end of the word, i.e. to the last base.

• There there are many different merry-go-rounds for children in this park – Bthisparka lot ofvariouscarouselsForchildren.
• I picked many forget-me-nots for you in the field – IcollectedVfielda lot offorget-me-notsForyou.

There are compound constructions in which each noun is used in the plural. This method should be used when the expression begins with the words woman or man.

• Usuallywomen- drivers cannotrepairtheircars – Usually, female drivers do not know how to repair their cars.
• Behind her stood the parents, the friends, the guests and the menservants - Behindherstoodparents, Friends, guests and servants.

In some phrases, the basis in which the main meaning of the word lies is subject to changes.

• Many husbands hate them mothers-in-law – Manyhusbandshatetheirmother-in-law.
• Thosepassers- by gavemetheEnglishtextbook – Those passers-by gave me this English textbook.

Archaic forms

It is worth mentioning that some words that came from Latin or Greek still retain their original forms in English. Consequently, the multiple meanings of such expressions are not formed according to general rules.

The most common examples of this group: crisis ⟶ crises, species ⟶ species, thesis ⟶ theses, formula ⟶ formulae and so on. As you can see, these are mostly scientific terms that are unlikely to appear in colloquial speech. Therefore, if you do not plan to engage in scientific activities, you can safely not memorize these forms. It is enough just to keep in mind that such a category exists and, if necessary, use a dictionary.

So, we have completed our study of the topic and learned how to get the plural of almost any noun in English. It remains to fix the mentioned rules with practical work, i.e. perform exercises reinforcing the material. Good luck in your studies and see you again!

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Nouns have two numbers: the only thing And plural.

1. The only thing a number is characterized by the absence of an ending:
a cup, a table, a teacher, a day.

2. Plural the number of nouns is formed using the ending -s or -es :
a sea - sea s, a tent - tent s, a bus - bus es .

However, you should know that:

Singular nouns ending in-ss, -sh, -ch, -X , -z, form the plural using the ending-es:a proce ss-proce ss es; a bo x-bo x es;

Nouns ending in -O, in the plural ending in -es or at -s:
her o-her o es, potato - potatoes, tomato - tomatoes
bamboos, photos, pianos, radios, solos, videos.

Some nouns, having a singular ending -O, in the plural have a double ending -s/-es:
carg o- carg o s/carg o es, volcano - volcanoes/volcanos;

In nouns ending in -yWith consonant in front of her -y changes in plural to -i :
a ba b y -bab i es, a country - countries;
in those nouns where before -y costs vowel, -у does not change.
a d a y -da y s, a boy - boys;

Most nouns ending in -f or -fe, in the plural ending in -ves:
a wi fe-wi ves, a knife - knives, a shelf - shelves, life - lives, as well as wolf, self, calf, leaf, loaf, chief, half, thief, sheaf
Ho:
a handkerchief - handkerchiefs, a roof - roofs, a proof - proofs, a belief - beliefs;
a hoof - hoofs/hooves, a scarf - scarfs/scarves, a wharf - wharfs/wharves.

Special cases of plural formation

1. Some nouns form the plural, changing the root vowel :

a m a n - m e n, a woman - women, a tooth - teeth, a foot - feet;
a goose - geese, a mouse - mice, etc.

2. There are nouns that have singular and plural forms are the same:

aircraft (plane - airplanes), deer (deer - deer);
means (means - means), salmon (salmon - salmon);
series (row - rows, series - series);
sheep (sheep - sheep), trout (trout - trout);
works (factory - factories).

3. Noun child children.

4. Noun Oh in the plural it has the form oxen.

5. Noun penny has a plural form rence when it comes to monetary amount, and shape pennies, if you mean individual coins:

It costs three pence. - It costs 3 pence.
Pennies are made of bronze. - Pence is made of bronze.

6. Nouns gate, sledge, watch, clock are used singular and plural:

The gate is open. - The gate is open.
My watch is slow. - My watch is slow.
(At the same time, in Russian the verb always has a plural form, although the noun itself is used in the singular.)
All the gates are open. - All gates are open.
Doesn't have two watches. - He has two hours.

