If you, like me, watch various reality shows from the fashion world, to your slight shame, you should be familiar with phrases like I’d like to pair this with a navy pant or Maybe a smoky eye and a red lip. It is considered that the default should be to use the plural form if the word, despite the existence of a singular form, is usually used in the plural. Relatively few people are brave enough to wear lipstick on just one lip. Outside of the fashion industry you would most likely say eyes (eyes), lips And pants (pants)(or trousers in British English). Interestingly, in the context of body parts, we have no problem when we think about one eye or one lip, but what about one pant leg or trouser leg? Why are these words almost invariably used in the plural?
Without realizing it, we use , which in Latin means “plural only” and is used in relation to nouns that are used exclusively in the plural or if the noun has a specific plural meaning. In grammatical terms, such nouns in English language require the plural form of the verb: You say my trousers are red, but not my trousers is red.
Below is a list of some common words that are only used in the plural ( :
1. Trousers (pants)
Looking back, we learn that around the 16th century. there was a singular form trouser- or rather, trouse; ending form –er was always a plural form and was probably created as a 'drawers' type. One might assume that the word trouse originally used to refer to one leg, by analogy with the noun sleeve, but this is not the case. Word trouse not far removed from the modern noun trousers, since it meant “a close-fitting piece of clothing intended to cover the thighs (divided at the bottom so as to cover each thigh separately), to the lower edge of which stockings were attached (if any).” At the same time, the word trousers in the plural form had the same meaning. Other similar clothing items are currently included in : pants(trousers), shorts(shorts), leggings(leggings), jeans(jeans), flares (flared trousers),tights(tights), overalls (overalls), dungarees(work trousers) and etc.
2. Scissors (scissors)
Word scissors(scissors) appeared in the 15th century. and was initially used as in the singular (among the early examples of use are Cysour, sysowre or sizzer), and in the plural. Soon latest form began to prevail, and in our time you can find the singular form scissor solely as a verb (“cut with scissors”, or in a figurative sense) or as an attribute as part of a complex noun, for example scissor kick. Many other dual blade tools are also classified as : pliers(pincers), forceps(forceps), shears(scissors), tweeters(tweezers), tongs(forceps).
3. Glasses (glasses)
Of course, the singular form glass exists, but in the context of optics only the plural form glasses is used; even in the fashion world they have not yet begun to recommend us to wear a chic glass (one spectacular eyepiece). The same applies to binoculars(binoculars), spectacles(glasses) And goggles (safety glasses).
As with other nouns , the singular form is grammatically correct if the noun is preceded by ‘pair of’: we’ll say rather a pair of glasses is an expensive purchase, how a pair of glasses are an expensive purchase. At the same time, in live speech you can hear pair of glasses both singular and plural: according to Oxford Dictionaries New Monitor Corpus ( research project, which collects about 150 million words of modern English every month), approximately the same number of occurrences of pair of glasses is And pair of glasses are.
4. Clothes (clothes)
Delving deeper into the topic of clothing, we can say clothes, but you can't say clothe in the singular as a noun (in the singular form the word exists only as a verb). Noun cloth functions in the singular form, but means "a woven or felted cloth made from wool, cotton or similar fibres" rather than "garment". However, this was not always the case. At the end of the 14th century. in a word cloth could name a piece of clothing, a mantle or a cloak; It is in this sense that this word was found in William Langland's poem “The Vision of Peter the Ploughman” ( Piers Plowman) , John Wycliffe's translation of the Bible and the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Nowadays in Oxford English Dictionary (O.E.D.) word clothes is listed as a plural collective noun that does not have a singular form; to denote the singular, the phrase “article of clothing” is used.
5. Marginalia (notes, notes)
Of course, nouns pluralia tantum do not always end in 's'. Especially if they inherited the plural form from another or more ancient language. Word marginalia– “notes, notes, footnotes in the margins” – comes from a Latin noun, which also had a singular form marginalis. However, the singular form did not carry over into English, so the word marginalia refers to nouns pluralia tantum, among which you can find other Latin borrowings - for example, juvenilia(works written or created by the author or artist in his early years) and literati (educated people, interested in literature). Some words created in this way that are widely used in the plural (for example, paraphernalia(accessories, equipment) And regalia(regalia)) can also be used in the singular.
6. Folk (people, people, relatives)
Despite the existence of an alternative form folks(which can often be seen in the phrase old folks’ home (nursing home)), word folk used exclusively in the plural. This noun dates back to the Old English period and is of Germanic origin.
