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Noun Inflections

The Plural Inflections
  1. Give the plural form of each of the following nouns and transcribe the pronunciations of both singular and plural forms.

book, cat, dog, bird, day, horse, rose, judge, ash, glass, brush, church, box

negro, potato, volcano

piano, photo, dynamo, magneto, kilo, memento, solo

cuckoo, cameo, bamboo, portfolio, curio, studio, radio

lady, story, army, fly

valley, donkey, boy, key

  1. State the rules governing the different pronunciations of the suffix “-s” / “-es” in the above cases.
  1. Describe the change of the final consonant in the singular form when changed into plural of the following nouns.

house, bath, mouth, oath, path, sheath, truth

leaf, wife, thief, loaf, half

  1. Transcribe the pronunciation of the plural form of each of the following.

roof, gulf, cliff, reef, proof, chief, hoof, turf, safe, dwarf, grief, belief

scarf, wharf, staff, hoof

  1. Describe the mutation (change of vowel) involved in the plural inflection of the following.

man, gentleman, tooth, foot, mouse, woman, goose, louse, dormouse

child, brother (irregular)

  1. Give the plural forms (and also their transcriptions) of the following nouns of Latin origin.

axis, bacillus, medium, stratum, bacterium, locus, radius, corrigendum, addendum, erratum, larva, nebula

  1. Give the plural forms (and also their transcriptions) of the following nouns of Greek origin.

analysis, basis, crisis, hypothesis, thesis, phenomenon, criterion, oasis

  1. The following nouns have two plurals, the original foreign one and the English one. What are they?

appendix, formula, terminus, fungus, retina, cactus, focus, aquarium, curriculum, maximum, memorandum, minimum, sanatorium, vortex, automaton

bureau, tableau, portmanteau, adieu, trousseau

bandit, libretto, soprano, virtuoso

  1. The following nouns have two plurals with different meanings. Explain the difference.

index, genius, die, formula, medium, brother, cloth, penny

The Possessive Inflections
  1. Transcribe the following possessive form and describe the three pronunciations of the possessive endings.

Smith’s, cat’s, Philip’s, boy’s, lady’s, Bob’s, horse’s, judge’s, James’s, witch’s

  1. How do you interpret the meaning of the possessive form in the following phrases or sentences?
  1. Thompson’s murder
  2. the King’s praise
  3. the love of his wife
  4. the punishment of the teacher
  5. The President’s proclamation was welcomed by the people.
  6. The President’s assassination caused a political crisis.
  7. Peter’s photograph in the exhibition was much praised.
  8. John’s wedding presents were magnificent.
  9. The general opinion of the critic is not very favourable.

Nguyễn Minh Tâm * Morphology Exercises Handout 01 Noun Inflections