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Questions and Answers
What is the plural ending for nouns that end with -y, but are preceded by a vowel in their singular form?
What is the plural ending for nouns that end with -y, but are preceded by a vowel in their singular form?
unchanged
What is the plural ending for nouns that end with a sibilant in their singular form?
What is the plural ending for nouns that end with a sibilant in their singular form?
-es
What is the plural form of the noun 'knife'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'knife'?
knives
What are 'mutation plurals'?
What are 'mutation plurals'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'child'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'child'?
What are mass nouns?
What are mass nouns?
Can mass nouns be made plural?
Can mass nouns be made plural?
What is number as a grammatical category?
What is number as a grammatical category?
What is required for every noun to participate in subject-verb concord and pronominal reference?
What is required for every noun to participate in subject-verb concord and pronominal reference?
What does the ability to perceive and differentiate between one and more than one referents derive from?
What does the ability to perceive and differentiate between one and more than one referents derive from?
What is number not only a morphological modification of the noun, but also a morphosyntactic category?
What is number not only a morphological modification of the noun, but also a morphosyntactic category?
What is the general rule for regular nouns to become plural in English?
What is the general rule for regular nouns to become plural in English?
What are irregular plural nouns?
What are irregular plural nouns?
What will be the focus of the following essay?
What will be the focus of the following essay?
What do cardinal numerals express?
What do cardinal numerals express?
What do ordinal numerals express?
What do ordinal numerals express?
Give an example of a quantifier used with plural, count nouns.
Give an example of a quantifier used with plural, count nouns.
What are quantifiers used with?
What are quantifiers used with?
What is much used with?
What is much used with?
What is little used with?
What is little used with?
What is few used with?
What is few used with?
What does few mean?
What does few mean?
Can quantifiers be used interchangeably between count and mass nouns?
Can quantifiers be used interchangeably between count and mass nouns?
What is the difference between count and mass nouns?
What is the difference between count and mass nouns?
What are singularia tantum?
What are singularia tantum?
What are pluralia tantum?
What are pluralia tantum?
How do compound nouns form their plurals?
How do compound nouns form their plurals?
What are quantifiers?
What are quantifiers?
What are some examples of multipliers?
What are some examples of multipliers?
Are numerals considered a subcategory of quantifiers?
Are numerals considered a subcategory of quantifiers?
What is the plural form of the noun 'echo'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'echo'?
Which of the following is a mutation plural?
Which of the following is a mutation plural?
What is the plural form of the noun 'child'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'child'?
Which of the following is an example of a mass noun?
Which of the following is an example of a mass noun?
What is the plural form of the noun 'ox'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'ox'?
Which of the following is a regular plural noun?
Which of the following is a regular plural noun?
What is the plural form of the noun 'phenomenon'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'phenomenon'?
What is the difference between cardinal and ordinal numerals?
What is the difference between cardinal and ordinal numerals?
Which quantifier is used with mass nouns to mean 'not as much'?
Which quantifier is used with mass nouns to mean 'not as much'?
Which quantifier is used with plural, count nouns to mean 'not as many'?
Which quantifier is used with plural, count nouns to mean 'not as many'?
Which of the following is a quantifier used with both count and mass nouns?
Which of the following is a quantifier used with both count and mass nouns?
Which of the following quantifiers is used with plural, count nouns?
Which of the following quantifiers is used with plural, count nouns?
Which of the following quantifiers is used with mass nouns?
Which of the following quantifiers is used with mass nouns?
Which of the following is an example of an ordinal numeral?
Which of the following is an example of an ordinal numeral?
Which of the following is an example of a quantifier used with plural, count nouns?
Which of the following is an example of a quantifier used with plural, count nouns?
Which of the following is an example of a quantifier used with mass nouns?
Which of the following is an example of a quantifier used with mass nouns?
What is the plural form of the noun 'mirage'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'mirage'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'day'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'day'?
Which of the following is a sibilant that triggers the addition of /iz/ in the plural form of regular nouns?
