Page 22 - Grammar Glow - 6

I. Some nouns have the singular and the plural alike.

deer fish fruit sheep swine series summons

J. Irregular Plurals.

Singular Plural Singular Plural

child children man men
foot feet mouse mice

goose geese ox oxen

louse lice tooth teeth

K. Plurals of Compound Nouns.

Singular Plural Singular Plural

father-in-law fathers-in-law mother-in-law mothers-in-law

Englishman Englishmen passer-by passers-by

looker-on lookers-on stepbrother stepbrothers

Nouns Always Plural

ashes cattle contents clergy goggles

goods people police repairs riches

scissors shorts shoes specs

Nouns Always Singular

crockery furniture hair innings mathematics

news alms physics politics scenery

Memorable Points About Number

(a) Nouns of number and weight are not plural when preceeded by a numeral.
1. I have five hundred rupees.

2. I bought four dozen of bananas.

3. We require four quintal rice.

(b) Nouns of number and weight are plural when they are not limited by a numeral.
1. Thousands of rupees are needed for this project.

2. Quintals of mangoes are exported from India.

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