As in the plural in English. The only and multiple number of nouns. Calculated and innumerable nouns. Nouns used only in the singular

The multiple number of nouns in English is simple, however, there are our nuances to which you need to pay attention. Let's thoroughly analyze all the rules for the formation of a plural in English.

Special Cases of Multiple Number

In English, there are nouns names that form a plural without ending -S, as they change their root vowels:

Nouns used only in the singular

There are a number of nouns that are used exclusively in the singular - these are incorplicable nouns. To the innumerable nouns include:

Names of substances and materials:

• Silver - Silver
• Air - Air, Atmosphere
• IRON - iron (element), etc.

Some products:

• Salt - Sol
• Sugar - sugar, etc.

Abstract concepts:

• LOVE - Love
• Bitterness - Borrow

Disease names:

• ChickenPox - Wind Spa
• MUMPS - Pig
• Rabies - Lisha
• Rickets - Rakhit

Collective nouns:

• Furniture - furniture
• Luggage - Baggage
• rubbish - garbage
• fruit - fruit, fruit, etc.

Pay attention to the word Fruit.

As a rule, the multiple number coincides with the only one: Fruit - Fruit (fruit fruit). However, the multiple number of fruits is used to designate various types of fruits.)

ON THE TABLE THERE ARE APPLES, PLUMS AND OTHER FRUITS.

Apples, plums and other fruits lie on the table.

Languages: Chinese, FRENCH, English, Spanish, etc.

Note that the following nouns also do not have a form of a plural.

Advice, Information, Progress, Knowledge, Weather

These nouns are used only in the singular.

SHE GAVE ME SOME GOOD ADVICE. - She gave me some good tips.

THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ON This SUBJECT. - They have very little information on this issue.

Her Knowledge of Italian Is Poor. - She has weak knowledge in the Italian language.

An exception:

Sustainable expression IN.all.weathems. - In any weather

Nouns money. (money) and hair. (Hair) are always used in the singular.

Money is on the table. - My money lie on the table.

She Has Beautiful Brown Hair. - She has beautiful brown hair.

Note:

Hair. (In the value of hairs) can be used in the form of a plural.

Mother Has Lots Of Grey Hars. - My mother has a lot of gray hair.

Suitable nEWS. (News, news) is always used in the singular.

What time is the news on the radio? - What is the release of news on the radio?

Names of science and sports in -ics (Mathematics, Physics, Phonetics, Gymnastics, Athletics, etc.) are used in the singular, although they have the shape of a plural.

Athletics is My Favourite Sport. - Athletics is my favorite sport.

Note:

The words politics. In the meaning of political views and statisticsin the value, statistical data is used with verbs in a plural.

Next sport games Also have the unique form:

• draughts, Checkers - Checkers
• billiards - Billiards

Nouns used only in the plural

There are a number of nouns, which are used in English only in multiple number, although in Russian they are used in the only one:

• Arms - weapon
• Clothes - clothing
• Contents - Content
• Customs - Customs
• DREGS - precipitate
• EMBERS - hot ash
• Outskirts - Coloring
• Premises - room, house (with surrounding buildings)
• Proceeds - revenue
• Stairs - Staircase
• Wages - salary, etc.

Exceptionally, the multiple number uses the following nouns that do not have the end of S / ES

• Police - Police
• Cattle - Cattle
• Poultry - Poultry
• People - People
• Clergy - clergy

Name of many paired items Used as in Russian, only in a plural:

• Scissors - scissors
• Trousers - Trousers
• Spectacles - Glasses
• Scales - Scales
• Tongs - Tongs,
• Jeans - jeans,
• Pyjamas - Pajama

But, if they are used with the expression a pair of, then the verb and other determinants are put in singular:

I Need a New Pair of Trusers - I need new pants (a new pair of trousers).

Special cases of consumption of nouns

It is necessary to separately specify some cases of the formation of a plural number of English nouns:

Noun penny. (Pens) has two forms of the plural:

• Penny - Rence (when it comes to the amount of money)
• Penny - Pennies. (It happens in mind individual coins)

IT COSTS TEN PENCE. - It costs 10 pence.

Pennies Are Made of Bronze. - Pens (i.e. coins in one Pens) are made from bronze.

Nouns eXPORT and IMPORT. Used in the form of a plural number of Exports, Imports, when it comes to the number or value of exported or imported goods:

Poland Exports To The Ukraine Have Greatly Increased. - Polish exports to Ukraine, as well as Polish imports from this country increased significantly.

