Heyo Pwips! Let’s talk about plurals!
Most nouns are made plural by simply adding -s to the end. However, there are some special English nouns and nouns that come from Latin or Greek that we use. These nouns do not follow the pattern of simply adding -s. Lets take a look at the singular and the plural forms of these nouns.
Special English Plurals:
- child=children
- Woman=women
- man=men
There are also special plurals for common animals
- bull/cow=cattle
- sheep=sheep
- mouse=mice
- deer=deer
Latin and Greek Plurals
Latin and Greek nouns sometimes form their plurals based on Latin and Greek rules. Here are examples of such plurals:
Words that end in –us usually make their plurals in –i
- fungus=fungi
- nucleus=nuclei
- focus=foci
- alumnus=alumni
Words that end in –a, have a plural –ae
- alumna=alumnae
- emerita=emeritae
Words that end in –um (Latin) or –on (Greek) form their plural in -a
- erratum=errata
- criterion=criteria
- corrigendum=corrigenda
Exception: Often writers identify the -a plural of this type as the singular form. For example, criteria and phenomena are often used as singular nouns (the criteria/the phenomena is…) but not always. Agenda, however, has become a singular form. (see page 149)
Words that end in –is form the plural with –es.
- crisis=crises
- analysis=analyses