Blog about English
Regular and irregular plural forms, spelling rules and usage.
English countable nouns normally have singular and plural forms.
The singular form refers to one person or thing, while the plural form refers to two or more.
I have one brother and two sisters.
У меня один брат и две сестры.
"Brother" is singular, while "sisters" is plural.
There is a book on the desk.
На столе лежит книга.
"Book" is singular because it refers to one object.
There are three books on the desk.
На столе лежат три книги.
"Books" is plural because it refers to more than one object.
She bought a new car last week.
Она купила новую машину на прошлой неделе.
"Car" is singular and refers to one vehicle.
The parking lot is full of cars.
Парковка заполнена машинами.
"Cars" is the plural form of "car".
The store sells computers and phones.
Магазин продает компьютеры и телефоны.
"Computers" and "phones" are plural countable nouns.
A child is playing in the yard.
Ребенок играет во дворе.
"Child" is singular.
Several children are playing in the yard.
Несколько детей играют во дворе.
"Children" is the plural form of "child".
Most countable nouns form the plural by adding -s.
Examples include book → books, car → cars and teacher → teachers.
I bought two books.
Я купил две книги.
"Book" forms its plural regularly as "books" by adding "-s".
There are several cars outside.
Снаружи стоит несколько машин.
"Car" becomes "cars" by adding "-s".
The school has many teachers.
В школе много учителей.
"Teacher" forms the regular plural "teachers".
We need new chairs for the office.
Нам нужны новые стулья для офиса.
"Chair" forms the plural "chairs" with "-s".
The store sells computers and tablets.
Магазин продает компьютеры и планшеты.
"Computers" and "tablets" are regular plural forms.
Several students asked questions.
Несколько студентов задали вопросы.
"Students" is formed by adding "-s" to "student".
The apartment has two balconies and three windows.
В квартире два балкона и три окна.
"Windows" is a regular plural formed with "-s".
American companies hire thousands of employees every year.
Американские компании ежегодно нанимают тысячи сотрудников.
"Companies" is not included here as a simple "-s" example; "employees" is a regular plural formed with "-s".
Add -es to nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x and -z.
Examples include bus → buses, box → boxes, church → churches and dish → dishes.
We need two buses to take everyone home.
Нам нужны два автобуса, чтобы отвезти всех домой.
"Bus" forms the plural "buses" with "-es".
There are several boxes in the garage.
В гараже несколько коробок.
"Box" forms the plural "boxes" with "-es".
The church has three entrances.
У церкви три входа.
"Church" becomes "churches" in the plural.
I washed the dishes after dinner.
Я помыл посуду после ужина.
"Dish" forms the plural "dishes" with "-es".
The buses were late this morning.
Автобусы сегодня утром опоздали.
"Buses" is pronounced with the plural ending /ɪz/.
She packed several boxes for the move.
Она упаковала несколько коробок для переезда.
"Boxes" is the plural of "box".
The company owns several warehouses.
Компания владеет несколькими складами.
"Warehouse" does not take "-es"; this example is intentionally avoided because the rule applies to specific final sounds.
The students washed the dishes before leaving the kitchen.
Студенты помыли посуду перед уходом с кухни.
"Dishes" is the regular plural of "dish".
Change y to i and add -es after a consonant.
Examples include city → cities, baby → babies and country → countries.
Several cities have grown quickly.
Несколько городов быстро выросли.
"City" changes to "cities": consonant + y becomes "-ies".
The store sells toys for babies.
Магазин продает игрушки для младенцев.
"Baby" becomes "babies" in the plural.
The United States has many large cities.
В Соединенных Штатах много крупных городов.
"City" becomes "cities" because the final "y" follows a consonant.
These countries have different climates.
У этих стран разный климат.
"Country" becomes "countries" in the plural.
The libraries are open until nine.
Библиотеки открыты до девяти.
"Library" becomes "libraries".
Our family has lived in several different countries.
Наша семья жила в нескольких разных странах.
"Country" forms the plural "countries".
The factories provide jobs for thousands of people.
Эти фабрики обеспечивают работой тысячи людей.
"Factory" becomes "factories" in the plural.
Many American universities have large libraries.
Во многих американских университетах большие библиотеки.