Which of the following is a sibilant that triggers the addition of /iz/ in the plural form of regular nouns?
Which of the following is an example of an irregular plural noun?
Which of the following is an example of an irregular plural noun?
What is the purpose of number as a grammatical category?
What is the purpose of number as a grammatical category?
Which of the following is a regular and predictable way of forming the plural of English nouns?
Which of the following is a regular and predictable way of forming the plural of English nouns?
Which of the following is a voiced consonant other than a sibilant that triggers the addition of /z/ in the plural form of regular nouns?
Which of the following is a voiced consonant other than a sibilant that triggers the addition of /z/ in the plural form of regular nouns?
What is the plural form of the noun 'data'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'data'?
Which of the following is an example of a compound noun that inflects both elements when the first noun is 'man' or 'woman'?
Which of the following is an example of a compound noun that inflects both elements when the first noun is 'man' or 'woman'?
Which of the following is NOT a pluralia tantum noun?
Which of the following is NOT a pluralia tantum noun?
What is the plural form of the noun 'scissors'?
What is the plural form of the noun 'scissors'?
Which of the following is an example of a noncount noun that ends with '-s' but is treated as singular?
Which of the following is an example of a noncount noun that ends with '-s' but is treated as singular?
What is the most common way to form the plural of a compound noun?
What is the most common way to form the plural of a compound noun?
What is the difference between singularia tantum and pluralia tantum nouns?
What is the difference between singularia tantum and pluralia tantum nouns?
Study Notes
Plural Nouns
- Nouns ending in -y preceded by a vowel form plurals by adding -s (e.g., key → keys).
- Nouns ending in a sibilant (e.g., s, z, sh, ch) form plurals by adding -es (e.g., bus → buses).
- The plural of "knife" is "knives."
- "Child" pluralizes to "children."
- "Ox" pluralizes to "oxen."
- "Phenomenon" pluralizes to "phenomena."
- "Echo" pluralizes to "echoes."
- "Data" retains the same form in plural (data).
- "Scissors" is treated as plural, despite being a compound noun.
Special Plurals
- Mutation plurals are formed through internal vowel changes (e.g., man → men).
- Singularia tantum refers to nouns that exist only in singular form (e.g., information).
- Pluralia tantum refers to nouns that exist only in plural form (e.g., scissors).
- The plural form of "mirage" is "mirages."
- Compound nouns often pluralize by modifying the main noun (e.g., "man" in "man-made" becomes "men-made").
Noun Types
- Mass nouns cannot be typically counted and do not have a plural form (e.g., water).
- Mass nouns can be quantified (e.g., some water).
- Count nouns can be counted and have distinct plural forms.
Numerals and Quantifiers
- Cardinal numerals express quantity (e.g., one, two).
- Ordinal numerals express order (e.g., first, second).
- Quantifiers modify nouns; examples include "some," "few," and "much."
- "Few" indicates a small number.
- "Much" is primarily used with mass nouns, while "few" is used with count nouns.
- Quantifiers can differ for count versus mass nouns (e.g., "many" for count and "much" for mass).
Grammar and Syntax
- Number as a grammatical category indicates singular or plural status.
- Each noun must agree in number for subject-verb concord and pronominal reference.
- Understanding number facilitates differentiation between one and more than one referent.
Examples and Observations
- Regular nouns typically form plurals by adding -s or -es.
- Irregular plural nouns do not follow standard pluralization rules (e.g., mouse → mice).
- Numerical expressions often have distinct quantifying roles in grammar.
Miscellaneous
- Multipliers are quantifiers that express a repetitive quantity (e.g., double, triple).
- Not all nouns can interchangeably use quantifiers; context will dictate the appropriate usage.
- A compound noun can sometimes inflect both parts when forming plurals.
Conclusion
- Understanding noun plurality, quantifiers, and numerals is vital for mastering English grammar and syntax rules.
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Description
Test your knowledge on count and mass nouns with this quiz! Learn about partitive expressions and singularia tantum while discovering the subtle differences between count and mass nouns in English.
