Топик: Category of number of the noun

3. Identical

a) (sheep-sheep, swine-swine(свинья), deer-deer, grouse-grouse(куропатка). But: 2 variants: fish-fish/fishes, pike-pile/pikes, trout-trout(s), carp-carp(s), salmon-salmon(s). The zero plural is more common to denote hunting quarries. (We caught a few fish, five salmon); the regular plural – different individuals, species.

b) Nationality nouns in –ese, -ss: Chinese, Swiss. And: Englishmen = the English, Dutchmen = the Dutch.

c) Latin & French nouns: series-series(ряд, серия), species-species(вид, порода, род), corps [ko:]-corps[ko:z] (корпус, род войск).

d) Pair, couple, dozen, score(20), stone(6,35 kg), head (поголовье): 2 dozen of children, dozens of children.

4.

a) Loans of Greek origin - (-is - -es: basis-bases, crisis-crises, analysis, thesis, parenthesis, axis[вал, ось, шпендель], hypothesis, diagnosis; -on – a : criterion – criteria, phenomenon, -a – ata : miasma-miasmata)

b) Loans of Latin origin (-us - -i, -ora, -era : stimulus-stimuli, nucleus-nuclei[ядро],radius-radii[тело], genus-genera[род]; -a - -ae : formula-formulae(formulas), antenna, vertebra[позвонок]; -um - -a : datum-data[данная величина], stratum-strata[описка], erratum-errata[опечаток]; -es,-ix - -ices, -es : index-indices(indexes), appendix, matrix)

c) Other loan nouns (-ean - -eaux : tableau-tableaux, bureau; -o - -i : tempo-tempi)

d) 2 variants (memorandum –memoranda, memorandums, curriculum-curricula, curriculums[курс обучения], formula-formulae, formulas, cherub-cherubim[херувим], cherubs, focus-foci, focuses)

e) Different meaning index-indexes-list of contents of books, indices-показатель; genius-geniuses-men of talent, genii-духи, домовые)

Plural in compound nouns

1. The 2^nd component takes the plural form as a rule (housewives, tooth-brushes)

2. –ful – at the end of the word(handfuls, spoonfuls)

3. man & woman –the 1^st components (men-servants, women-docters)

4. ending –man – men (policeman-policemn) But: Germans, Romans(not compounds)

5. prepositional noun phrase where the preposition is a linking element only – the 1^st noun takes the plural form (editors-in-chief-главный редактор, mothers-in-law, commanders-in-chiefs-главнокомандующий, coats-of-mail-кольчуга, men-of-war-военный корабль)

6. compounds = conjunction as a linking element – the plural is taken by the 2^nd noun (gin-and-tonics)

7. compound=noun+preposition/adverb/adjective-the 1^st element-plural (passers-by, lookers-on-зритель, courts-material-военно-полевой суд, attorneys-general-министр юстиции)

8. when the compound is a substantivized phrase which doesn’t contain a noun, the last element –plural (forget-me-nots-незабудка, breakdowns-поломка, stand-bys-запасной, grown-ups, close-ups-крупный план, pick-ups-случайные знакомства, drop-outs-дезертир, go-betweens-посредник)

Invariable nouns(can’t change their number)

Singular invariable nouns

1. Non-count

a) Material(tea, sugar) But: cheeses-kind of cheese

b) Abstract-music, anger

2. Proper nouns The Thames, Henry

3. Some ening-s

a) news(10 o’clock news), means-by this means(этими средствами), Gallows(виселица)

b) diseases (mumps-свинка, measles-корь, rickets-рахит, shingles-краснуха)