7. Shenanigans (scams, intrigues, pranks, antics)
Nouns pluralia tantum are not necessarily material objects; a well-known example is the word shenanigans. This word is of uncertain origin and means “secret, dishonest action, intrigue” or “foolish, cheerful behavior; prank". Singular form shenanigan is not widely used or mentioned on OxfordDictionaries.com, but the word shenanigans, in fact, developed according to the same pattern as the word clothes, albeit for a shorter period. The earliest example of the word's use appears in an 1855 article in the publication Town Talk: ‘Are you quite sure? No shenanigan?’ (“Are you sure? Jokes aside?”). This word was used in the same meaning in various sources, including in the letters of Mark Twain at the end of the 19th century. - at the beginning of the twentieth century. During recent years this word has almost completely fallen out of use.
8. Loggerheads (at odds)
Singular word loggerhead denotes the genus of turtle and the genus of shrike, also having the archaic meaning of “oaf, blockhead.” Currently, this word is most often found in the expression at loggerheads(at knifepoint, at odds), which means "in a state of heated debate and disagreement" and never occurs in the singular form at loggerhead. It is assumed that in this meaning the word loggerheads dates back to the end of the 17th century, when loggerhead used in the sense of “a tool with a long handle, made of iron, intended for heating liquids and resins.”
9. Cahoots (in cahoots)
As for expressions, you are unlikely to come across the word cahoots somewhere else other than colloquialism in cahoots(conspire or act together secretly). In modern English the singular form cahoot is not used, although this word was at one time used in the singular. The etymology of this word is not entirely clear, but it is assumed that it is associated with French word cahute, meaning “hut, shack.”
10. Amends (compensation, reward)
You can say make amends (to provide compensation), but you can't say make an amend in the singular; In its singular form, this word currently exists only as a verb. Noun amends comes from the Old French word amends, meaning “penalty, fine”, which was the plural form of the noun amende. However, only the plural form has passed into English. You can provide compensation (make amends) by paying damages (paying damages). Word damage represents uncountable noun, but in the sense of “a sum of money demanded or given as compensation for damage caused” this word is used exclusively in the plural.
11. Smithereens (shards, shards)
Presumably the word smithereens comes from Irish smidirin meaning "small pieces" (almost always in the context of destruction; e.g. the table got smashed to smithereens(the table broke into splinters)). The word is also used smithers, but you can't say smither or smithereen in the singular. Nevertheless, transitive verb smithereen(to break into pieces, into small pieces) is included in the Oxford English Dictionary.
12. Thanks (thank you)
Despite frequent use verb thank you, especially in the phrase thank you (thank you), you can't say give a thank you in the singular - well, unless you were transported back to the times of Ancient Britain, using the Old English word thanc from which it came modern word. Again, the singular form fell out of use over time, although isolated examples can be found as early as the late 19th century.
There are a number of compound nouns and expressions that are always or predominantly used in the plural, despite the fact that their constituent words are often singular. Among them - bare— bones(bare facts, essence) , arts and crafts(folk art, applied art) , bacon and eggs(bacon and eggs), good manners (good manners, good manners) , bad manners(bad taste) ,baked beans (canned beans) , bits and pieces(stuff) , goods and chattels(belongings, personal belongings) , glad rags(evening dress) , halcyondays (halcyon days, calm), high spirits(good mood) ,high jinks(violent fun) , ladies and gentlemen (ladies and gentlemen) And last rites(unction) . In turn, there are words singularia tantum – nouns that do not have a plural form. Among them - dust, wealth, information. But we will talk about this in another article.
There are sections of grammar that only seem simple and usually not given enough attention. I know from experience that it is precisely these “simple” rules that many students stumble and make annoying mistakes for which precious points are deducted when taking TOEFL tests or any other tests.
I have already talked about Now let's talk about the discrepancies that relate to the singular and plural between the English and Russian languages.
Let me remind you that in English, words that end with the letter “S” can be:
1. Plural nouns. For example:
2. Verbs in the Present Indefinite Tense, if the subject is the third person singular (he, she, it); For example:
He reads. My sister works.
3. Nouns in the possessive case: for example:
Mary's sister.
My brother's wife.
In all three cases, the ending “S” is a suffix that is added and detached.
There are very few words that simply end in “S” and they are known to everyone: is, has, was, this, thus, plus, bus.