7. Prefixed nouns man-, woman- have plural form on both sides of the word:

a man-servant - men-servants

8. Nouns that contain a preposition or adverb, have the ending -s in the first part, if used in the plural:

a mother-in-law - mothers-in-law
a commander-in-chief - commanders-in-chief

9. Particularly noteworthy are nouns Latin-Greek etymology, the formation of the plural of which has many options (it is difficult to list them, so we recommend that in cases where English language learners have doubts about the correctness of the option, check the plural in dictionaries):

-us -es(chor us-chorus es, circus - circuses, bonus - bonuses, etc.), with the ending -i (stimulus - stimuli), have both options at the same time (cactus - cactuses/cacti; this group also includes words such as focus, nucleus, radius, syllabus);

nouns of Latin origin -A can form plurals with the ending -ae(alumn a- alumn ae, larva - larvae), with the ending -s(are a- area s, arena - arenas, dilemma - dilemmas, diploma - diplomas, drama - dramas, etc.), have both options (antenna - antennas, as a term in electronics, and antennae - in biology; formula - formulas in the general sense and formulae - in mathematics;

nouns of Latin origin -um end in plural in -s(alb um- album s, museum - museums, chrysanthemum -chrysanthemums, stadium - stadiums, etc.), on -a (stratum - strata, curriculum - curriculum), can have both options (symposium - symposiums/symposia, memorandum - memorandums/memoranda, etc.);

nouns of Latin origin -ex, -ix can have both double plural forms with endings -es And -ices(ind ex-ind ic e s/index es, appendix - appendices/appendixes, matrix - matrices/matrixes) or only the ending -ices in the noun cod ex- codes;

nouns of Greek origin -is form the plural changing ending on -es(thes is-thes es, crisis - crises, analysis - analyses, basis - bases, etc.), there are cases of plural formation using additions graduation -es(metropolis - metropolis es) and many other variants of plural formation.

Nouns used only in the singular

1. Some nouns are usedin English only in singular, and in Russian nouns with the same meaning can have both singular and plural forms:advice (advice - advice), information (information - information), knowledge, progress, furniture, money:

He gave me some useful advice. I "ll follow it. - He gave me (several) useful advice. I will follow them.
The money is on the table. Take it. - Money on the foot. Take them.

2. Nounsuncountable, denoting substances or concepts, are usually used only in the singular:sugar, iron, love, friendship, peace, ink, weather and etc.

There is a lot of chalk on the table.

3. Nounshair, vacation, fruitmostlyused in the singular:

Her hair is dark. - She has dark hair.
Summer vacation lasts three months. - Summer holidays last three months.
Fruit is cheaper in summer. - Fruits are cheaper in summer.
However:
to indicate different, individual types of fruits a noun in the form is used plural number of fruits:
There are plums, peaches, oranges and other fruits on the table. - There are plums, peaches, oranges and other fruits on the table.
if before the noun vacation there is a numeral, then it is used in plural number:
Our children have four vacations every year. - Our children have holidays 4 times a year.
if the noun hair has the meaning countable noun, then it has a plural form:
a hair - hairs (hair - hairs)

4. Nounfish used mostlyin the singular (in various contexts, for example, in a conversation about fishing):

We caught only a few fish. - We only caught a few fish.
Fish in the plural (in the form fishes) is used in cases where we are talking about individual types of fish
the fishes of the Mediterranean - fish of the Mediterranean Sea

5. Nounnewsused in Englishonly in singular, although it has a plural form:

What's the news? - What news?

6. Names of sciences and (scientific) disciplines, ending in-ics, are used with singular and plural verbs, which is determined by their meaning:

athletics, gymnastics, linguistics, physics etc. are mainly used with singular verbs:
Physics is not the most popular school subject. - Physics is not my favorite subject at school.
acoustics, economics, phonetics, statistics, ethics, politics, etc. are used with a singular verb when talking about scientific disciplines. If they have a different, special meaning, they are used with a plural verb:
His mathematics are poor. - He has poor knowledge of mathematics.
Your statistics are unreliable. - Your statistics are unreliable.

