RULES IN FORMING PLURAL NOUNS ❖ A plural noun names more than one person, place, or thing. Here are some rules to make singular nouns into plural nouns: 1. To make most nouns plural, add an s to the end of the word. The plural of flower is flowers. 2. Nouns ending in s, z, ch, sh, or x, add es to the end of the word to make it plural. The plural of dish is dishes. 3. Some nouns ending with o are pluralized by adding and es to the end of the word. The plural of tomato is tomatoes. 4. Most nouns ending with o are pluralized by adding s to the end of the word. The plural of photo is photos. 5. When a noun ends in a y, change the y at the end of the word to an ies. The plural of berry is berries. 6. Some nouns ending with y, preceded by a vowel, are pluralized by just adding s to the end of the word. The plural of day is days. 7. Nouns ending with f or fe, change to f or the fe to ves to form the plural. The plural of life is lives. 8. Nouns ending with ff are usually pluralized by just adding an s to the end of the word. The plural of cuff is cuffs. 9. Some nouns change the vowel sound to become plural. The plural of man is men, the plural of tooth is teeth. 10. Some Old English plurals are still in use. The plural of child is children, the plural of ox is oxen. 11. Some nouns that end with is, the ending is changed to es to form the plural. The plural of crisis is crises. 12. Some nouns that end with um, the um is replaced with an a. The plural for datum is data, the plural for medium is media. 13. Some nouns that end with on, the on is replaced with an a. The plural of phenomenon is phenomena. 14. Some nouns that end is a, change the a at the end of the word to ae. The plural of larva is larvae. 15. Some nouns that end in ex or ix, the plural is formed by changing the x to ces. The plural of index is indeces, the plural of matrix is matrices. 16. Some nouns that end in us, the plural is formed by changing the us to i. The plural of cactus is cacti, the plural of radius is radii. 17. Nouns ending in eau, the plural is formed by adding x to the end of the word. The plural of bureau is bureaux. 18. There are any number of other variations such as the plural of tempo is tempi; the plural of cherub is cherubim; the plural of person is people. But language evolves over time or we would still be speaking like Shakespeare. Even as I type these rules, some are officially amended. For example, the plural forms indeces and indexes are both being accepted as correct plurals for index and the plural forms bureaux and bureaus are both being accepted as correct plurals for bureau, as are many other irregular plurals being found in standard dictionaries with modernized plural options.
FUNCTIONS OF NOUNS ❖ A noun can function as the subject of a sentence or clause, and the object of a verb or a preposition. Some examples are:
1. subject-doing the action/being talked about , comes before a verb EX. The considerate policeman stopped the motorist. 2. predicate-tells something about the subject , comes after a linking verb EX. Patience is a virtue most people don't have. 3.indirect object-comes before the direct object EX. David bought Darrina a ring. 4. direct object-follows a transitive verb EX. Everyone in the seminary does his duty religiously. 5. objective compliment-comes after a direct object EX. The class elected John class escort. 6. objective of the preposition-comes after a preposition EX. The shape of the roof is triangular. 7. possessive modifier-expresses possession EX. That is Ms.Tina's house. 8. appositive- EX. Ms.Rona, our adviser, wrote the reminders on the board. 9. direct adress-EX. Jenny, close the door.
FORMING PLURAL COMPOUND NOUNS
[pic] MT Reference Style Guide > Medical Transcription Grammar, Usage and Style > Grammar > Plurals and Possessives > Forming plural compound nouns
See also: Compound nouns
When a compound noun is expressed as a single word, pluralize the final element in the compound as if it stood alone. (Basic rules for forming plurals)
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printout / printouts photocopy / photocopies forefoot / forefeet toothbrush / toothbrushes workman / workmen
The plural of hyphenated or spaced compound nouns are formed by pluralizing the chief element of the compound.
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father-in-law / fathers-in-law looker-on / lookers-on attorney at law / attorneys at law couch potato / couch potatoes runner-up / runners-up
BUT passerby / passersby
When a hyphenated compound does not contain a noun as one of its elements, pluralize the final element.
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get-together / get-togethers hang-up / hang-ups run-through / run-throughs know-it-all / know-it-alls hand-me-down / hand-me-downs drive-in / drive-ins
The plural of compounds ending in ful are formed by adding an s.
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armful / armfuls cupful / cupfuls pocketful / pocketfuls teaspoonful / teaspoonfuls
When the first element of a compound is a possessive, simply pluralize the final element.
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collector's item / collector's items seller's market / seller's markets women's service / women's services visitor's permit / visitor's permits 