To singularize or to pluralize

Common grammar problem English language learners face is mastering the singular-plural aspects of the English language.

Dr Albert P Rayan

Common grammar problem English language learners face is mastering the singular-plural aspects of the English language.  A survey conducted among students of engineering at the tertiary level revealed that over 80 per cent of the students were not able to use the words alumni, aircraft, personnel, staff,  advice, luggage, baggage, weather, sheep, deer, cahoots, and loggerheads correctly in sentences.   
English is a peculiar language with no systematic rules. 

There are numerous English words that do not follow plural spelling rules.  There are many words which have the form of singular nouns but have the function of plural nouns.  Look at the word ‘personnel’.    

The word, which refers to people who are employed in a company or an organization, is spelled and pronounced the same way in both its singular and plural form.  

•  The personnel are managed by a person who has specialized in human resource management.
•  Three personnel, including a senior officer, were killed in the accident.

The word ‘aircraft’, which refers to a vehicle such as an airplane or a helicopter, is a collective word like sheep and deer.   

The plural of the word has the same spelling.  It is incorrect to say ‘aircrafts’.   Here is an example of how the word is used in sentences:

•  Business Air has jet aircraft for sale including corporate jets, business jets, business planes, private jets, etc.

A common error among learners is using the word ‘alumni’ as singular. It is incorrect to say, “I am an alumni”.  ‘Alumni’ is plural and the singular forms are ‘alumnus’ and ‘alumna’.  The word ‘alumnus’ refers to someone who studied at a particular school, college or university. Though initially the word ‘alumnus’ referred to a male former student, now it is becoming a unisex term.  The word ‘alumna’ refers to a woman who studied at a particular school, college or university.  The plural ‘alumnae’ (female former students) is not very commonly used in modern English.  An informal term ‘alum’ is used to refer to a former student or former students (male or female).    

There are many words which are always used as plural.   The words alms, amends clothes, pliers, scissors, trousers are plural but have no singular form.  Here are examples of how these words are used in sentences:

•  Alms are distributed to the poor.  
•  The trousers are blue in colour.
•  I bought a pair of glasses.

Here are sets of words used in the plural form and grammatically treated as plurals:

•  trousers, pants, tights, leggings, shorts
•  scissors, pliers, forceps, sheers
•  glasses, spectacles, binoculars

There are some plural nouns that end in –ia.  Here are examples:

•  Marginalia:  notes written in the margins of a text
•  Regalia:  paraphernalia used by kings and queens.

Being at loggerheads with the politicians in cahoots in various scams is the order of the day.

Dr Albert p’ Rayan is an ELT Resource Person and Professor of English. He can be contacted at rayanal@yahoo.co.uk