"University" becomes "universities" because the consonant before "y" is changed as part of the plural form.
Keep the y and simply add -s.
Examples include boy → boys, key → keys and toy → toys.
The boys are playing outside.
Мальчики играют на улице.
"Boy" keeps the "y" and adds "-s".
I have three keys in my pocket.
У меня в кармане три ключа.
"Key" becomes "keys" by keeping the "y" and adding "-s".
The children have many toys.
У детей много игрушек.
"Toy" becomes "toys" because the "y" follows a vowel.
The store sells birthday toys for kids.
Магазин продает игрушки для детей на день рождения.
"Toy" forms the plural "toys" with "-s".
She found several keys on the floor.
Она нашла несколько ключей на полу.
"Keys" is the plural of "key".
The employees enjoyed the company party.
Сотрудники хорошо провели время на корпоративной вечеринке.
"Employee" ends in a vowel + y, so its plural is "employees".
There are several valleys between the mountains.
Между горами есть несколько долин.
"Valley" becomes "valleys" because the "y" follows a vowel.
The two attorneys discussed the case in their offices.
Два адвоката обсуждали дело в своих офисах.
"Attorney" becomes "attorneys" with the regular "-s" ending.
Some nouns ending in -f or -fe form the plural by changing to -ves.
Examples include leaf → leaves, knife → knives and wife → wives. Many nouns simply add -s, such as roof → roofs and chief → chiefs.
The trees lost many leaves in the fall.
Осенью деревья потеряли много листьев.
"Leaf" becomes "leaves" in the plural.
We need three knives for the kitchen.
Нам нужны три ножа для кухни.
"Knife" becomes "knives" in the plural.
The two wives arrived together.
Две жены приехали вместе.
"Wife" becomes "wives" in the plural.
The roof has several small leaks.
В крыше несколько небольших протечек.
"Roof" forms the regular plural "roofs", not "rooves".
The company has several chiefs in different departments.
В компании несколько руководителей в разных отделах.
"Chief" forms the regular plural "chiefs".
The shelves are full of books.
Полки заполнены книгами.
"Shelf" becomes "shelves" in the plural.
She packed several loaves of bread for the trip.
Она упаковала несколько буханок хлеба для поездки.
"Loaf" becomes "loaves" in the plural.
The museum displayed several old photographs in wooden frames.
В музее выставили несколько старых фотографий в деревянных рамках.
"Photograph" does not follow the -f/-fe change; this example contrasts regular plural behavior.
Nouns ending in -o may form the plural with either -s or -es.
Examples include potato → potatoes, tomato → tomatoes, photo → photos and piano → pianos.
We planted tomatoes in the garden.
Мы посадили помидоры в саду.
"Tomato" forms the plural "tomatoes".
She bought two potatoes for dinner.
Она купила две картофелины на ужин.
"Potato" becomes "potatoes" in the plural.
The newspaper printed several photos from the event.
Газета напечатала несколько фотографий с мероприятия.
"Photo" has the regular plural "photos".
The store sells several pianos.
Магазин продает несколько пианино.
"Piano" forms the plural "pianos", not "pianoes".
The chef sliced three tomatoes.
Шеф-повар нарезал три помидора.
"Tomatoes" is the conventional plural of "tomato".
They planted several potatoes in the garden.
Они посадили несколько картофелин в саду.
"Potatoes" takes "-es".
The band owns two old pianos.
У группы два старых пианино.
"Pianos" takes the regular plural ending "-s".
The photographer uploaded hundreds of photos after the event.
Фотограф загрузил сотни фотографий после мероприятия.
"Photos" is the regular plural of "photo".
Letters, numbers and symbols may take plural endings in writing.
Examples include three As, two 7s and several # symbols, depending on the writing style.
There are three As in the word.
В слове три буквы A.
"As" is used as the plural of the letter "A".
Write two 7s on the form.
Напишите на форме две цифры 7.
"7s" is used to refer to two occurrences of the number 7.
The password contains three Xs.
Пароль содержит три буквы X.
"Xs" is the plural of the letter "X".
There are two @ symbols in the address.
В адресе два символа @.
"Symbols" is the ordinary plural of "symbol".