Nouns used only in the plural

1. Words meaningpaired items(for example: trousers, pants, shorts, scissors, glasses, scales, spectacles, tongs, pajamas),names of some games(for example: billiards, drafts) andgeneralizing concepts(for example: clothes, goods, savings), used only in the plural:

These scissors are very sharp. - These scissors are very sharp.
His clothes were wet. - His clothes were wet.
(Please note that the noun "clothes" in Russian always agrees with a singular verb.)

2. Nounspotatoes, onions, carrots, oatsare used in the plural, but they have singular meanings:

Carrots are very healthy. - Carrots are very healthy.
The carrot you gave me was very tasty. - The carrots you gave me were very tasty.

3. Nounspeople, the military, the police, cattleused with a plural verb; Moreover, the word people can also have the plural peoples with the meaning “peoples, people of different nationalities”:

There were many young people there. - There were a lot of young people there.
The peoples of this country are happy. - The people of this country are happy.

Hello dear readers! Today you will learn how the plural is formed in English. The topic at first glance is not complicated, but there are many nuances that you should pay attention to.

In English, only countable nouns form the plural, that is, those that can be counted. Such nouns can have a singular or plural form. I think it's no secret to anyone what the plural is. If the singular is used to denote one thing or concept, then the plural is used to denote several things. So, now we will look at the basic rules for forming plurals in English. Plural of nouns in English

Formation of the plural

1. The plural of most nouns is formed by adding the ending −s to a singular noun.

−s reads:

[z] after vowels and voiced consonants
[s] after voiceless consonants

• a tie tie- tie s ties
• a teacher teacher— teacher s[ˈtiːʧəz] teachers
• a room room- room s rooms
• a map map— map s cards

2. Nouns that end in consonants s, ss, sh, ch, tch, x, plural endings take -es which reads [ɪz].

• a match match- match es[ˈmæʧɪz] matches

3. Nouns that end in a vowel -O, in the plural also take the ending -es.

• hero hero- hero es[ˈhɪərəʊz] heroes
• tomato tomato−tomato es tomatoes

If before the final -O there is a vowel, then the plural noun takes the ending -s.

• radio radio- radio s[ˈreɪdɪəʊz] radios
• kangaroo kangaroo— kangaroo s kangaroo

If a noun that ends in -O in the singular, is an abbreviation, then in the plural it also takes the ending -s.

• photo (graph) photo)— photo s[ˈfəʊtəʊz] photos
• kilo(gramme) kilo (gram)- kilo s[ˈkiːləʊz] kilograms

In some cases, variations are possible with −s And -es.

• flamingo flamingo— flamingo s flamingo es flamingo
• volcano volcano- volcano s, volcano es volcanoes

4. To nouns that end in -y, and before the end -y a consonant is added, the ending is added -es And at changes to i.

• a factory factory, plant− factor ies[ˈfæktəriz] factories, factories

In case before −y there is a vowel, no changes occur, and the plural is formed by adding the ending -s.

• a day day-day s days

5. Plural of some nouns that end in f, fe, is formed by substitution f consonant v and adding the ending -es. The following nouns obey this rule:

• сalf calf− cal ves calves
• half half− hal ves halves
• elf elf−el ves elves
• knife knife−kni ves knives
• leaf tree leaf−lea ves leaves
• life life−li ves life
• loaf loaf−loa ves loaves
• self self− sel ves ourselves
• sheaf bunch—shea ves[ʃiːvz] ligaments
• shelf shelf− shel ves[ʃɛlvz] shelves
• thief thief− thie ves[θiːvz] the thieves
• wife wife− wi ves wives
• wolf wolf −wolves wolves

In some cases, variations with endings are possible f And v.

• hoof hoof-hoo fs, hoo ves hooves
• scarf scarf—scar fs, scar ves scarves
• wharf pier—whar fs, whar ves piers

6. Some nouns retain archaic plural forms. The plural of such nouns is formed by changing root vowel or by adding an ending —en.

