PLURAL FORMS OF SPECIAL, FOREIGN AND

MISCELLANEOUS NOUNS

SPECIAL NOUNS

Special nouns form their plural forms by adding counter, quantifiers or adjectives before
them.

Special Noun Singular Plural

news a piece of news pieces of news
measles a case of measles cases of measles
pants a pair of pants pairs of pants
pliers a pair of pliers pairs of pliers
several pliers

Sample in sentences
1. The pairs of pantslook good on the little boys.
2. The hospital have cases of measles on children below five years old.
3. The hardware have several pliers left for discount sale.

FOREIGN NOUNS

Foreign noun that end in –um form their plural by changing –um to a.

Singular Plural
bacterium bacteria
agendum agenda
addendum addenda
ovum ova

Foreign noun that end in –us form their plural by dropping –us and changing it to i.

Singular Plural
cactus cacti
alumnus alumni
bacillus bacilli
stimulus stimuli
MISCELLANEOUS NOUNS

1. For numerals, letters and symbols – form their plural by adding –s; if they are in
small letters, add ‘s to make it clearer.

Sample: As Bs a’s c’s ?s !s

2. For nouns that end in –ful, add –s only.

Sample: spoonful – spoonfuls glassful – glassfuls

3. For compound nouns, add –s to the first word.

Sample: editor in chief – editors in chief

Mother in law – mothers in law

ACTIVITY TO TEST YOUR SKILLS

Fill the table with the correct form of noun.

SINGULAR PLURAL

sister in law sisters in law

G Gs

branch of economics branches of economics

apparatus apparati

agendum agenda

s s’s

mouthful mouthfuls

Write Correct if the noun is used correctly and Wrong if used incorrectly.

Correct 1. Is mumps a deadly disease?

Correct 2. The editors in chief of various newspaper gather in a meeting.
Wrong - bacterium3. A bacteria is seen under a microscope.
Wrong – addenda 4. There are addendum in the contract submitted to the client.
Wrong – b’s 5. There are three b in the word bubbles.