Author:
Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation:
7 August 2021
Update Date:
10 May 2024
Content
The Irregular nouns are those words whose plural does not respond to any of the general rules that we will list below. In English, the plural of most nouns is formed:
- Adding a -s at the end, for example: house, houses / casa, casas.
- Adding -it's the end when the singular noun ends with a "hissing" sound, that is, ch, s, sh, x or z. Example: kiss, kisses / beso, besos; wish, whishes / wish, wishes. This rule also applies to nouns ending in or.
- Replacing the ending -y with the ending -ies. For example: difficulty, difficulties, difficulties; society, societies / society, societies. This rule does not apply when the y is preceded by a nozzle. For example: boy, boys / boy, boys.
- Replacing the ending -f by the ending -ves. For example: thief, thieves / thief, thieves; wife, wives / wife, wives.
Examples of irregular nouns
- Castus, cacti. / Cactus.
- Child, children / child, children.
- The child got lost a few hours ago, but they already found him. / The boy was lost a few hours ago, but they already found him.
- The children will visit their grandparents in the weekend. / The children will visit their grandparents over the weekend.
- Crisis, crises / crisis.
- Deer (invariable) / deer, deer.
- Diagnosis, diagnoses. / Diagnosis, diagnostics.
- Fish (invariable) / fish, fish.
- Foot, Feet. / Foot feet.
- Fungus, fungi. / Mushroom, mushrooms.
- Goose, geese. / Goose, geese.
- Louse, lice. / Louse, lice.
- Man, Menu. / man men. Three men came with the patient. / Three men came with the patient.
- Moose (invariable) / Moose, moose.
- Mouse, mice. / Mouse mice.
- Parenthesis, parentheses. / parentheses.
- Person, people. / Person people.
- Sheep (invariable) / Sheep, sheep.
- Swine (invariable) Pig, pigs.
- Thesis, thesis / thesis.
- Tooth, teeth / tooth teeth.
- Woman, women. / Woman women. I don't think women are so complicated. / I don't think women are that complicated.
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