• a man man− m e n men
• a woman woman− wom e n [ˈwɪmɪn] women
• brother ["brʌðər] brother− br e thr en["breðrɪn] brethren
• foot leg− f ee t legs
• goose goose-g ee se geese
• louse ["laus] louse− l i ce lice
• mouse mouse— m ic e mice
• tooth tooth-t ee th teeth
• a child [ʧaɪld] child− childr en[ˈʧɪldrən] children
• ox [ɒks] bull- ox en[ˈɒksən] bulls

7. In English, the singular and plural forms of some nouns are the same.

• craft ship - ships
• works factory - factories
• species["spi:ʃi:z] biol. species - species
• headquarters ["hed"kwɔ:təz] main department - central authorities
• alms [ɑːmz] alms − alms
• barracks [ˈbærəks] barracks - barracks
• corps military diploma housing - housings
• grouse partridge − partridge
• crossroads [ˈkrɒsˌrəʊdz] road intersections - crossroads
• deer deer - deer
• sheep [ʃiːp] sheep - sheep
• fish ["fɪʃ] fish - fish
• fruit fruit − fruit
• gallows [ˈgæləʊz] gallows - gallows
• trout trout − trout
• means means - means
• salmon ["sæmən] salmon - salmon
• series ["sɪəri:z] series − series
• swine pig - pigs

8. Some nouns that are of Latin or Greek origin have retained their archaic form in the plural.

• analysis [ə"næləsɪs] analysis− analyzes [ə"næləsi:z] tests
• axis ["æksɪs] axis− axes ["æksɪz] axes
• basis ["beɪsɪs] the basis− bases ["beɪsi:z] basics
• crisis ["kraɪsɪs] a crisis− crises ["kraɪsi:z] crises
• datum ["deɪtəm] given value− data ["deɪtə] data
• erratum typo− errata list of typos
• formula [ˈfɔ:rmjulə] formula− formulae ["fɔ:rmjuli:], formulas ["fɔ:rmjuləz] formulas
• locus ["ləukəs] location− loci ["ləusaɪ] locations
• memorandum [, memə"rændəm] record "for memory"− memoranda [, memə"rændə], memorandums [, memə"rændəmz] notes
• nucleus cell-nuclei cells
• phenomenon phenomenon− phenomenal phenomena
• radius ["reɪdɪəs], [ˈreɪdjəs] radius− radii ["reɪdɪaɪ] radii
• species [ˈspiːʃiːz] type, type- species [ˈspiːʃiːz] types, types
• thesis [ˈθiːsɪs] thesis- theses [θiːsiːz] theses

9. In English there are a number of nouns that are used only in the plural.

• binoculars − binoculars
• breeches ["brɪtʃɪz] − breeches
• glasses ["aɪglɑːsɪz] − glasses
• jeans [ʤiːnz]− jeans
• pajamas, pajamas − pajamas
• pliers [ˈplaɪəz] − pliers
• scissors [ˈsɪzəz] − scissors
• shorts ʃɔːts − shorts, panties
• stockings[ˈstɒkɪŋz] − socks
• tights − tights
• tongs - forceps
• trousers [ˈtraʊzəz] - trousers
• proceeds [ˈprəʊsiːdz] − income
• surroundings neighborhood
• riches [ˈrɪʧɪz] − wealth
• thanks [θæŋks] − Gratitude
• wages [ˈweɪʤɪz] − earnings

Pluralizing compound nouns

1. Compound nouns that are written together form the plural by adding an ending to the second element.

• schoolgirl schoolgirl— schoolgirl s schoolgirls
• policeman police officer— policem e n police

2. If a compound noun, which is written with a hyphen, includes the words man or woman, as one of the constituent parts of a word, then all parts of the word take the plural.

• woman-writer writer− wom e n-writer s writers
• gentleman-farmer gentleman farmer− gentlem e n-farmer sgentleman farmers

3. Compound nouns, which are written with a hyphen, form the plural by changing the key element.

• family-name surname− family-name s surnames
• commander-in-chief commander in chief− commander s-in-chief commanders-in-chief

4. If there is no noun element in a compound noun, then the plural is formed by adding the ending −s to the last element.

• forget-me-not forget-me-not− forget-me-not s forget-me-nots
• merry-go-round carousel− merry-go-round s carousels

Note!

1. In English, some uncountable nouns can be used as countable nouns.

Uncountable: success - luck, success (in general terms))

• Success is in the details. − A scrupulous attitude to business is the path to success.

