17.

01 The plural of countable nouns

Pluralul substantivelor numarabile se formeaza adaugand -s la final:

dog (caine) – dogs (caini)

cat ( pisica) - cats (pisici)

flower (floare) - flowers (flori)

Substantivele numarabile se folosesc cu: few/ many/ some/ a lot of/ lots of

e.g. I have many cats. (Am multe pisici.)

Diferenta dinte FEW si A FEW:

few inseamna ca nu ai deajuns, apropape ca nu ai nimic: I have few freinds, so that's why

I am lonely. (Am putini prieteni, de aceea sunt singur.)

a few inseamna ca ai deajuns, ai mult: I have a few friends, so I can't complain. (Am ceva
prieteni/ destui prieteni, asa ca nu ma pot plange.)

Ortografia pluralului:

Daca substantivul se termina in -s, -ss, -z, -zz, -sh, -ch, -x atunci se adauga -es:

bus (autobuz) – buses, kiss (sarut) – kisses, box (cutie) – boxes, bush (tufa) - bushes,

church (biserica) - churches

Daca substantivul se termina in -o precedat de o vocala atunci se adauga -s:

radio (radio) – radios, embryo (embrion) - embryos

Daca substantivul se termina in -o precedat de o consoana atunci se adauga -es:

potato (cartof)– potatoes, tomato (rosie) - tomatoes, Negro (negru)– Negroes

!!! EXCEPTII: grotto (grota) – grottos, proviso(s) (clauza), canto(s) (canto), tango(s)
(tango), tabacco(s) (tutun), memento(s) (amintire), piano(s) (pian), solo(s) (solo),
soprano(s) (soprana), concerto(s) (concert)

!!! ATENTIE: abrevierile terminate in -o adauga -s indiferent de ce litera este inaintea lui
-o: photograph (fotografie) – photo – photos, kilogram (kilogram) – kilo - kilos

Daca substantivul se termina in -f(e) atunci f se schimba in v si adauga -es:

wife (sotie) – wives, wolf (lup) – wolves, life (viata) - lives

!!! EXCEPTII: roof (acoperis)– roofs, chief (sef) - chiefs, belief (credinta) - beliefs,

cliff (stanca) - cliffs, proof (dovada) - proofs, safe (seif) - seifs, strife (incaierare) - strifes,
fife (flaut mic) - fifes, still life - still lifes (natura moarta – in tablouri)

!!! ATENTIE: unele substantive care se termina in -f(e) pot face pluralul atat in -ves cat si
in –s:

Wharf – wharves/wharfs (debarcader)

Hoof – hooves/hoofs (copita)

Scarf – scarves/scarfs (esarfa)

Staff – staves/staffs (toiag)

Handkerchief – handkerchieves/handkerchiefs (batista)

Dwarf – dwarves/dwarfs (pitic)

Daca substantivul se termina in  -y precedat de vocala atunci se adauga -s:

boy (baiat)– boys, toy (jucarie) - toys

Daca substantivul se termina in  -y precedat de o consoana atunci y se schimba in i si

adauga -es:

puppy (catelus)– puppies, dasy (margareta) - dasies

!!! ATENTIE: numele proprii primesc un -s chiar daca -y este precedat de o consoana:
Mary – Marys

!!! ATENTIE: daca substantivul se termina in -quy acesta se transforma in -quies: e.g.

colloquy (colocviu) - colloquies
 

Pluralul substantivelor neregulate:

Sg.                                Pl.

Man (barbat)              men (barbati)

Woman (femeie)        women (femei)

Tooth (dinte)              teeth (dinti)

Foot (picior)               feet (picioare)

Goose (gasca)            geese (gaste)

Louse (paduche)        lice (paduchi)

Mouse (soarece)        mice (soareci)

Ox (bou)                     oxen (boi)

Child (copil)               children (copii)

Die (zar)                    dice (zaruri)

Pluralul zero: pluralul are aceeasi forma ca la singular

Fish (peste) – fish (pesti)

carp ( crap) - carp

trout (pastrav) - trout

pike (stiuca) - pike

cod (cod) - cod

salmon (somon) - salmon

!!! ATENTIE: daca punem -es la fish -> fishes atunci insemna specii de pesti
Fruit (fruct) – fruit  

!!! ATENTIE: daca punem -s la fruit -> fruits atunci inseamna sortimente de fructe

Sheep (oaie) - sheep (oi)

Deer (caprioara) - deer

Swine (porc) - swine

Species (specii) - species

Series (serie) - series

Means (mijloc) - means                      e.g. A car is a means of transport. (O masina este un
mijloc de transport.)

