II. Irregular plurals
The Number of Nouns
I. Regular plurals
Book – books [s], girl – girls [z], day – days [z]
Church – churches, dish – dishes, bus – buses, box – boxes [iz]
tomato – tomatoes volcano – volcanoes [vכl keinou] potato – potatoes negro – negroes hero – heroes echo – echoes [ ekou] torpedo [tכ: pi:dou] - torpedoes motto – mottoes (-s) tornado [tכ: neidou] – tornadoes (-s) veto [ vi:tou] – vetoes mosquito – mosquitoes (-s) But if a noun ends in –o preceded by a vowel or it happens to be a noun of foreign origin, only –s is added. photo – photos piano – pianos radio – radios zero – zeros (es) scenario [sin a:riou]- scenarios kilo – kilos cuckoo [ kuku:] – cuckoos metro [metrou] – metros (метеорологическая сводка)
baby - babies
II. Irregular plurals 1. The following nouns ending in –f or –fe have the ending – ves in the plural: wife – wives (жена) calf – calves (телёнок) life – lives (жизнь) shelf – shelves (полка) knife – knives (нож) wolf – wolves (волк) loaf – loaves (буханка, каравай) leaf – leaves (лист) half – halves (половина) thief – thieves (вор) But other nouns ending in –f or –fe take only –s in the plural. roof – roofs (крыша) gulf – gulfs (морской залив) chief – chiefs(глава, руководитель) proof – proofs (доказательство) safe – safes belief – beliefs (убеждение) cuff – cuffs (манжет(ы)) grief – griefs (горе, печаль) cliff – cliffs (утес, отвесная скала) The following nouns have both forms in the plural: scarf – scarfs/scarves (шарф) handkerchief – handkerchiefs/ handkerchieves (носовой платок) hoof – hoofs/ hooves (копыто) wharf – wharfs/ wharves (пристань, причал) 2. A few nouns form the plural with –en. child – children ox – oxen (бык) brother – brethren (not blood relations, members of the same society)братство н-р студенческое 3. Some nouns form the plural by changing their vowels. mouse – mice foot – feet louse – lice (вошь) tooth – teeth man – men goose – geese woman – women 4. A few nouns have the same form for the singular and the plural. a sheep – sheep (овца) a swine – swine (свинья) a deer – deer (олень) a fish – fish a craft – craft (судно – суда) a counsel – counsel (адвокат, юрисконсульт) 5. Some borrowings (заимствования) from Latin or Greek have their original plural forms. · from Latin: a. –us → -i [ai] nucleus – nuclei focus – foci [sai] stimulus [ stimjulәs] – stimuli b. –a → ae [i:] formula – formulae / -as [әz] antenna [æn tenә] – antennae (щупальце, антенна) c. –um → a datum [deitәm] – data (данная величина) sanatorium [sænә to:riәm] – sanatoria (лечебница) memorandum [memә rændәm] – memoranda (памятная записка) stratum [stra:tәm] – strata (пласт) d. –ix, -ex → -ices [si:z] index – indices (указатель) appendix – appendices (приложение)
· from Greek a. –on → -a phenomenon – phenomena (явление) criterion – criteria (критерий) automaton [ o: tomәt(ә)n] – automata b. –a → ata dogma – dogmata schema [ski:mә] – schemata c. –is [is] → -es [i:z] basis [beisis] – bases [ beisi:z] (базис, основа) crisis – crises analysis – analyses axis – axes (ось) diagnosis – diagnoses thesis [θi:sis]– theses (тезис) hypothesis – hypotheses parenthesis – parentheses (вв. слово) emphasis – emphasis (ударение, эмфаза)
Сompound nouns
writing table – writing tables Englishman - Englishmen drawback – drawbacks (недостаток) postman – postmen (почтальон) forget-me-not – forget-me-nots (незабудка) сustom house – custom houses (таможня) merry-go-round – merry-go-rounds (карусель)
man-of-war – men-of-war passer-by – passers-by (прохожий) commander-in-chief – commanders-in-chief (главнокомандующий) lily-of-the-valley – lilies-of-the-valley (ландыш) father-in-law – fathers-in-law (свёкр, тесть) governor-general – governors-general (генерал-губернатор) court-martial [ ko:t ma:∫(ә)l] – courts martial (военно-полевой суд)
Woman-doctor – women-doctors Man-servant – men-servants
Singularia tantum (Lat.) – nouns, used only in the singular. (всегда в ед.ч.)
Note: many other abstract nouns may have both the singular and the plural forms (idea – ideas, change – changes, suggestion – suggestions)
Pluralia tantum (Lat.) – nouns, used only in the plural. (всегда во мн. ч.)
Note: there are some nouns which are homonymous of nouns used in both forms: a colour – colours (= hues) colours (=regimental flags) a force – forces (=power) forces (=an army) a glass – glasses glasses (= spectacles) a quarter – quarters (1/4) quarters (= lodgings)
· Nouns belonging to the singularia tantum group are occasionally used in the plural form for stylistic reasons. the sands of the Sahara the blue skies of Italy the waters of the Atlantic ...
Collective nouns (собирательные существительные) – nouns denoting groups of people and sometimes animals. The aristocracy delegation The bourgeoisie [ buәʒwa: zi:] government Committee the Congress Class audience Army the clergy (духовенство) The staff (штат сотрудников) team (команда) Family the elite [ei li:t] Group flock (стая) The gentry(мелкопоместное дворянство) crowd (толпа) Herd (стадо) jury (суд присяжных) Intelligentsia [in teli ʤentsiә] crew (экипаж) · We use plural verbs and pronouns when we think of these groups as collection of individuals. (My family keep a close eye on me. The team are resting now. The public were not admitted to hear the trial.) · When they are used to indicate the group as a single undivided body (a non-personal collective) we use singular verbs and pronouns. (His family was well-known in their town. Our football team has done badly this season. The audience was unanimous.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · People, police, cattle (крупный рогатый скот) usually require a plural verb. · A people (народ) – peoples (народы); people – неисчисл. люди · The noun“fruit”isgenerally used in the singular. (Fruit is cheap in summer.), but when different sorts are meant the form “fruits” is used. (On the table there are apples, pears, plums and other fruits.) · Grape – виноград (растение), a grape - виноградина, grapes – виноград (плоды). (Grapes are sour.) · The noun “fish”has the same form for the singular and for the plural (I caught 2 fish.) But when different species are meant the form “fishes” is used. (In this lake there are fishes of many varieties.) · The noun “penny”takes the form “pence” in the plural when a certain sum of money is meant, when separate coins (монеты) are meant the form “pennies” is used. (It costs 18 pence. He dropped three pennies in the slot-machine.) · The usual plural of “person”is “people” (not persons). · The nouns “ dozen”and “score”have the same form for the plural and the singular when they are used after the numerals (2 dozen eggs, 3 score years). In other cases the forms “dozens” and “scores” are used in the plural.( Pack the books in dozens, please. Scores of people were present there.) · Crossroads (перекрёсток)+ the verb in the singular · A means(одно средство)–many means(много средств), a species(один вид)–manyspecies(много видов) · A Chinese – 2 Chinese – many Chinese
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