Irregular Plurals in English
An English teacher shows how some popular irregular nouns change in the plural form. These nouns don’t add the “s” at the end of the word.
Irregular Nouns
Some nouns don’t use –s in the plural number. Historically they have special plurals always to be minded. Some change inner vowels, others have strange endings.
Irregular Nouns |
|
singular |
plural |
man [mæn] | men [men] |
woman [‘wumәn] | women [‘wi:min] |
child [t∫aild] | children [‘t∫ildrәn] |
person [‘pe:s(ә)n] | people [‘pi:pl] |
foot [fut] | feet [fi:t] |
tooth [tu:θ] | teeth [ti:θ] |
datum [‘deit(ә)m] | data [‘deitә] |
one child – two children
one foot – two feet
These are my teeth.
People has no singular number whose equivalent may be the regular noun person.
Possessive Plurals
So don’t put –s to irregular plurals unless they’re possessive:
men’s
women’s
children’s
Animal Plurals
Many animal plurals are irregular. There’re many animal nouns that don’t change in the plural number.
Irregular Animals |
|
singular |
plural |
mouse [maus] | mice [mais] |
louse [laus] | lice [lais] |
goose [gu:s] | geese [gi:s] |
ox [oks] | oxen [‘oksen] |
fish [fi∫] | fish |
deer [diә] | deer |
sheep [∫i:p] | sheep |
swine [swain] | swine |
one mouse – two mice
one fish – many fish
one deer – two deer