Calc. :a success successful result− success essuccessful results

A noun names objects in the broad sense of the word; these are the names of things, persons, substances, living beings and organisms, facts, events, phenomena, qualities, properties, actions, states.

In order to clearly understand the grammatical phenomena associated with the concept of a noun, it is necessary to understand the difference between countable and uncountable nouns.

TO countable noun These include the names of items that can be counted, for example:
one pencil - one pencil; two pencils - two pencils s;
one student - one student; two students s;
There are 20 students s in this group. - There are 20 students in this group.
There are many libraries in Moscow. - There are many libraries in Moscow.

Countable nouns can be used in both singular and plural forms.

TO uncountable noun refers to the names of objects that cannot be counted. For example, you cannot say: one milk, two milks (and if someone says this in everyday life, he means a pack or bottle or other milk; you can also say: one liter of milk, then the units of measurement are “one”, “one” refer to the word “liter” and not to the word “milk”).

Uncountable nouns include the following nouns:

1. real, for example:
   steel - steel;
   oil - oil;
   sugar - sugar;
2. abstract: denoting names of states, actions, feelings, sciences, etc., for example:
   labor - labor;
   independence - independence
   bravery - courage;
   freedom - freedom;
   darkness - darkness;
   chemistry - chemistry

Uncountable nouns are used only in the singular:
Water is necessary for life. - Water is essential for life.
Knowledge is power. - Knowledge is power.
Mathematics is the basis of many sciences. - Mathematics is the basis of many sciences.

Standard plural formation

The plural of nouns is formed by adding the ending - s which is pronounced:

• After voiced consonants and vowels [z]:
  dolls; two pianos
• After voiceless consonants [s]: cats cats

"o", form the plural by adding the ending - es, pronounced [z]: negro es["ni:grəʊz] - blacks, potato es- potatoes; hero es["hɪərəʊz] - heroes; cargo es["kɑ:gəʊz] - loads. Exception: piano s- several pianos.

Nouns ending in singular in s, ss, sh, ch, X, form the plural by adding the ending - es which is pronounced [ɪz]: buses ["bʌsɪz] - buses, classes ["klɑ:sɪz] - classes; fetishes ["fetɪʃɪz] - amulets; watches ["wɔʧ] - watches; faxes ["fæksɪz] - faxes.
Moreover, the ending is es pronounced [ɪz] also in nouns ending in se, se, ze, ge: rose ["rəʊzɪz] - roses; faces ["feɪsɪz] - faces; sizes ["saɪzɪz] - sizes; cage ["keɪʤɪz] - cells.

Nouns ending in singular in y, when there is a consonant directly in front of it, they form the plural by changing " y" on " i" and adding - es, pronounced like [z]: lad y["leɪdɪ] → lad ies["leɪdɪz] - ladies; fly → fl ies- flies; story ["stɔ:rɪ] → stor ies["stɔ:rɪz] - stories; city ["sɪtɪ] → cit ies["sɪtɪz] - cities; army ["ɑ:mɪ] → arm ies["ɑ:mɪz] - troops.
Nouns ending in singular in y, when there is a vowel directly in front of it, they form the plural by simply adding the ending - s which is pronounced [z]: valley s["vælɪz] - valleys; donkey s["dɔŋkɪz] - donkeys.

Nouns ending in singular in f or fe, when forming the plural, as a rule, these endings are changed to " ves": adding the ending - es which is pronounced [z]: lea f→lea ves- leaves, wi fe→ wi ves- wives; loa f→loa ves- loaves; shel f[ʃelf] → shel ves[ʃelvz] - shelves; thie f[θi:f] → thie ves[θi:vz] - thieves.
Exceptions - s pronounced as [s]: roof → roof s- roofs; cliff → cliff s- cliffs; handkerchief ["hæŋkəʧɪf] → handkerchief s["hæŋkəʧɪfs] - handkerchiefs.

s s s s["ɑ:mʧɛəz] - chairs.
There is one exception to this rule. If the first part of the word is the words “man” - “man” or “womam” - “woman”, then both words are put in plural form: m a nservant ["mænˏsə:v(ə)nt] m a nservant s→ ["menˏsə:v(ə)nt] - servants; wom a n-teacher ["wʊmənˏti:ʧə] → wom e n-teacher s["wɪmɪnˏti:ʧə] - teachers.
If a compound noun is formed with a preposition, only the first part takes the plural form: father-in-law ["fɑ:ðə(r)ɪnlɔ:] → father s-in-law ["fɑ:ðəzɪnlɔ:] - fathers-in-law, father-in-law; man-of-war [ˏmænəv"wɔ:] → m e n-of-war [ˏmenəv"wɔ:] - warships.

