Number.Gender and Tense By Eguriase S. M. Okaka

 

 

Number, Gender and Tense

 By Eguriase S. M. Okaka

 

Whatever gives the indication that a person or thing, or more than a person or thing referred to as Number. That number can either be singular or plural. Whatever shows that one being or thing is spoken of is said to be in the Singular Number, e.g. a boy, a student, a box, etc. But, whatever names more than one person or thing is said to be in the Plural Number e.g. boys, students, boxes, etc.

 

FORMATION OF PLURAL NUMBER

Rule One:

The plural number is mainly formed by adding “s” to the singular number.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Boy                             Boys

                                                Girl                             Girls

                                                Student                     Students

Rule Two:

Nouns ending in “s”, “sh”, “ch”, “x” or “z” form their plural by adding “es” to the singular.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Class                           Classes

                                                Church                      Churches

                                                Match                        Matches

                                                Box                             Boxes

                                                Topaz                         Topazes

Note: If the ending of “ch” sounds “k” instead of “sh”, only “s” is added to the singular number to form the plural, e.g. stomach – stomachs.

 

Rule Three:

A good number of nouns ending in “o” after a consonant form their plural by adding “es” to the singular.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Cargo                         Cargoes

                                                Negro                         Negroes

                                                Tornado                   Tornadoes.

Rule Four:

Some nouns (mostly of foreign origins) ending in “o” after a consonant add just “s” in their plural forms.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Piano                         Pianos

                                                Portico                      Porticos or Porticoes

                                                Photo                         Photos

                                                Calico                         Calicos or Calicoes

Note: Calico and Portico take both plural forms: - s and –es. A few nouns ending in “o” after a vowel or its equivalent (like “w” and “y”) add “s” also to form their plurals.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Embryo                     Embryos

                                                Bamboo                    Bamboos

Rule Six:

Nouns ending in “y”, with a consonant before them, change “y” into “I” before taking “es”.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Baby                           Babies

                                                Navy                          Navies

                                                Duty                           Duties

                                                Story                          Stories

Rule Seven:

Nouns ending in “y”, with a vowel before them, add only “s” to form their plural.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Play                            Plays

                                                Ray                             Rays

                                                Essay                          Essays

Note: Nouns ending in “Quy” take “ies” e.g.

                                                Obsequy                   Obsequies

Rule Eight:

Nouns ending in “f” or “fe” form their plurals by changing “f” into “v” before taking “es”.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Loaf                            Loaves

                                                Half                            Halves

                                                Wife                           Wives

Rule Nine:

Nouns ending in “oof”, “ff” and “rf” add only “s” to form their plurals.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Proof                        Proofs

                                                Cliff                         Cliffs

                                                Dwarf                     Dwarfs

Note: Wharf and Scarf use both singular and plural forms: “s”, and “ves”.

 

Rule Ten:

Some nouns get their plural forms by changing their inner vowels.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Man                           Men

                                                Woman                     Women

                                                Louse                         Lice

                                                Mouse                       Mice

                                                Tooth                         Teeth

                                                Goose                        Geese

Note: Some form their own by adding “en”, e.g. child – children, Ox – Oxen, etc

Rule Eleven:

Compound words form their plurals by adding the plural sign to their main component.

Examples:                            Singular                                Plural

                                                Brother-in-law                    Brothers-in-law

                                                Coat-of-mail                       Coats-of-mail

                                                Commander-in-chief         Commanders-in-chief

                                                Maid-servant                       Maid-servants

                                                Step-mother                        Step-mothers

                                                Chairman                              Chairmen

                                                Fisherman                            Fishermen

                                                Englishman                          Englishmen

Note: These are compound nouns that take the sign of plural both components, main and subordinate.

Examples:                            Singular                                Plural

                                                Man-servant                        Men-servants

                                                Woman-servant                 Women-servants

                                                Knight-Templar                   Knights-Templars

Rule Twelve:

Some nouns do not alter their form while forming their plural.

Examples:                            Singular                                Plural

                                                Pair                                      Pair

                                                Dozen                                  Dozen

                                                Sheep                                   Sheep

                                                Cattle                                   Cattle

                                                Furniture                              Furniture

                                                Information                         Information

                                                Yoke                                       Yoke

                                                Deer                                       Deer

                                                People                                   People

Rule Thirteen:

Some nouns are plural in both numbers singular and plural.

Examples:                            Singular                                Plural

                                                Series                                     Series

                                                Means                                   Means

                                                Species                                  Species

                                                Corps                                     Corps

                                                Odds                                      Odds

 

Rule Fourteen:

Some nouns are singular in form but are always used as plurals.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Mankind                   Mankind (Mankind are God’s)

                                                Police                         Police       (The police have guns)

                                                Poultry                      Poultry     (We have three kinds of

                                                                                                            Poultry)

Rule Fifteen:

Sciences like Mathematics, Physics, Politics, etc. are (even as are transliterated) plural.