But there are nouns with the suffix “S”, which is tightly stuck to the word and CANNOT be detached, that is, such nouns are used only with the ending “S”. Conventionally, they can be divided into two groups:
First group. Always in the plural.
Nouns that denote objects consisting of two identical parts (pairs), and these parts are connected to one whole. For example: “trousers”, consisting of two legs. These are usually clothes or some kind of tools. Such nouns can be called “paired”.
In English, “paired” nouns end with the permanent suffix “S” and are used ONLY in the plural. I will write a few of these nouns:
binoculars = binoculars;
braces = braces;
breeches = pants, breeches;
glasses (= spectacles) = glasses;
knickers = breeches;
pants = long johns, drawers, trousers, trousers;
pincers = pliers, tongs, forceps, tweezers;
pliers = tongs, pincers, pliers;
scales = scales;
pajamas = pajamas;
scissors = scissors;
shorts = panties, shorts;
tights = tights;
tongs = tongs, pincers;
tweezers = tweezers;
trousers = trousers, trousers, trousers;
These trousers are on the bed. = These trousers are on the bed. (one trousers, not many trousers)
This pair of trousers is very expensive. = This pair of trousers is expensive. (this pair of trousers means just trousers)
George has ten pairs of trousers. = George bought ten pairs of trousers.
I need some new trousers. = I need several pants (trousers, pairs of trousers)
I need a new pair of trousers. = I need one pair of trousers.
Second group. Always in the singular.
1. Nouns that denote the names of scientific disciplines:
mathematics = mathematics;
physics = physics;
economics = economy;
athletics = athletics;
gymnastics = gymnastics;
dynamics = dynamics;
dialectics = dialectics;
automatics = automatic;
mechanics = mechanics;
kinematics = kinematics;
linguistics = linguistics;
politics = politics;
statistics =statistics;
2. Nouns that denote certain diseases:
mumps = mumps;
measles = measles;
shingles = shingles;
rickets = rickets;
The following words are used with the names of scientific disciplines and names of diseases: KIND/TYPE = KIND, SECTION, TYPE, CLASS, GENUS.
Take a close look at the examples:
Measles is an infectious disease. = Measles is an infectious disease.
Mumps is an infectious disease. = Mumps is an infectious disease.
This type of mumps is dangerous. = This type of pig is dangerous.
This kind of meats is dangerous. = This is a type (type) of measles - dangerous.
Physics is a science. = Physics is a science.
These types of physics are difficult to understand. = These branches of physics are difficult to understand.
3. Nouns that denote the names of some games:
billiards = billiards:
bowls = game of bowls, skittles:
darts = darts (throwing darts)
dominoes = dominoes:
drafts = checkers; (British English)
checkers = checkers (American English)
fives = ball game;
ninepins = skittles;
4. Noun news = news, news.
This is a very good news.
We are accustomed to the fact that in the Russian language everything is not as simple as it seems. Can you name the plural of the word “bottom” without prompting? Bottoms, bottoms, bottoms? Do you think it doesn't exist? Not certainly in that way. Let's deal with difficult plural forms of nouns.
For those preparing for the main school exam
Right: donya
Right: keychains
Until recently, dictionaries had the only correct declension scheme for a word: brelok, brelok, trinkets, trinkets, and so on. This spelling (and pronunciation) is due to its French origin. True, if in the letter, perhaps someone else remembered the captive letter “o” in the suffix, then in speech we often listened to how friends brought “keychains” from travel, and their keys were always “with a keychain.” However, dictionaries give in to the pressure colloquial speech. Now in spelling dictionary Lopatin’s form of the word “trinkets” is considered equal to “trinkets”, although other dictionaries still made a note that this is a colloquial and non-literary version.
Right: shilya
We hope you have recovered from the shock of the “donyas”. Let’s not rant and just say that the word “aw” in the plural is declined by analogy with “bottom”: shilya, shilyev, shilyami, shilyakh.
Right: the doctors
In modern Russian there are approximately 300 words that have Nominative case The plural is, so to speak, variable. Endings in -ы (-и) are more familiar to us and are considered literary (editors, proofreaders, trainers). But over the years, forms in -a (-я) have managed to rightfully take the place of some literary variants. If at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries there were “doctors”, now the only correct version of “doctor” with an emphasis on the last letter. And if you still have doubts, you can always say the unmistakable “doctors”.
Right: contracts
Although several years ago the modern Russian language underwent great changes, and now it is not considered a gross mistake if you say “agreement” with the emphasis on the first syllable (but we hope that the readers of “Mel” still adhere to the traditional and correct pronunciation of “agreement”). People make mistakes just as often when there are several “agreements”: treaties or agreements? There is only one correct option: “The CIS countries have signed peace treaties.”