In compound nouns consisting of two nouns, only the last part takes the plural form: housemaid ["haʊsˏmeɪd] → housemaid s["haʊsˏmeɪdz] - housekeepers; shoemaker ["ʃu:ˏmeɪkə] → shoemaker s["ʃu:ˏmeɪkəz] - shoemakers; classroom ["klɑ:srʊm] → classroom s["klɑ:srʊmz] - classrooms; armchair ["ɑ:mʧɛə] → armchair s["ɑ:mʧɛəz] - chairs.

Non-standard plural formation

In the English language there are a number of nouns that do not form the plural according to the general rule.

• The following nouns form their plural by changing the root vowel, or by adding a special ending:
  m a n - man; m e n - men
  wom a n ["wʊmən] - woman; wom e n ["wɪmɪn] - women
  f oo t - foot, leg; f ee t - feet, legs
  t oo th - tooth; t ee th - teeth
  g oo se - goose; g ee se - geese
  l ou se - louse; l i ce - lice
  m ou se - mouse; m i ce - mice
  penn y["penɪ] - penny; pen ce- pence
  child ["ʧaɪld] - child; child ren["ʧɪdrən] - children
  ox [ɔks] - ox; ox en["ɔksən] - oxen
• There are nouns that have the same form in both singular and plural, for example:
  carp - carp/carps, carp/carp
  cod - cod
  pike - pike/pike
  salmon - salmon/salmon
  trout - trout/trout
  swine - pig/pigs
  sheep [ʃi:p] - sheep/sheep
  deer - deer/deer
  means - means/means
  barracks ["bærək] - barracks/barracks
  series ["sɪəri:z] - series/series
  species ["spi:ʃi:z] - species/species, genus/genera
  aircraft ["ɛəˏkrɑ:ft] - aircraft/airplanes
  counsel ["kaʊnsəl] - advisor/advisers
• Nouns having form only the only one numbers; the idea of ​​plurality to denote a certain quantity can be expressed by adding a word or phrase denoting quantity, while the noun itself, please note, remains in the singular form: three pieces of furniture - three pieces of furniture, two bits of information - two units of information, many pieces of advise - a lot of advice. Here we came across such indicators of quantity as “bit” - a piece, a small amount and “piece” - a piece, a certain amount. Bit is used in less formal, friendly conversation (unlike piece), and they are not always interchangeable. Bit can be used with all kinds of nouns. Piece is most often used with uncountable nouns. Bit implies a smaller quantity than piece.
  Here are some nouns that are used only in the singular:
  advice [əd"vaɪs] - advice
  education [ˏeʤʊ"keɪʃ(ə)n] - education
  happiness ["hæpɪnəs] - happiness, joy
  information [ˏɪnfə"meɪʃ(ə)n] - information
  knowledge ["nɔlɪʤ] - knowledge
  music ["mju:zɪk] - music
  offspring ["ɔfsprɪŋ] - offspring, descendant
  furniture ["ə:nɪʧə] - furniture
  luggage ["lʌgɪʤ] - luggage
  news - news
  assistance [ə"sɪst(ə)n(t)s] - help, support
  bliss - bliss, happiness
  breeding ["brɪdɪŋ] - breeding (animals, plants)
  cunning ["kʌnɪೲ] - cunning, deceit
  control - leadership, management, control
  evidence ["evɪd(ə)n(t)s] - clarity, obviousness
  guidance ["gaɪd(ə)n(t)s] - guidance, management
  health - health
  fun - fun, fun
  luck - fortune, lucky chance
  money ["mʌnɪ] - money
  nature ["neɪʧə] - nature
  nonsense ["nɔns(ə)n(t)s] - absurdity, nonsense, nonsense, nonsense
  permission - permission
  progress ["prəʊgres] - movement forward, advancement
  trade - craft, profession
  weather ["weðə] - weather
  work - work, labor
  craft - plane, ship
  hair - hair
• Nouns also have the form the only one numbers indicating the names of substances; the plural of them is used for "types" and "species" (of these substances); a set or individual parts of them are expressed using such set indicators as "bottles of" (bottles), "cups of" (cups), "tons of" (tons), "yards of" (yards), for example: wine - wine
  rice - rice
  sugar [ʃʊgə] - sugar
  wheat - wheat
  sand - sand
  soil - soil
  water ["wɔtə] - water
  concrete ["kɔŋkri:t] - concrete
• Examples of nouns that have only form plural numbers:
  clothes - clothes
  pants - trousers/trousers
  pajamas - pajamas
  trousers ["traʊzəz] - trousers
  binoculars - binoculars
  glasses - glasses