Examples: Mathematics is the queen of all sciences. “Politics is not the business of a woman”.

 

Rule Sixteen:

Some nouns are used only as plural.

Examples: Scissors, Spectacles, Measles, Ears, Trousers, riches, thanks, billiard, etc.

 

Rule Seventeen:

Some nouns have double-barreled plural-forms, each having a different meaning from the other.

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Brother                     Brothers, Brethren

                                                Cloth                          Cloths, Clothes

                                                Genius                       Geniuses, Genii

                                                Index                          Indexes, Indices

Rule Eighteen:

Some nouns have two meanings in the singular and one meaning in the plural form.

Examples                 Singular                                Plural

                                    Foot (part of the body).

                                    Foot (Infantry)                    Feet (part of the body)

                                    Wood (timber)

                                    Wood (forest),                    Woods (forests)

                                    Practice (Habit)

                                    Practice (Profession)         Practice (Habit)

 

Rule Nineteen:

Some nouns have two meanings in the plural form, but only a meaning in the singular.

Examples:                Singular                    Plural

                                    Custom (habit)        Customs (habit), Customs (trade duties)

                                    Effect (result)          Effects (results), Effects (property)

                                    Pain (Suffering)      Pains (sufferings), Pains (trouble)

 

Rule Twenty:

Some nouns have different meanings in their different numbers: singular or plural.

Examples:

The advice you gave me is good.                     (Counsel)

The police get advices from the public.          (Information)

Can any good thing come from Nazareth?    (Benefit)

My lorry is for goods only.                                 (Things or wares)

“The use of force is temporary,”.                     (Strength)

New forces were sent to the battle.                (Troops)

 

Rule Twenty-one

Letters, figures and symbols get their plural forms by the adding of apostrophe and < (‘s).

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                B.A                              B.A’s

                                                Ph.D                           Ph.D’s

                                                   2                                   2’s

                                                i and t                                    I’s and t’s

 

Rule Twenty-two

Some foreign words form their plurals thus:

Examples:                            Singular                    Plural

                                                Alumnus                   Alumni

                                                Datum                       Data

                                                Focus                         Foci                            /LATIN

                                                Formula                    Formular

                                                Agendum                  Agenda

                                                Appendix                  Appendices

                                                Index                          Indices                       /FRENCH

                                                Memorandum        Memoranda

                                                Radius                        Radii

                                                Criterion                   Criteria

                                                Analysis                     Analyses

                                                Crisis                          Crises

                                                Hypothesis               Hypotheses              /GREEK

                                                Phenomenon          Phenomena

                                                Ultimatum                Ultimata or ultimate

                                                Parenthesis              Parentheses

                                                Cherub                      Cherubim

                                                Seraph                       Seraphim                  /HEBREW

                                                Bandit                        Banditti

GENDER       

The quality in nouns to define or denote names of males or names females or even names of inanimate objects (things without life) is called Gender.

 

When the quality is such in a noun that it defines or denotes names of males, that noun is said to be in masculine gender.

 

When it is such in a noun that it defines or denotes a feminine name, the noun is said to be in feminine gender. And when it is such in a noun that it defines or denotes inanimate things or lifeless object, the noun is said to be in neuter gender.

 

For example: Brother, Boy, Father, King, Actor, Prophet, etc., are nouns in masculine gender. Sister, Girl, Mother, Queen, Actress, Prophetess, etc., are nouns in feminine gender. Food, store, hoe, market, etc., are nouns neuter gender.

 

COMMON GENDER

When the gender-quality in a noun is such, that it names either males or females, that noun is said to be in common gender. Nouns like student, lecturer, pupil, adult, people, cousin, doctor, etc., are all in the common gender.

 

FORMATION OF FEMININE GENDERS FROM MASCULINE GENDERS

There are three ways of making the formation here, namely: By suffixing a syllable; by use of another word altogether, and by use of a compound feminine.

 

By Suffixing a Syllable

(“ess”, “a”, “ine, “trix”)

Examples:                                        Masculine                Feminine

                                                            Lion                            Lioness

                                                            Manger                     Manageress

                                                            Signor                       Signora

                                                            Sultan                        Sultana

                                                            Hero                           Heroine

                                                            Mediator                  Mediatrix

                                                            Redemptor               Redemptrix

 

By Use of another Word

Examples:                                        Masculine                Feminine

                                                            Bachelor                   Maid or Spinster

                                                            Boy                             Girl

                                                            Gentleman               Lady

                                                            Gander                      Goose

                                                            Uncle                         Aunt

                                                            King                            Queen

                                                            Wizard                      Witch

                                                            Cock                           Hen

 

By Use of Compound-Feminine Words

Examples:                                        Masculine                Feminine

                                                            Foster-father           Foster-mother

                                                            School-master         School-mistress

                                                            Washer-man           Washer-woman

                                                            Land-lord                  Land-lady

                                                            Grand-father           Grand-mother

                                                            He-goat                     She-goat

 

 

 

MASCULINE, FEMININE AND COMMON GENDER

Note One: There are masculine words or nouns that are used in the common gender.  Examples: author, lawyer, painter, poet, advocate, etc.

