Meaning and Formation of Number

1.3  Meaning and Formation of Number

1. In Modern English the singular form of the nouns is a bare stem with a zero-inflexion (нулевая флексия): book, boy, girl.

The plural is formed by the inflexion – (e) s [z, s, iz]: boy – boys, book – books, box – boxes.

Compare the Russian noun стол (столы) which also has a zero-inflexion in the nominative case of the singular, with the noun река (реки), which has a positive inflexion in the nominative case of the singular as well as of the plural.

The inflexion – (e) s is a modification of the Old English plural inflexion – as. In Old English there were several ways of forming the plural; the – as inflexion which was used only with masculine nouns, later on in its modified form (-as>-es>-s) became the general inflexion of the plural of nouns.

The plural inflexion is pronounced [iz] after voiced consonants and vowels: cabs, raids, tables, pens, factories, tractors; [s] after voiceless consonants: books, pilots, pipes; [iz] after sibilants: classes, bushes, branches, boxes.

Note. – Nouns ending in a mute – e preceded by a sibilant, in spelling – se, ce, – ze, – (d) ge, add the inflexion – s [iz] horse – horses; price – prices; size – sizes; bridge – bridges: village – villages.

2. With some nouns the final voiceless consonant is changed into a corresponding voiced consonant before the inflexion – es [z] is added. To this group belong:

a) Nouns ending in – fe or – f [f]. The f is changed into v (consonant interchange), and the inflexion – es [z] is added: knife–knives; shelf – shelves; wife – wives.

Note. – Some nouns ending in – f or – ff, simply add – s [s] in the plural: roof – roofs; chief – chiefs; handkerchief – handkerchiefs; cliff – cliffs; cuff – cuffs; muff – muffs.

The following nouns have double forms: hoof – hoofs, hooves; scarf – scarfs, scarves.

b) Some nouns ending in – th [θ], change the θ into [3]: mouth [mauθ] – mouths [mauθz]; path [pa:θ] – paths [pa:θz]; bath [ba:θ] – baths [ba:3z].

c) The noun house [haus] – houses ['hauziz].

Peculiarities of Spelling. Notice the following:

a)  When a noun ends in – y preceded by a consonant is replaced by – i and the ending – es [iz] is added: city – cities; country – countries; penny – pennies (when a sum of money and not separate coins is meant the plural form pence is used: It costs five pence. But: Five pennies were lying on the table).

b) When a noun ends in – o with a preceding consonant, – es [z] is usually added: hero – heroes; Negro–Negroes; potato – potatoes; tomato – tomatoes. But: piano – pianos; photo – photos; zero – zeros.

c)  The plural of proper names and other parts of speech, figures, letters, etc. when substantivized, are sometimes written in the ordinary way, sometimes with an 's added:

The two Mary's or the two Marys (y remains unchanged). Mind your P's and Q's. Cross your t's and dot your i's. Don't use so many buts.

Oh, no, no, a thousand no's. [17]»… Mr. Copperfield objected to my threes and fives being too much alike each other, or to my putting curly tails to my sevens and nines,» resumed my mother. [10]

3. Some nouns are survivals of Old English plural forms; they form the plural:

a) By changing the root-vowel (vowel interchange): man – men, woman – women, foot – feet, tooth – teeth, goose – geese, mouse – mice;

b) By changing the root-vowel (vowel interchange) and adding the inflexion [en], in spelling – en: child – children; brother – brethren.¹

4. Plural of Compound Nouns.

a) In compound nouns usually the head-noun takes the plural form: fellow-worker – fellow-workers; school-mate – school-mates; air-raid – air-raids; editor-in-chief – editors-in-chief; brother-in-law – brothers-in-law.

b)Compounds ending in – man change – man into – men in spelling, but in pronunciation there is no difference between the singular and the plural: postman ['poustman] – postmen ['poustman].

Such nouns as German, Roman, and Norman are not compounds. They form their plural in the usual way: Germans, Romans, Normans.

c) When the compound does not contain any noun, the plural is formed by adding – s to the last word: forget-me-not – forget-me-nots; merry-go-round (карусель) – merry-go-rounds; hold-all (порт плед) – hold-alls; overall – overalls.

d)Compounds in – fut add – s to the end: handful – handfuls; spoonful – spoonfuls; but also: columns-full (in newspapers).

e) If a proper noun is preceded by a title, the sign of the plural is added either to the title or to the proper noun itself; in colloquial speech it is usual to add the – s to the proper noun; in official speech the title is pluralized.

Colloquial: The two doctor Thompsons. The Miss Smiths Official: Messrs Jones. The Misses Smith.

The Miss Crumptons or to quote the authorities of the inscription on the garden-gate: The Misses Crumpton. [10]

f) An adjectivized noun in attributive function is, as a rule, used in the singular even if the meaning is plural: a four-storey house, a five-act play, the printed-book section of a museum.

It was a three-mile walk along a dry white road, made whiter to-night by the light of the moon. [9]

There is, however, a growing tendency in recent times to use the plural form, especially in long official terms: a two-thirds majority; the food products department; the sports grounds; the United Nations Organization; parcels post.

Two powerful engines were pulling a goods train up the sharp incline… [4]

Streams of people were pouring out from the Sports Ground… [4]

In many instances where the form in – s is used it may be understood either as the plural form of the common case or as the plural possessive. Accordingly, the use of the apostrophe wavers:

a) No apostrophe:

I enjoyed several hours sleep. There is twenty years difference in their age. I had only two shillings pocket money. A bridge of only two planks breadth.

b) An apostrophe:

A five years' child. The Seven Years’ War. A two months' baby.

…it was a two-and-a half hours' drive. [21]