4. Abstract nouns denote some quality, state, action or idea: kindness, sadness, fight. They are usually uncountables, though some of them may be countables (e. G. Idea, hour).I

Therefore when the youngsters saw that mother looked neither frightened nor offended, they gathered new courage. (Dodge) Accustomed to John Reed’s abuse — I never had an idea of plying to it. (Ch. Bronte)

It’s these people with fixed ideas. (Galsworthy)

Abstract nouns may change their meaning and become class nouns. This change is marked by the use of the article and of the plural number:

beauty a beauty beauties sight a sight sights

He was responsive to beauty and here was cause to respond. (London)

She was a beauty. (Dickens)

... but she isn’t one of those horrid regular beauties. (Aldington)

§ 6. The category of number.

English countable nouns have two numbers — the singular and the plural.

The main types of the plural forms of English nouns are as follows:

1. 1. The general rule for forming the plural of English nouns is by adding the ending -s (-es) to the singular; -s is pronounced in different ways:

[iz] after sibilants: noses, horses, bridges.

[z] after voiced consonants other than sibilants and after vowels: flowers, beds, doves, bees, boys.

[s] after voiceless consonants other than sibilants: caps, books, hats, cliffs. .

2. If the noun ends in -s, -ss, -x, -sh, -ch, or -tch, the plural Is formed by adding -es to the singular:

bus — buses box — boxes bench — benches

Glass — glasses brush — brushes match — matches

2. If the noun ends in -y preceded by a consonant, y is changed into i before -es.

fly —flies army — armies lady — ladies

In proper names, however, the plural is formed by adding the ending -s to the singular: Mary, Marys.

Note. —If the final -y is preceded by a vowel the plural is formed by simply adding -s to the singular.

day —days monkey—monkeys play — plays toy —toys key —keys boy —boys

2. If the noun ends in -o preceded by a consonant, the plural is generally formed by adding -es. Only a few nouns ending in -o preceded by a consonant form the plural in -s.

cargo — cargoes hero — heroes potato — potatoes echo — echoes

but: piano—pianos solo —solos photo — photos

All nouns ending in -o preceded by a vowel form the plural In -s and not in -es.

Cuckoo — cuckoos

• Portfolio — portfolios

There are a few nouns ending in -o which form the plural both In -s and -es:

mosquito — mosquitos or mosquitoes

2. With certain nouns the final voiceless consonants are changed in to the corresponding voiced consonants when the noun takes the plural form.

1. The following nouns ending in -f (in some cases followed by a mute e) change it into v (both in spelling and pronunciation) in the plural:

w

thief — thieves calf — calves half —halves shelf — shelves wolf — wolves

ife — wives knife — knives life — lives sheaf — sheaves leaf — leaves

There are some nouns ending in -/ which have two forms in the plural:

scarf — scarfs or scarves wharf —wharfs or wharves

2. Nouns ending in -th [0] after long vowels change it into

5. in pronunciation (which does not affect their spelling).

bath [ba6] —baths [bacfz] path [pa:0 ] — paths [pa:dz] oath [ouQ]—oaths [oudz]

But [6] is always retained after consonants (including r) and short vowels:

smith — smiths [smi0sj month — months [тлп0в] myth — myths [miOs] birth — births [ba.Osj health — healths [helOs]

3. One noun ending in [s] changes it into [z] (in pronunciation):