Nouns are essential elements of English grammar, representing people, places, things, or ideas. Understanding how to form plural nouns and use the possessive case correctly is crucial for the ЕГЭ English exam. This knowledge will help you express ownership and quantity accurately in both the written and oral parts of the exam.
In English, nouns can be classified as countable or uncountable, singular or plural. Countable nouns can be counted and have both singular and plural forms, while uncountable nouns typically have only a singular form. The possessive case is used to show ownership or relationship between nouns. Mastering these concepts is essential for achieving a high score in the ЕГЭ English exam.
Most English nouns form their plural by adding -s or -es to the singular form:
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| Add -s to most nouns | book → books car → cars dog → dogs |
| Add -es to nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z | bus → buses class → classes dish → dishes watch → watches box → boxes quiz → quizzes |
| For nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant, change -y to -ies | city → cities baby → babies story → stories |
| For nouns ending in -y preceded by a vowel, simply add -s | boy → boys day → days key → keys |
| For most nouns ending in -f or -fe, change -f/-fe to -ves | leaf → leaves knife → knives wife → wives |
| For nouns ending in -o preceded by a consonant, often add -es | potato → potatoes tomato → tomatoes hero → heroes |
| For nouns ending in -o preceded by a vowel or for musical terms and abbreviations, add -s | radio → radios piano → pianos photo → photos |
Some nouns ending in -f, -fe, or -o have alternative plural forms or follow the regular pattern:
roof → roofs (not rooves)
belief → beliefs
chief → chiefs
memo → memos
zoo → zoos
Some nouns have irregular plural forms that must be memorized:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| man | men |
| woman | women |
| child | children |
| person | people |
| foot | feet |
| tooth | teeth |
| goose | geese |
| mouse | mice |
| ox | oxen |
| die | dice |
| criterion | criteria |
| phenomenon | phenomena |
| analysis | analyses |
| crisis | crises |
| thesis | theses |
| datum | data |
| medium | media |
| cactus | cacti/cactuses |
| focus | foci/focuses |
Some nouns have the same form in both singular and plural:
The plural form of compound nouns depends on their structure:
| Type | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Compound nouns written as one word | Add -s/-es to the end | bookshop → bookshops breakdown → breakdowns |
| Compound nouns with main noun at the beginning | Pluralize the main noun | mother-in-law → mothers-in-law passer-by → passers-by |
| Compound nouns with main noun at the end | Pluralize the last word | full moon → full moons shop assistant → shop assistants |
| Compound nouns with man/woman | Change man/woman to men/women | woman doctor → women doctors man servant → men servants |
Some nouns borrowed from other languages retain their original plural forms, though English plurals are often also acceptable:
| Singular | Plural | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| formula | formulae/formulas | Latin |
| curriculum | curricula/curriculums | Latin |
| bacterium | bacteria | Latin |
| radius | radii/radiuses | Latin |
| stimulus | stimuli | Latin |
| antenna | antennae/antennas | Latin |
| bureau | bureaux/bureaus | French |
| château | châteaux | French |
Countable nouns refer to things that can be counted. They have both singular and plural forms and can be used with numbers and the articles a/an:
Uncountable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted as individual items. They typically have only a singular form and cannot be used with a/an or numbers:
Common uncountable nouns include:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Liquids | water, milk, coffee, tea, oil |
| Materials | gold, iron, wood, paper, plastic |
| Abstract concepts | love, happiness, knowledge, advice, information |
| Activities | swimming, running, shopping, travel |
| Natural phenomena | weather, rain, snow, sunshine |
| Food items | bread, rice, sugar, butter, cheese |
| Collective nouns | furniture, equipment, luggage, jewelry |
To express quantity with uncountable nouns, use expressions like "a piece of," "a bottle of," "a lot of," etc.:
a piece of advice (not "an advice")
two bottles of water (not "two waters")
a lot of information (not "many informations")
Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable, often with a difference in meaning:
| Noun | Uncountable | Countable |
|---|---|---|
| paper | I need some paper to write on. (material) | I read three papers this morning. (newspapers) |
| time | Time passes quickly. (concept) | I've been there four times. (occasions) |
| coffee | I drink coffee every morning. (beverage) | Two coffees, please. (cups of coffee) |
| experience | She has a lot of experience. (knowledge) | He had many interesting experiences abroad. (events) |
| light | There isn't enough light to read. (illumination) | Turn off the lights before leaving. (lamps) |
The possessive case is used to show ownership or relationship. It is formed in different ways depending on the noun:
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| For singular nouns, add 's | the boy's book the teacher's desk Mary's car |
| For plural nouns ending in -s, add only an apostrophe | the boys' books the teachers' lounge my parents' house |
| For plural nouns not ending in -s, add 's | the children's toys the men's room the people's choice |
| For singular nouns ending in -s, add 's or just an apostrophe (both are correct, but 's is more common in modern English) | Charles's/Charles' book James's/James' car the boss's/boss' office |
When showing joint possession (two or more people owning something together), add the possessive marker only to the last noun:
When showing separate possession (each person owning something different), add the possessive marker to each noun:
The possessive case is used in various contexts:
| Use | Examples |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Sarah's laptop the company's policy |
| Relationships | John's sister the dog's owner |
| Origin | Shakespeare's plays the artist's paintings |
| Characteristics | the car's color the film's plot |
| Time expressions | yesterday's newspaper a week's holiday two hours' delay |
| Measurement | a mile's distance a dollar's worth |
| Places and businesses | the doctor's office at my friend's (house) |
Instead of the possessive case with 's, we can often use the "of" construction, especially with inanimate objects or abstract concepts:
With people and animals, both forms are possible, but the possessive case is more common:
the boy's name (more common than "the name of the boy")
the cat's tail (more common than "the tail of the cat")
Write the plural form of each noun.
Answers:
1. children (irregular plural)
2. tomatoes (noun ending in -o preceded by a consonant, add -es)
3. wolves (noun ending in -f, change to -ves)
4. cities (noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant, change -y to -ies)
5. phenomena (noun of Greek origin with irregular plural)
6. secretaries-general (compound noun with main noun at the beginning)
7. mice (irregular plural)
8. photos (noun ending in -o preceded by a vowel, add -s)
Choose the correct form of the possessive case.
Answers:
1. The book's pages of my sister are torn. (singular noun, add 's)
2. The women's rights movement has made significant progress. (irregular plural not ending in -s, add 's)
3. This is Charles's or Charles' new car. (both forms are correct for singular nouns ending in -s, but Charles's is more common in modern English)
4. I borrowed John and Mary's dictionary. (joint possession, one dictionary owned by both)
5. The children's toys were scattered all over the floor. (irregular plural not ending in -s, add 's)
In the ЕГЭ English exam, pay special attention to irregular plural forms and the correct use of the possessive case. Remember that "its" (possessive) does not have an apostrophe, while "it's" is a contraction of "it is." Also, be careful with countable and uncountable nouns, as using them incorrectly can lead to errors in article usage and subject-verb agreement.