When refers to the process of exporting or import, the units of the single EXPORT and Import are used:

That Company Is Engaged in The Export and Import. - This company is engaged in export and import.

Some collective nouns can be used with verbs in the only one or plural, depending on the shade of the value.

With the verbs of the multiple number, such nouns will be used if they mean all the members of this group of people or structures and the statement can be fully referred to each member of the group.

In the singular - if the group is considered as an integer.

These are these nouns:

• Army - Army
• Audience - public
• Choir - Khor.
• Crew - team
• Crowd - crowd
• Family - Family
• Government - Government
• Public - Public, Society
• STAFF - state
• Team - team

Our Team Is The Best. - Our team is the best.

The Team Discuss Strategy Before Every Game. - The team discusses the strategy before each game.

SO countries In the plural of verb and other identifiers are always used in the singular.

The United States Is Situated in North America.

When it comes on the amount of money, time period, distance, etc., considered as a whole, the nouns in the form of a plural are used with the verb in the singular.

Three Thousand Pounds Was Too Much to Lose in a Casino. - It was too much to lose three thousand pounds in the casino.

Note:

We also use verb and other identifiers in the singular when we consider two any parts as one as they are connected and.:

Fish and chips.. Fish with fried potatoes (one dish) Fish and Chips Is Very Tasty. Fish with fried potatoes - very tasty.

"War and Peace" IS The Longest Book I'Ve Ever Read. - "War and Peace" - the longest work I ever read.

In expressions

• a Two-Week Holiday -two-week vacation
• a Three-Year-Old Boy - Three year old boy

where quantitative numerical + noun are components of a composite adjective, they do not form a plural.

A dozen dozen, a score - twenty, a hundred - one hundred, a thouusand - a thousand, a - Million Million, when in front of them are numerical to have the same shape for a single and multiple number

I Have Three Dozen Eggs.

When it is not numerical, the multiple number is formed by general rule.

Pack The Pens in Dozens, Please. - Pack the handles of a dozen, please.

Hundreds of Students Came Here. - Hundreds of students came here.

I hope you learned all the rules for the formation of a multiple number, as well as special cases of consumption of a number in English.

Check yourself in the rules of formation of the plural you can, by doing these

To own the language, without distinguishing the only and multiple number, of course, it is impossible. Fortunately, distinguishing and correctly use the multiple number in English is not as difficult as, for example, in French. Consider in more detail. Ready?

The multiple number in English is formed by certain rules in which, of course, there are exceptions. It would seem not so difficult, but when learning a language, newcomers often arise difficulties, as the rules have its own characteristics. Let's start with a simple.

Multiple nouns

• THERE was. A FRUIT ON THE PLATE. / There. wERE Some Fruit on the Plate.

It is worth considering also that there are and incurred nouns. In this case, we use only the only form of the verb to be.

• THERE IS. Some Money In The Valley.

Some nouns on the contrary can only be used in plural: scissors., glasses, trousers., tweezers., Pyjamas. et al. for example:

• Where Are My Favourite jeans.? They Must Be On The Chair.

Words in the singular

Calculated nouns are used only in the singular. Proponion each., either, neiTher., another. and all composite words with a component - one., -body. or - thing., always belong to single number.

Everybody. was. SURPRISED WHEN THEY SAW HIM.

There are many disputes about the multiple form of words ending with uS.. Historically, the words ending on -us have a Latin origin. In the plural, they acquire the end - i. instead -us. However, not all such words have Latin origin, from there and disputes. For instance:

Multiple Number of the word Virus - viruses., not Viri.

Some Latin borrowing take regular English ending - es: Campus - Campus es; Bonus - Bonus. es.

Some Latin borrowing take the end-to -i: Radius - radii., Stimulus - stimuli..

Multiple Number Rules in English

Summing up, we can safely assert, in order to clearly understand the only and multiple number of nouns in English, it is primarily necessary to study the main exceptions. There are not so many words. You can use all your favorite way with stickers - they will skip those with the list of words in the places most falling into the eyes, and return to the repetition from time to time. Also examine the multiple number in English will help the table.

After studying the exceptions, go back to the rules on which everything is built. There are not many of them. The main thing is to feel, and you can apply them intuitively on the subconscious, as if English is your native language. If you doubt that we can always handle the teacher who will advise you and tested. There is nothing complicated and impossible, the main thing is faith and desire.

Conclusion

The formation of a multiple number in English - Aza, from which they start at school, so this topic should pay special attention. It doesn't matter how old you are, this topic should always be among the initial topics to explore. If you use structured high-quality training materials for learning English, or do the teacher individually, you will definitely be oriented in the right direction. If you do on your own, be sure to take care not to get around this topic.

