Unit 2.2
Irregular Plural Nouns
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Introduction
Nouns refer to a person, place, thing, event, substance or quality.
The plural form is used to indicate that there is more than one person, animal, place or thing. Some nouns do not follow the rules, they are irregular and their plural is formed differently.
Form
Nouns with irregular plural form do not become plural by adding -s or -es. There are no rules explaining how the plurals of these nouns are formed, we just have to learn these words and their plural forms by heart. The most commonly used nouns with irregular plural forms are:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| child | children |
| foot | feet |
| man | men |
| mouse | mice |
| person | people |
| tooth | teeth |
| woman | women |
Example
- We have three children.
- My feet are sore.
- There are some men outside the house.
- There are three mice in the barn.
- They are such nice people.
- She has vey straight teeth.
- They are very beautiful women.
Use
We use irregular plurals in the same way as regular ones, but they are formed differently.
Summary
There is no rule for the formation of irregular plural nouns, so you have to learn them by heart.
The most commonly used are: child ⇒ children, foot ⇒ feet, man ⇒ men, person ⇒ people, woman ⇒ women…
For example
— “An ox.” ⇒ “Three oxen.” / “Three oxes.”
— “There is only one goose in the street.” ⇒ “There are five geese in the street.”
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.
Exercises
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