Aircraft (avion) - aircraft

Homework (tema) - homework

Substantive cu doua forme de plural:

Brother (frate)               - brothers (frati care au aceeasi mama/ tata)

                                       - brethren (frati intr-o fratie/ membrii intr-o colectivitate)

Cloth (material)             - cloths (bucati de material)

                                       - clothes (haine)

Cow (vaca)                     - cows (vaci)

                                       - kine (vite)

Penny (peni)                  - pence (moneda britanica)

                                       - pennies (monedele individuale)

Staff (personal/ toiag) - staffs (departamente in armata)

                                      - staves (toiage)  

 
PLURALUL SUBSTANTIVELOR DE ORIGINE GREACA SI LATINA:

Sg.             Pl.

-us              -i

Bacillus (bacil) – bacilli

Cactus (cactus) – cacti/ cactuses

Focus (epicentru)   – foci/ focuses

Fungus (ciuperca) - fungi

Radius (raza) – radii

Terminus (terminal) – termini

Nucleus (nucleu) – nuclei

Stimulus (stimul) – stimuli

Genius (geniu) – genii (spirit)/ geniuses (genii)

DAR: bonus (bonus) – bonuses, virus (virus) - viruses

-on                         -a

Phenomenon (fenomen) – phenomena

Criterion (criteriu)     – criteria

DAR: demon (demon) – demons, neurone (neuron) – neurones, proton (proton) – protons,
ganglion (ganglion) - ganglions

-is                -es

Analysis (analiza) – analyses

Axis (axa) - axes

Basis (baza) – bases
Crisis (criza) – crises

Diagnosis (diagnostic) - disgnoses

Thesis (teza) – theses

Paranthesis (paranteza) – parantheses

Hypothesis (ipoteza) – hypotheses

-um                 -a

Addendum (adenda/ adaos) - addenda

Bacterium (bacterie) – bacteria

Datum (data) – data

Medium (mediu) – media

Memorandum (memorandum) - memoranda

Stratum (strat) – strata

Symposium (simpozion) – symposia

DAR: museum (muzeu) – museums, asylum (azil) – asylums, stadium (stadion) - stadiums

-a             -ae

Alga (alga) – algae

Larva (larva) – larvae

Formula (formula) – formulae/ formulas

Antenna (antena) – antennae/ antennas

Vertebra (vertebra) – vertebrae/ vertebras

DAR: arena (arena) – arenas, dilemma (dilema) – dilemmas, diploma (diploma) –

diplomas, encyclopaedia (enciclopedie) – encyclopaedias, era (era) – eras, retina (retina) –
retinas, villa (vila) - villas
 

-x                -ces

Index (index)  – indices (indici)/ indexes (tabela de continuturi)

Appendix (apendice) – appendices (apendice in carti)/ appendixes (apendice - anatomie)

Matrix (matrice)    – matrices

ALTE SUBSTANTIVE: genus (gen) – genera, stamen (energie) – stamena

Italian: bandit – banditti/ bandits, virtuoso – virtuosi/ virtuoso, confetto - confetti

French: beau (barbat) – beaux, bureau (birou) - bureaux

Pluralul substantivelor compuse:

Pluralul in primul element:

Adaugam –s la cuvantul principal care primeste intrebarea "ce fel de?":

e.g.mother-in-law             -             mothers-in-law (soacra - soacre)

      father-in-law               -             fathers-in-law (socru - socrii)

      man-of-war                 -             men-of-war (vas de razboi/ nava militara)

     court-martial                -             courts-martial (curte martiala)

Plural in ambele elemente:

Knight-Templar    -    Knights-Templars (cavaler templier)