Right: poker (gender case)
As a bonus, let's take the genitive plural. We hope that in childhood everyone was familiar with the poker, and maybe you were even trusted to use it. And if there are several of them, then you need to write it like this: two pokers, five pokers.
By the way, we wrote about “stockings”, “socks” and “tomatoes”.
Nouns are the main component of our speech. From many possible words we always choose those that are more suitable for us in style and color. The way a person constructs his speech can say a lot about his personality and mentality to his interlocutor. Therefore, it is very important to be able to express your thoughts competently and clearly. To do this, you need to know the basics of Russian grammar and be able to apply them in real life while communicating with people. In this article we will analyze such a category as the number of nouns.
A noun in Russian can be used in one of two possible forms - singular or plural. Number is one of the main characteristics of a part of speech called a noun. But there are Russian nouns that can be used in speech only in the singular or only in the plural. Let's figure it out in order.
Singular nouns
With singular nouns, in general, everything is clear and understandable even without grammatical rules: they denote one thing or person, that is, any (for example, a pen, a book, a house, a cat). Such singular nouns have their own gender (feminine, masculine or neuter; sometimes common), and also, regardless of number, are declined according to cases.
Plural nouns
The same nouns can also be used in the plural (pens, books, houses, cats). These are nouns that denote several things. Very often in the Russian language there are nouns that have only a plural form. You can read about them below.
Plural nouns that are often misspelled
About the most common mistakes in everyday speech in Russian it would be possible to write more than one full-fledged article, but here we will focus our attention only on not correct use nouns For nouns, the plural and correct formation of forms are very often questioned.
Be sure to pay attention to the spelling of the following words in genitive case: boots - boots, felt boots - felt boots, boots - boots, soldiers - soldiers, places-places, apples - apples.
And errors in the use of these words in the genitive case can be heard very often in grocery stores: tangerines - tangerines, nectarines - nectarines, tomatoes - tomatoes, oranges - oranges. Nouns that have only a plural form differ somewhat from the data in terms of case declension.
Formation of plural forms: features
Sometimes some difficulties arise in forming the plural form for a certain category of nouns. In the Russian language there are no rules as such that determine what ending is required for the plural of nouns that we need to apply at a particular moment. Therefore, it can be quite difficult to use the word correctly. Let's pay attention to special cases concerning the plural of nouns. It’s better to just memorize them so as not to make mistakes and not doubt the correct use of words.
First of all, these are nouns male(s in the singular), with endings -ы, -и, most often denoting professions. For example, a trainer - trainers (not trainers!), a contract - contracts, an accountant - accountants, a lecturer - lecturers, cream - creams, and so on.
The next group is the same nouns as in the previous one, but with the endings -a, -ya: professor - professors, doctor - doctors, director - directors, anchor - anchors and so on.
Nouns, always used in the singular
In the Russian language there are many nouns that do not change in number and are always used exclusively in the singular form. Let's consider the groups into which the following nouns can be divided:
Denoting different feelings, characteristics of the state and human qualities (tenderness, anger, malice, hatred, lust, dependence, security, weakness, kindness);
Denoting characteristics of an object (grayness, blueness, redness, thinness, fullness, density);
Material (oil, gold, steel, tin, silver, nickel, sugar, sour cream, butter, pearls);
Denoting several identical objects in the aggregate (dishes, foliage, children, animals);
Denoting objects that exist in all of nature in a single copy (Sun, Earth, sky, Moon); This group also includes geographical names (Argentina, Stockholm, Moscow, Irtysh, Novosibirsk, Crimea, Ob).
Nouns that have only plural forms
The following nouns exist only in the plural in the Russian language:
Denoting various kinds of substances (blush, perfume, ink, yeast);
Indicating objects in a pair (jeans, rakes, rollers, trousers, leggings, trousers, leggings, glasses, sleds, sleds);
Denoting games or some processes (checkers, tag, hide and seek, blind man's buff, catch-up, elections);
Denoting natural phenomena or time periods (days, holidays, twilight, weekdays);
Which are geographical or astronomical names (Sochi, Alps, Kuril Islands, Libra).
So, let’s summarize: in the Russian language there are two forms of nouns - singular and plural. Most words have both forms, but there are also nouns that have only a plural form, and, of course, those that are used only in the singular.
