Irregular Plural

Irregular Plural

For the lesson on regular plurals of noun, refer grade six English pupil’s book (New syllabus) pp:-29-30

Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
addendum	addenda or addendums	goose	geese
aircraft	aircraft	graffito	graffiti
alumna	alumnae	grouse	grouse or grouses
alumnus	alumni	half	halves
analysis	analyses	hoof	hooves or hoofs
antenna	antennae or antennas	hypothesis	hypotheses
antithesis	antitheses	index	indices or indexes
apex	apices or apexes	larva	larvae
appendix	appendices or appendixes	libretto	libretti or librettos
axis	axes	loaf	loaves
bacillus	bacilli	locus	loci
bacterium	bacteria	louse	lice
basis	bases	man	men
beau	beaux or beaus	matrix	matrices or matrixes
bison	bison	medium	media or mediums
bureau	bureaux or bureaus	memorandum	memoranda or memorandums
cactus	cacti or cactus or cactuses	minutia	minutiae
chateau	chateaux or chateaus	moose	moose
child	children	mouse	mice
codex	codices	nebula	nebulae or nebulas
concerto	concerti or concertos	nucleus	nuclei or nucleuses
corpus	corpora	oasis	oases
crisis	crises	offspring	offspring
criterion	criteria or criterions	opus	opera or opuses
curriculum	curricula or curriculums	ovum	ova
datum	data	ox	oxen or ox
deer	deer	parenthesis	parentheses
diagnosis	diagnoses	phenomenon	phenomena
die	dice or dies	phylum	phyla
dwarf	dwarves or dwarfs	prognosis	prognoses
ellipsis	ellipses	quiz	quizzes
erratum	errata	radius	radii or radiuses
faux pas	faux pas	referendum	referenda or referendums
fez	fezzes	salmon	salmon or salmons
fish	fish or fishes	scarf	scarves or scarfs
focus	foci or focuses	self	selves
foot	feet or foot	series	series
formula	formulae or formulas	sheep	sheep
fungus	fungi or funguses	shrimp	shrimp or shrimps
genus	genera	species	species

stimulus	stimuli	trout	trout
stratum	strata	tuna	tuna or tunas
swine	swine	vertebra	vertebrae or vertebras
syllabus	syllabi or syllabuses	vertex	vertices or vertexes
symposium	symposia or symposiums	vita	vitae
synopsis	synopses	vortex	vortices or vortexes
tableau	tableaux or tableaus	wharf	wharves or wharfs
thesis	theses	wife	wives
thief	thieves	wolf	wolves
tooth	teeth	woman	women

Compound noun plural - கூட்டு-பெயர்ச்சொற்கள்

Compound nouns are nouns made up of two or more words. In compound noun we have to find principal word and make the principal word plural.

Example:

Mother-in-law

Here the principal word is mother. So, the plural of noun is mothers-in-law.

Singular	Plural
a tennis shoe	three tennis shoes
one assistant headmaster	five assistant headmasters
the sergeant major	some sergeants major
a mother-in-law	two mothers-in-law
an assistant secretary of state	three assistant secretaries of state
my toothbrush	our toothbrushes
lieutenant general	lieutenant generals
a woman-doctor	four women-doctors
a doctor of philosophy	two doctors of philosophy
Guest-of-honour	Guests-of-honour
a passerby, a passer-by	two passersby, two passers-by
teaspoonful	teaspoonfuls
car wheel	car wheels
Bucketful of water	Bucketfuls of water
Cupful of rice	Cupfuls of rice
order-in-council
Water bottle
Paperclip
Snowman
Court-martial
tool box
Forget-me-not
Jack-in-the-box
good-for-nothing
higher-up
grown-up
Filler-in
hanger-on
maker-up
handfuls
sackfuls

Collective noun and pluralisation

Collective nouns are nouns which stand for a group or collection of people or things. Some collective nouns can take a singular or plural verb, depending on context

Examples: Collective noun

army audience board cabinet class committee company corporation

council department faculty family firm group jury majority

minority navy public school senate society team troupe

The jury delivers itsverdict.

A dozen is probably not enough.

The government is doing a good job

My family has settled in Amapara.

My team is “Roaring Lion”.

My team is really playing well. (think of individual)

The audience was larger than average.

The audience were all cheering.

The number of applicants is increasing.

A numberof students are waiting for their turn.

One ofthe students in this room is responsible.

Exercise

Complete the sentences with the correct plural form of the word in bracket

1. There were three ______________ in the room. (child)

2. I lost two _______________ last year. (tooth)

3. The ________________ were eating cheese. (mouse)

4. We saw ten _______________ flying south. (goose)

5. The four _____________ were working. (man)

6. My ___________ were hurting after the hike. (foot)

Choose the correct answer.

1. Which is the correct plural?

1.       Passer-bys

2.       Passers-by

3.       Either could be used

2.Which is the correct plural?

1.       Lay-by

2.       Lay-bys

3.       Either could be used

3.Which is the correct plural?

1.       Mother-in-laws

2.       Mothers-in-law

3.       Either could be used

4.Which is the correct plural?

1.       Woman judges

2.       Women judge

3.       Women judges

5.Which is the correct plural?

1.       Travels agency

2.       Travel agencys

3.       Travel agencies

6. Which is the correct plural?

1.       Bus stations

2.       Buses station

3.       Buses stations

7- Which is the correct plural?

1.       Antique shops

2.       Antiques shop

3.       Antiques shops

8-Which is the correct plural?

1.       Physic teachers

2.       Physics teacher

3.       Physics teachers

9 Which is the correct plural?

1.       Runner-up

2.       Runners-up

3.       Runners-ups

10 Which is the correct plural?

1.       Shoes shop

2.       Shoe shops

3.       Either could be used