Lord Lieutenant    -    Lords Lieutenants (guvernator)

Lord Chancellor    -    Lords Chancellors (cancelar)

Lord Justice          -    Lords Justices (judecator)

 

Plural in elementul final:

step-son  -   step-sons (fiu vitreg)

fountain pen – fountain pens (stilou)

workman – workmen (muncitor)

footstep – footsteps (urma)

goldsmith – goldsmiths (aurar) 

trade-union - trade-unions (sindicat)

boyfriend  - boyfriends (prieten)

attorney-general  - attorney-generals (procuror)

Substantive compuse care primesc –s la final:

Merry-go-round – merry-go-rounds (calusei)

Forget-me-not – forget-me-nots (floare de nu ma uita)

Gin-and-tonic  - gin-and-tonics (bautura alcolica)

Grown-up – grown-ups (adult)

Close-up  -  close-ups (cadru)

Take-off   -  take-offs (decolare)

On-looker – on-lookers (privitor)

Frying pan – frying pans (tigaie)

Castaway  - castaways (exilat)

Handful – handfuls (mana plina)

Spoonful - spoonfuls (lingura plina)

Touchdown – touchdowns (atingere)

Breakdown – breakdowns (cadere nervoasa)

!!! Passer-by – passers-by (trecator)

Pluralul substantivelor compuse cu –MAN si –WOMAN:

(se pune plural in ambele elemente atunci can man si woman indica genul)

Woman doctor –> women doctors (doctorita)

Man doctor –> men doctors (doctor)

Man-servant –> men-servants (servitor)

Woman-servant –> women-servants (servitoare)

Woman-cook –> women-cooks (bucatareasa)

Man-cook -> men - cooks (bucatar)

DAR: man-eater  (canibal) - man-eaters/ woman hater (misogin) – woman haters (man si

woman aici nu indica genul)

-man -> -men/ -woman -> -women:

Postman – postmen (postas)

Fireman – firemen (pompier)

Gentleman – gentlemen (domn)

Policewoman -> policewomen (politista)

Daca avem un titlu urmat de nume pluralul se poate pune si la titlu si la nume:

The Misses Brown / the Miss Browns (Domnisoarele Brown)

Pluralul abrevierilor, numerelor si literelor alfabetului:

Dot your i’s (pune punctele pe i-uri)

Two and’s too many (ai doi de "si")

Cancel your 4’s (anuleaza cifrele patru)

In the 1990s (in anii 90)

Bro. (brother) – bros. (brothers)

Dr. (doctor) – drs. (doctors)

Lb. (pound) – lbs. (pounds)

Ms. (manuscript) – mss. (manuscripts)

M.P. (Member of Parliament) – MP’s or MPs (members)

PhD (doctor) – PhD’s or PhDs (doctors)

Substantive cu sensuri diferite la plural si singular:

Air (aer) – airs (infumurare): to put on airs (a-si da aere/ a fi infumurat)

Compass (compas) – compasses (busole)

Copper (cupru) – coppers (banuti din cupru)

Force (forta/ putere) – forces (armata)

Good (beneficiu) – goods (bunuri)

Return (intoarcere) – returns (statistici)

 
Substantive cu doua sensuri la plural:

 
Colour (culoare) – colours (culori/ steagul unui regiment)

Custom (obicei) – customs (obiceiuri/ vama)

Effect (efect/ rezultat) – effects (rezultate/ bunuri)

Glass (pahar) – glasses (pahare/ ochelari)

Hair (par) – hairs (fire de par)

Scale (scala) – scales (scale/ cantar)

Paper (hartie) – papers (hartii/ documente)

Wood (lemn) – woods (lemne/ padure)

Work (munca) – works (opere de arta)

Rain (ploaie) – rains (anotimp ploios/ ploi)

Experience (experienta) – experiences (experiente/ aventuri)

Substantive cu doua sensuri la singular:

Abuse (wrong use/ reproaches) – abuses (wrong uses)

Foot (part of the body/ infantry) – feet (parts of the body)

Horse (cavalry/ a quadruped) – horses (quadrupeds)

People (a nation/ persons) – peoples (nations)