B. (Part - 6) USING SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS

 

B. USING SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS

1. Some nouns do not have a singular form. They are always plural. They refer to things or instruments that have two parts fixed together and thus take a plural verb.

Examples:

 Glasses, scissors, jeans, trousers, pyjamas, spectacles 

2. Some plural nouns are used in the singular. They take a singular verb.

Examples: 

Mathematics, Physics, police, cattle, news, machinery, vacation, information scenery, advice, poetry, data

3. Certain collective nouns are used in the plural form.

Examples: 

Police, cattle, gentry, team

• The cattle are always in the fields. 
• The police have succeeded in nabbing the thief.

Exception: 

The noun "people can be used both in the singular as well as plural. Only the plural form is used when it acts as a collective noun.

Examples:

• The people of India are very sensitive.
• The people were outraged at the ruling

Both the plural as well as the singular form is used when it acts as a common noun.

Examples

• The native peoples of America are called the Red Indians.
• The young people of the country are very enthusiastic.

4. Some nouns assame different plural forms according to the context.

Examples:

• index-indices and ideas
• die dies and dice
• brother-brethres and brothers

5. Some nous assume different meanings in the singular and the plural context

 a. Some nouns have one implication in singular and two in the plural.

Examples:

• The invasion took place in this manner. 
• He did not seem to have any manners.

In the above examples, the first instance means a method, while in the second instance manner can mean behaviour as well as a method of conducting oneself.

                                                                         To be continue...