Enjoy your productive learning!

Big and Friendly Family EnglishDom

Nouns names are the main component of our speech. From a variety of possible words, we always choose the more suitable on the style of style and color. The way a person builds his speech can say a lot about his personality and a warehouse of the shed man. Therefore, it is very important to be able to competently and clearly express your thoughts. To do this, it is necessary to know the foundations of the grammar of the Russian language and be able to apply them in real life during communication with people. In this article we will analyze such a category as the number of nouns names.

The noun in Russian can be used in the form of one of the two possible forms - in the singular or in the multiple. The number is one of the main signs of the speech part called the name noun. But there are Russian nouns that can be used in speech only in the only or only plural. We will understand everything in order.

Nouns single

With nouns in the singular, in general, everything is clear and understandable even without grammatical rules: they denote one thing or face, that is, any (for example, handle, book, house, cat). Such nouns in the singular have their own genus (female, male or medium; sometimes common), as well as, regardless of the number, inclined by cases.

Nouns multiple numbers

The same nouns can be used in a plural (handles, books, houses, cats). These are nouns denoting several items. Very often in Russian there are nouns that have a form of only multiple numbers. You can read about them below.

Nouns in the plural in which errors often make

You could write about the most frequent mistakes in household speech in Russian, not one full-fledged article, but here we will focus our attention only on improper use of nouns. The names of the nouns multiple and correct formation of forms are very often questioned.

Be sure to pay attention to the spelling of the following words in the parental case: boots - boots, boots - boots, boots - shoes, soldiers - soldiers, places, apples, apples.

And errors in the use of these words in the parental case can very often hear in grocery stores: tangerines - mandarins, nectarines - nectarines, tomatoes - tomatoes, oranges - oranges. Nouns having a multiple number form are somewhat different from data in terms of declining by case.

Forming of multiple numbers: features

Sometimes some difficulties arise in the formation of a multiple number form for a certain category of nouns. In Russian, there are no such rules defining which ending is required for a plural number of nouns names, which at a particular point we need to apply. Therefore, it is quite difficult to properly use the word. Let's pay attention to special cases regarding the plural number of nouns. They are better just to memorize, in order not to make mistakes and not doubt the proper use of words.

First of all, it is a noun male genus (c in the singular), with endings, - and most often denoting professions. For example, a coach - coaches (not a trainer!), Treaty - contracts, accountant - accountants, lecturer - lecturers, cream creams and so on.

The next group is the same nouns as in the previous one, but with the endings, ", Professor, Professor, Doctor, Dr., Director, Anchor, Anchor, and so on.

Nouns names, always used in the singular

In Russian, there are a lot of nouns that do not vary in numbers and always used exclusively in the form of the singular. Consider the groups that such nouns can be divided:

Denoting different feelings, features of state and human qualities (tenderness, anger, anger, hatred, lust, dependence, safety, weakness, kindness);

Denoting signs of the subject (gray, blue, red, thinness, fullness, density);

Real (oil, gold, steel, tin, silver, nickel, sugar, sour cream, oil, pearls);

Denoting a few of the same items in aggregate (dishes, foliage, defortion, beast);

Denoting items existing in all of nature in a single copy (sun, earth, sky, moon); The same group includes geographical names (Argentina, Stockholm, Moscow, Irtysh, Novosibirsk, Crimea, Ob).

Nouns names that have a multiple form

Only in the multiple number exist in Russian the following nouns names:

Denoting different kinds of substances (blush, perfume, ink, yeast);

Denotic items in a pair (jeans, rakes, rollers, pants, leggings, pants, leggings, glasses, sledges, sleds);

Denoting games or some processes (checkers, settles, hide and seek, bumpers, catch-up, election);

Denoting natural phenomena or temporary segments (day, vacation, twilight, weekdays);

Being geographic or astronomical names (Sochi, Alps, Curiles, Scales).

So, we summarize: In Russian, there are two forms of nouns names - the only and multiple. Most words have both forms, but there are also nouns having a form of only a plural, and, of course, those that are used only in the singular.

Numbers.

The separation on the only and multiple number may be a remnant of the remote era when the invoice was rarely used in practice, and expressed grammatically forms that mean "one" and "many" was sufficient in most practical cases.

Multiple number can be two types:

• distribution, eg, sheet (un.) - sheets (mn. h.),
• collective, eg, sheet (un.) - leaves (mn. h.).

In this case, a collective value can be expressed by the only number: rags, voronene.