 

Note Two: There are also feminine words or nouns that are used in the common gender. Examples: duck, cow, bee, etc.

 

Note Three: Though most feminine words or nouns have corresponding masculine form, there are some that do not have. Examples: House-wife, Amazon, Virgin, Flirt, etc.

 

Note Four: Some masculine nouns also have no corresponding feminine form. Examples: Knight, Judge, Captain, etc.

 

GENDERS OF PRONOUNS

                                                Masculine                Feminine                  Neuter

                                                      He                               She                            It

                                                      His                              Hers                          Its

                                                      Him                            her                             It

 

TENSE

The description and timing of action (in a sentence) by a verb-form is called a tense. There are three simple tenses in English Language. They are: the Present Tense, the Past Tense, and the Future Tense.  

 

PRESENT TENSE: The present tense is used to indicate an on-going action: an action that is here and now.

Among other present tense, the present tense can either be a present indefinite tense or a present continuous tense. Or a present perfect tense or a Past Perfect continuous tense.

 

PRESENT INDEFINITE TENSE: When a verb-form times in such a way, that it indicates a habit or something happening at present or a general truth of existence, or even expresses here and now what will take place in the future, it is said to be in present indefinite tense.

Examples:    We live in Nigeria.

                        I see him

                        Then sun rises every day.

                        She comes next tomorrow.

 

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: When verb-form times an action that is going, especially, when another action is happening, it is said to be in the present continuous tense.

Examples:

·        He is coming here now.

·        I am rising to welcome his coming.

·        I am going to the market.

 

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

When a verb-form times an action in such a way, that it shows an action that has just happened, or an action that has taken place but whose consequence still goes on, it is said to be in present perfect tense.

Examples:

·        I have come for the girl.

·        I have known Sylvester for so long a time.

 

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

When a verb-form times an action in such a way, that the action began in the past but continues to the time of utterance. It is said to be present perfect continuous tense.

Examples:

·        The Mechanic has been going to the mechanic-village.

·        He has been coming to the meeting.

 

PAST TENSE

The past tense is used to express an action that has taken place already, an action which has already been completed.  The past tense has the following forms: the past indefinite tense, the past continuous tense, the past perfect tense and the past perfect continuous tense.

 

PAST INDEFINITE TENSE

When the form of a verb shows the time of action happened in the past or a past action that is still on-going at that stated time, the verb is said to be in a past indefinite tense.

Examples:

·        I went to the market.

·        He walked a mile a day.

 

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

When the form of a verb indicates the time action that, as a matter of fact, was on-going, when another action happened, the verb is said to be in a past continuous tense.

Examples:

·        I was writing when he came.

·        Obi was crying when his mother came in.

 

PAST PERFECT TENSE

When the form of a verb expresses the time of action that has taken place in the past, but before some other action has began, the verb is said to be in a past perfect tense.

Examples:

·        I had written the home work when the teacher called us.

·        The students have all left before the teacher called me.

 

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

When the form of a verb is used to show the time of action that was concluded at a specific time in the past but which had been taking place at that time of utterance, the verb is said to be a past perfect continuous tense.

·        Peter had been eating Congo-meat.

·        Patrick had been a dare-devil.

 

FUTURE TENSE

The future tense is used to refer to actions that will take place after the time of mentioning or utterance. A verb-form in the future tense can either be in the future indefinite tense, or in future continuous tense or in future perfect tense or in future perfect continuous tense.

 

FUTURE INDEFINITE TENSE

The future indefinite tense is used to express the time of action that will take place at a time other than the time of speaking.

 

Examples:

·        We shall see tomorrow.

·        Mary will visit you.

 

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

The future continuous tense is used to indicate the time or action whose occurrence will be on-going at the future time.

Examples:

·        I shall be going to Lagos by this time tomorrow.

·        I shall be leaving Lagos by this time tomorrow.

 

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

The future perfect tense is used to state the time of action that will be completed in a future time.

Examples:

·        I shall have finished my farm work by this time next week.

·        We shall have arrived our destination in two days’ time.

 

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe the time of action which will happen at a particular time in the future, but which is considered to be, in progress until that time.

Examples:

·        The teacher shall have been teaching in the school by this time tomorrow.

·        We shall have been discussing the problem in about two days’ time.

 

 

THE END