The teacher circled three incorrect 5s.
Учитель обвел три неправильно написанные цифры 5.
"5s" refers to three written instances of the number 5.
The word has two consecutive Bs.
В слове две буквы B подряд.
"Bs" is the plural of the letter "B".
Add two question marks to the end of the sentence.
Добавьте два вопросительных знака в конец предложения.
"Question marks" is the plural of "question mark".
The document contains several # symbols.
Документ содержит несколько символов #.
"Symbols" takes the ordinary plural ending "-s".
Abbreviations usually form the plural by adding -s.
Examples include DVDs, NGOs, URLs and MPs.
I copied the files to three DVDs.
Я скопировал файлы на три DVD-диска.
"DVDs" forms the plural by adding "-s".
Several NGOs work on environmental projects.
Несколько НПО работают над экологическими проектами.
"NGOs" is the plural of "NGO".
The website uses several URLs.
На сайте используется несколько URL-адресов.
"URLs" takes the regular plural ending "-s".
The meeting included several MPs.
На собрании присутствовало несколько членов парламента.
"MPs" is the regular written plural of "MP".
Many CDs were replaced by digital downloads.
Многие компакт-диски были заменены цифровыми загрузками.
"CDs" forms the plural with "-s".
The company owns several PCs for testing.
Компания владеет несколькими ПК для тестирования.
"PCs" is formed by adding "-s" to the abbreviation "PC".
The report lists several CEOs from major companies.
В отчете перечислены несколько руководителей крупных компаний.
"CEOs" is the standard plural of "CEO".
The database contains thousands of URLs and millions of IPs.
В базе данных тысячи URL-адресов и миллионы IP-адресов.
"URLs" and "IPs" use the regular plural ending "-s".
Some borrowed nouns retain their original plural forms, while others follow regular English plural rules.
Examples include formulas/formulae, indexes/indices and cactuses/cacti.
The report contains several formulas.
Отчет содержит несколько формул.
"Formulas" is a common English plural of "formula".
The researcher compared several formulae.
Исследователь сравнил несколько формул.
"Formulae" is also used, especially in formal or technical contexts.
The software uses several different indexes.
Программа использует несколько разных индексов.
"Indexes" is a standard English plural of "index".
The database contains several indices for faster searches.
База данных содержит несколько индексов для более быстрого поиска.
"Indices" is another plural of "index", especially common in technical contexts.
The desert contains several cactuses.
В пустыне растет несколько кактусов.
"Cactuses" is a common English plural of "cactus".
The botanical garden has several cacti.
В ботаническом саду несколько кактусов.
"Cacti" is the traditional Latin-derived plural of "cactus".
The scientist recorded several data points.
Ученый записал несколько точек данных.
"Data" has a traditional plural origin, although modern usage can vary by context.
The museum displayed several different works of art.
В музее выставили несколько разных произведений искусства.
"Works" follows normal English plural rules even though "art" is of foreign origin.
The plural ending -s has three pronunciations: /s/, /z/ and /ɪz/.
Its pronunciation depends on the final sound of the singular noun rather than its spelling.
The books are on the table.
Книги на столе.
"Books" ends with the /s/ sound because the final sound of "book" is voiceless.
The dogs are outside.
Собаки снаружи.
"Dogs" ends with the /z/ sound because the final sound of "dog" is voiced.
The buses are late again.
Автобусы снова опаздывают.
"Buses" ends with /ɪz/ because "bus" ends in an /s/ sound.
She bought two cups.
Она купила две чашки.
"Cups" has the plural ending /s/.
The cars are parked outside.
Машины припаркованы снаружи.
"Cars" has the plural ending /z/.
The boxes are in the garage.
Коробки в гараже.
"Boxes" has the plural ending /ɪz/.
My friends live nearby.
Мои друзья живут неподалеку.
"Friends" ends in /z/ because the final sound of "friend" is voiced.
The dishes are clean and ready to use.
Посуда чистая и готова к использованию.
"Dishes" ends in /ɪz/ because "dish" ends in a /ʃ/ sound.
The plural marker is usually added to the main noun in a compound.
Examples include mothers-in-law, passers-by and toothbrushes.
My two brothers-in-law live in Chicago.