  spectacles ["spektəklz] - glasses
  scales - scales
  scissors ["sɪzəz] - scissors
  greens - greenery
  premises ["prɛmɪsɪz] - real estate
  riches ["rɪʧɪz] - wealth, abundance
  savings ["seɪvɪŋz] - savings
  spirits ["spɪrɪts] - spirit, soul, state of mind
  stairs - stairs
  surroundings - surroundings
  arms [ɑ:mz] - coat of arms, weapons
  earnings ["ə:nɪŋz] - earnings
• Nouns borrowed from Greek and Latin have retained the plural form of these languages:
  datum ["deɪtəm] - given value; data ["deɪtə] - data
  addendum [ə"dendəm] - application; addenda [ə"dendə] - applications
  erratum [ɪ"rɑ:təm] - typo; errata [ɪ"rɑ:tə] - typos
  memorandum [ˏmemə"rændəm] - note; memoranda [ˏmemə"rændə] - notes
  curriculum - curriculum; curriculum - curriculum
  phenomenon - phenomenon; phenomenal - phenomena
  bas i s ["beɪsɪs] - basis; bas e s ["beɪsi:z] - bases
  cris i s ["kraɪsɪs] - crisis; cris e s ["kraɪsi:z] - crises
  these i s ["θi:sɪs] - thesis; thes e s ["θi:si:z] - abstracts
  radius [’reɪdɪəs] - radius; radii [’reɪdɪˏaɪ] - radii
  nucleus ["nju:klɪəs] - nucleus; nuclei ["nju:klɪˏaɪ] - nuclei
  stimulus ["stɪmjələs] - stimulus; stimuli ["stɪmjəlɪ] - stimuli
  index ["ɪndeks] - indicator; indices ["ɪndɪˏsi:z] - indicators
• A collective noun can be in either singular or plural form. How to choose the right form? If the idea of ​​unity as a whole is implied, the singular form is used; if we mean a set in parts, the plural form is used: The group consist s of 15 members (the group taken as a single whole). - The group consists of 15 members. The group retired to their rooms (the group is taken as a set of people united on some basis). - The group returned to their rooms.
• Some nouns can have two alternative forms of one lexical item. For example, the plural of the noun "person" ["pə:s(ə)n] - "person" can be expressed as "people" ["pi:pl] or "persons" ["pə:snz]. These forms are of different roots : if the word "people" comes from the Latin "populus" - "people, population", then "person" comes from the Latin "persona" - "personality, person". The form "people" - "nation, people, people of the same profession /social group" indicates the perception of a whole group, which, in turn, can alternatively be considered not as a single whole: the peoples of Africa - the peoples of Africa. The form "persons", on the other hand, places emphasis on individuals, such , as "VIPs" - "high-ranking persons". It should be noted that modern reference books on the style of the English language do not agree with the appropriateness of using the plural form "persons" for the noun "person" in modern English and suggest using the plural in all cases form of "people". Be that as it may, the use of "people" as a plural form of "person" in all cases is increasingly occurring.
  And at the same time, the reverse process is observed with the noun “people” (see about determining the number form of such nouns). Although in origin it is a singular collective noun, from the earliest times it has been interpreted as a plural term to designate people in general (which has led to its recognition as the plural form of "person"). Currently, “people” is used in the plural sense (that is, as a plural noun) in most cases: People are always looking for a bargain. - People are always looking for benefits. The people are being asked to vote in a referendum. - People are asked to vote in a referendum. The use of “people” in the singular form seems strange: These people is angry. - These people are angry. That Aboriginal people ha s died out. - Those indigenous people died out.
  Plural form of people s logically refers to more than one community or nation, although until relatively recently it was not recognized by all educated speakers of the language. Today this is a generally accepted form in the context of the type: His authority shaped diverse peoples into common views and allegiances - His power converted different peoples into common views and allegiances.