There are various ways of representing the plural:

• Repeat: (in Indonesian Orang - "Man", Orang-Orang - "People").
• End, consoles, suffixes: ("Mole" - "Mole").
• Supplemental number: ("Man" - "People").
• Changing the heading (the so-called "broken multiple"): (in Arabic Chinese - "Book", Kutub - "Books").

Some authors consider the expression of a plural also counting words (numbering, classifiers), for example, in the expressions of the "forty heads of livestock", "three crusts of bread" the words "goals", "crusts" are numbering. This point of view is not generally accepted.

Russian language

In Russian, the form of a plural number in verbs, nouns, adjectives, pronoun forms usually by changing the endings.

In Russian, the shape of the plural may also be used in the meaning of the only one. An example is the pronoun "you" used in order to express respect for the interlocutor ( polite multiple number), or pronouns in the multiple number used in relation to crowned persons ( multiple magnitude): Majesty, « God's mercy, we, Alexander the first, emperor and autocrat of the All-Russian ...».

In Russian, a multiple number without numerical and other words explaining the amount may have the following values:

• « more than one":" Teenagers went to our entrance "\u003d" More than one teenager went into our entrance. "
• « everyone":" Electrons have a negative charge "\u003d" Each electron has a negative charge. "
• « typical":" Birds can fly "\u003d" A typical bird knows how to fly. "
• « each of the aforementioned":" Ivan and Peter went to us. Guests turned out to be nice people. "
• « most":" The Germans on the referendum voted to eliminate the post of president. "
• « large group":" Cockroaches can make life in the house unbearable. "
• generic concept: "Birds - the vertebrate class" (although no bird is a class).
• some games: "Catching", "Hires", etc.
• some subjects: "Wiles", "Pants", "Scissors", "Clock", etc.
• monarch speech: "We command the highest."
• furnishing appeal: "Ivan Ilyich, you will look at us?"

The presence of different values \u200b\u200bin a multiple number is often used for misleading, for example: "Doctors consider our medicine with the best tool from insomnia."

Other languages

Esperanto

In the runningly multiple number of nouns and adjective names in the nominal case is formed by adding a plurality of multiple numbers. -J. By the end of the noun -o. or adjective -a. (eg, unu Kato., multaj Katoj.; unu SEĝO., multaj SEĝOJ.). In case of vinitive case, suffix -J. added before suffix -N. (eg, multajn Katojn.).

English

In English, the multiple number of nouns is formed in most cases by adding the end of the "-S" (for example, one Cat., many Cats.; one chair, many Chairs.) or "-es" (for example, one Bush., many Bushes.; one ITCH, many ITCHES.):

1. if the word ends with a vowel "y", which is preceded by a consonant sound, the vowel "Y" changes to "I" and is added "-es" (for example, "Family - Families");
2. if the word ends with a vowel "y", which is preceded by a vowel sound, then the "-s" end is added (for example, "toy - toys");
3. if the word ends with a vowel "O", then the end of "-es" is added (for example, Potatoes, Heroes; Pianos, Photos);
4. if the word ends on the "-f" or "-fe", then "F" changes to "V" (for example, Knife - Knives, Wolf - Wolves, Shelf - Shelves; Schel. Handkerchiefs, Roofs);
5. exceptions, for example: Foot - Feet, Goose - Geese, Tooth - Teeth, Child - Children, Sheep - Sheep, Deer - Deer, Ox - Oxen, Mouse - MICE, LOISE - LICE, MAN - MEN, WOMAN - WOMEN.

Zero

In the languages \u200b\u200bin which there are only forms of the singular and plural, a different form can be used to designate zero. For example, in Russian, as well as English, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, the multiple number is used to indicate the zero number, and in French is the only one; In Esperanto, both forms are equal.

see also

• Singularia Tantum (existing, used only in the singular)
• Pluralia Tantum (Multiple, consumed only in the plural)

useful links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Watch what is a "multiple number" in other dictionaries:

PLURAL. See the number. Literary encyclopedia: Dictionary of literary terms: in 2 x t. / Edited by N. Brodsky, A. Lavretsky, E. Lunina, V. Lvova Rogachevsky, M. Rosanova, V. Cheshikhina Vetrinsky. M.; L.: Publishing House in L. D. Frenkel ... Literary encyclopedia

Plural - PLURAL. See the number ... Dictionary of literary terms

Multiple, Aya, OE; veins, Venna (book.). Existing in a set manifested in a variety of forms, species. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Swedov. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