Мои два шурина живут в Чикаго.
The plural marker is added to the main noun "brother".
Several passers-by stopped to help.
Несколько прохожих остановились помочь.
The plural is formed on the main noun "passer".
The store sells many toothbrushes.
Магазин продает много зубных щеток.
"Toothbrush" is a closed compound and forms the regular plural "toothbrushes".
They hired two sisters-in-law to work at the company.
Они наняли двух сестер жены/мужа на работу в компанию.
"Sisters-in-law" forms the plural on the main noun.
Several mothers-in-law attended the wedding.
На свадьбе присутствовало несколько тещ и свекровей.
"Mothers-in-law" pluralizes "mother", the main noun.
The company installed new washing machines.
Компания установила новые стиральные машины.
"Washing machine" forms the regular plural "washing machines".
Several court-martials were reported during the war.
Во время войны сообщили о нескольких военных судах.
"Court-martial" can pluralize on "court" in this established compound form.
The school employs several full-time teachers.
В школе работают несколько учителей на полной ставке.
"Full-time" is an adjective compound; the noun "teachers" takes the plural marker.
Some nouns have identical singular and plural forms.
Examples include sheep, deer, aircraft and series. These are covered in more detail under Irregular Plurals.
One sheep is standing near the fence.
Одна овца стоит возле забора.
"Sheep" has the same form in the singular and plural.
Five sheep are standing near the fence.
Пять овец стоят возле забора.
"Sheep" remains unchanged in the plural.
A deer crossed the road.
Олень перебежал дорогу.
"Deer" has the same singular and plural form.
Several deer were grazing in the field.
Несколько оленей паслись в поле.
"Deer" remains unchanged in the plural.
The aircraft landed safely.
Самолет благополучно приземлился.
"Aircraft" has the same form for singular and plural.
Several aircraft are waiting on the runway.
Несколько самолетов ждут на взлетной полосе.
"Aircraft" remains unchanged when plural.
This series is popular with students.
Эта серия популярна среди студентов.
"Series" has the same singular and plural form.
Several series are available in the database.
В базе данных доступно несколько серий.
"Series" remains unchanged in the plural.
Plural nouns normally take plural verbs.
Subject-verb agreement depends on whether the noun is grammatically singular or plural.
The boy plays soccer after school.
Мальчик играет в футбол после школы.
"Boy" is singular, so the verb is "plays".
The boys play soccer after school.
Мальчики играют в футбол после школы.
"Boys" is plural, so the verb is "play".
The car is outside.
Машина снаружи.
"Car" is singular and takes "is".
The cars are outside.
Машины снаружи.
"Cars" is plural and takes "are".
The student has a question.
У студента есть вопрос.
"Student" is singular, so the verb is "has".
The students have several questions.
У студентов есть несколько вопросов.
"Students" is plural, so the verb is "have".
The children are playing outside.
Дети играют на улице.
"Children" is an irregular plural noun, so it takes the plural verb "are".
The sheep are near the fence.
Овцы находятся возле забора.
Although "sheep" has no visible plural ending, the plural meaning requires the plural verb "are".
Apply regular plural rules only where appropriate.
Common errors include childs, womans, furnitures and informations. Always check whether a noun is regular, irregular or uncountable.
The children are playing outside.
Дети играют на улице.
Do not say "childs"; the irregular plural of "child" is "children".
The women are waiting outside.
Женщины ждут снаружи.
Do not say "womans"; the irregular plural of "woman" is "women".
I need some information.
Мне нужна информация.
Do not say "informations"; "information" is uncountable.
She gave me some advice.
Она дала мне совет.
Do not say "advices"; "advice" is uncountable.
We bought some furniture for the office.
Мы купили мебель для офиса.
Do not say "furnitures"; "furniture" is uncountable.
The equipment is ready to use.
Оборудование готово к использованию.
Do not say "equipments"; "equipment" is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
My friend has two knives in the kitchen.
У моего друга на кухне два ножа.
Do not use a regular "-s" form such as "knifes"; the plural is "knives".
The city has several beautiful parks.
В городе несколько красивых парков.
Do not say "citys"; because the final "y" follows a consonant, the plural is "cities".