Pluralization of nationalities

Names of nationalities ending with ch, sh, ss, ese don't accept the ending - s in the plural: the French [ðə "frenʧ] - Frenchmen/French women, the Swiss [ðə "swɪs] - Swiss/Swiss women, the Dutch [ðə "dʌʧ] - Dutchmen/Dutch women, the Portuguese [ðə ˏpɔ:ʧə"gi: z] - Portuguese/Portuguese, the English [ðə "ɪŋglɪʃ] - English/English, the Javanese [ðə ˏɑ:v(ə)"ni:z] - Javanese/Javanese. In such names, the designations of individual members of a nation are added to the name of nationalities by the words man (in the masculine singular), woman (in the feminine singular) and men, women - respectively, they are the same, but in the plural: an Englishman [ ən "ɪŋglɪʃmən] Englishman, an Englishwoman [ən "ɪŋglɪʃˏwʊmən] Englishwoman, two Englishmen [ˏtu: "ɪŋglɪʃmen] two Englishmen; a Frenchman [ə "frenʧmən] Frenchman, a Frenchwoman Frenchwoman [ə "frenʧˏwʊmən], two Frenchwomen [ˏtu "frenʧˏwɪmɪn ] two French women, etc.
Moreover, if the compound nouns Frenchmen, Englishmen, etc. serve as a sign of an individual; and their original forms are the French, the English, etc. point to an entire nation.

Nationality names ending with ese, and the word Swiss have the same form for the singular and plural: a Swiss Swiss - two Swiss two Swiss, a Javanese Javanese - three Javanese three Javanese, a Portuguese Portuguese - four Portuguese four Portuguese.

Words denoting quantity and plural

Any noun that is used with a numeral greater than one is used in the plural (compare with the Russian translation, where a noun after a numeral greater than one, but ending in one is placed in the singular): 31 boy s[ˏθə:tɪ"wʌ bɔɪz] - 31 boys.

English numerals "hundred" ["hʌndrəd] - "hundred (en)", "thousand" ["θaʊz(ə)nd] - "thousand", "million" - "millions" ["mɪljən", "billion" [" bɪlɪn] - "billions", "trillion" ["trɪljən] - "trillions", "dozen" ["dʌz(ə)n] dozens, etc. are in the singular (ending -" s" is not added), because now they are considered as numerals/adjectives, and numerals/adjectives in English (even if it seems strange to some) do not have the category of number in themselves: "two hundred (two thousand, three million, several ["sev(ə)r(ə)l], many ["menɪ], a few [ə "fju:]) books" - "two hundred (two thousand, three million, several, many, few) books" , "six dozen buttons" - "six dozen buttons". However, originally they were still nouns and still remain nouns in combinations like: "hundred s(thousand s, million s, dozen s) of books" - "hundreds (thousands, millions, dozens) of books". Here, as you can see, the ending is added to them - s as with any standard English plural noun.

Before English numerals "hundred" - "hundred", "thousand" - "thousand", "million" - "million", "billion" - "billion", "trillion" - "trillion", "dozen" - "dozen" etc., not augmented by another numeral, there must always be an indefinite article a(here it will have its original meaning of “one/one/one”): “at about a hundred yards" distance" - "at a distance of approximately one hundred yards", except when stress/emphasis requires the use of a numeral one - 1 : "They sent only one thousand men to our assistance." - “They sent only one thousand people to our aid.” "William of Normandy invaded England in one thousand and sixty-six." - "William of Normandy invaded England in one thousand sixty-six (year)."

Materials used in preparing the article

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