See the number multiple (in the article the number is grammatical) ... Dictionary of linguistic terms

- (gram.). The grammatical category of the number has developed in the language gradually, by deriversion of well-known shades of value to the well-known external features of the word. Primary random, these features have become little inserted with the necessary signs of famous ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

plural - See the number ... Grammar Dictionary: Grammar and Linguistic terms

See plurale ... Pyaspical dictionary of linguistic terms

plural from index - - Topics Oil and gas industry En Indices ... Technical translator directory

multiple number representative

multiple number is approximative - See: Multiple Associative ... Dictionary of linguistic terms T.V. Jerebilo

Books

• Personal declination in modern Russian. Multiple number, S. P. Obnorsky. The book of an outstanding domestic language language, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences S. P. Obnorsky, published the first edition in 1931, is a fundamental study of Russian registered decline. In the book…

So as not to miss new useful materials,

But there are also special cases when the noun has only the form of the only number or only multiple ( scissors. - scissors, always multiple; nEWS. - News, always the only number). With these nouns, we will get acquainted in this article.

1. We use nouns in a plural, which go paired:

   Trousers. - pants (two legs, we always speak in the plural), as well as jeans. - Jeans, tights. - tights, shorts. - shorts, pants. - underpants.

   Pajamas. - Pajamas (top and bottom).

   Glasses - glasses (2 lenses), as well as binoculars. - Binoculars.

   • These nouns are always in a plural, respectively, they require a plural:
     

     MY JEANS DON'T SUIT ME AT ALL. - My jeans are not suitable for me. (and not my jeans doesn't)

   • If you need to say in the singular about these things, then you need to use a PAIR OF. + These words:
     

     Those Are Fabulous Trusers or That is a fabulous pair of trusers. (but not a fabulous trusers)

     I WANT Some New Glasses or I Want A New Pair of Glasses.

2. There are such nouns that end on -icsAnd most often it is not a plural. For example: economics., electronics., maths., politics., physics..
   

   Politics Was His Favorite Subject In His School That Is Why He Became A Politician. (but not Politics WERE)

   • Word nEWS. - News is also not a plural, despite how we translate it, it is always the only number:
     

     What Is the Last News You Read in That Newspaper? (But not what is the last news)

   • Some words that end in -s.may be the only and multiple number, as if paradoxically sounded it:
     
3. It also happens that some nouns in the singular are used together with the form of a plural. For example: audience. - the audience, cOMMITTEE. - the committee, company - Company, family. - a family, firm - firm government. - State, staff. - team, team. - team. These are the so-called collective Nouns. or collective names nouns. You noticed that all these words call one thing, however, as a rule, from a group of people (family, group, team - all these phenomena cannot consist of one person). And we often think about these phenomena as a group of people ( they - They), so we consume the verb in the form of a plural:
   

   The Government (They) don't Want to Decrease Taxes. - The state does not want to reduce taxes.

   • Sometimes we use a multiple number after the names of companies and sports teams:
     

     RUSSIARE ARE Playing Brazil Next Monday. (IN A FOOTBALL MATCH) - Russia plays against Brazil the next Monday. (meaning a football match)

   • But it is also possible with such words and the use of the verb shape for the only number, it all depends on what sense you invest in. If all members of a group, family, states act in unison equally, make one thing all together, then, as a rule, we are talking about them in the singular:
     

     The Government Wants To Stop The War. - The state wants to stop the war.

   • We use the verb in the plural with the word police. - police:
     

     The Police Have Been Investigating This Crime for More Than 6 Monhs! - Police investigates this crime for more than 6 months! (but not hAS Been)

   • But we can also talk about the singular, if you use such words as a Police Officer. / a Policeman. / a PoliceWoman..
4. Also usually we do not use the word person. - a man in a plural ( persons.). Most often talk people - People.
   

   She is a Great Person. - She is an excellent person.

   THEY ARE GREAT PEOPLE. - They are great people. (but not persons)

   Many People Don't Know Where To Work. (But not Many People Doesn't Know)

5. We think about the amount of money ( a Sum Of Money), time period ( a Period of Time), distances ( a distance) As about one thing, so we use the word shape in the singular:
   

   Ten Million Dollars Was Stolen from The Bank. (not were Stolen)

   Five Years Is a Very Long Time, Anything CAN HAPPEN AT This Period of Time. (not five Years Are)

It is difficult, of course, it happens immediately to remember all these rules, however, with the constancy of the repetition of these rules, you will not even notice how and where it is necessary to put a single or multiple number.

Perform Use of nouns only in multiple and only in the singular