In the practical application of the nominative plural of nouns, students often face the problem of correct spelling of endings. The article provides the basic rules, exceptions to them and examples of spelling endings in such a case.
Features of the Nominative Plural of Nouns
In the nominative plural, nouns do not retain the declension differences characteristic of singular nouns and have endings -s(s), -and I). Nouns I. p. in the plural have the same syntactic meaning as in the singular, and answer questions Who? What?
Examples of nominative plural forms are presented in the table:
Spelling of noun endings 2 declensions
The spelling of the endings of plural nouns in the nominative case of the 2nd declension depends on the characteristics of each individual word.
- The ending -s(s)
- Most monosyllabic nouns (tables, soups, juices);
- Trisyllabic and polysyllabic nouns with mid-word stress (librarians, contracts, pharmacists);
- Nouns whose primary form is stressed on the second syllable (salads, berets, watermelons);
- Foreign nouns with stem on -er/er(often of French origin) (chauffeurs, stuntmen), as well as nouns of Latin origin with a basis in - tor/-ter/-sor (capacitors, lecturers, computers).
- The ending -and I)
have nouns I. p. plural:
- neuter nouns (windows, grains, pickles);
- Nouns Denoting Paired Concepts (sleeves, sides, sides);
- Most two-syllable nouns with stress on the first syllable (cities, voices, boats);
- Some monosyllabic nouns (houses, forests, varieties).
Exceptions
Masculine nouns 2 declensions with stem on -anyin/-janin form the form of I. p. plural with the ending -e and suffix truncation (citizens, Kievans, Drevlyans).Neutral nouns with stem on -ko(Besides cloud, cloud, army) have in the form I. p. plural ending -and (apples, shoulders, glasses).
TOP 3 articleswho read along with this
Directors or directors?
In the modern Russian literary language, variants that fluctuate in the form nominative plural, have more than 300 words. The focus of distribution of the ending -and I) are the spheres of vernacular and professional language. For this reason, the forms -and I) often have a colloquial or professional coloring: contract, locksmith, turner. The forms on -s(s) are more neutral and for most words meet the usual norms of the literary language. But in some cases, the forms -and I) have already supplanted the forms on -s(s).
To resolve the issue of the "controversial" form of the word, it is necessary to refer to the dictionary. Apart from this, it is possible to understand a number of patterns, facilitating the choice of the ending of the nominative plural:
Extraordinarily plural appears in words child - children, man - people, bottom - bottom and some others.
See more: Endings and endings in the nominative plural of nouns ( xl would - bread, passes - passes and etc.).
How to correctly check the ending of a noun in a dictionary
The form of the nominative plural of nouns is checked in a dictionary (for example, see the heading "Checking a word" on the gramota.ru portal).
Dictionary entry
How to read marks after a noun
director, -a, pl.-a, -ov
Form rod.p. unit - director; correct form im.p. plural -
directora, rod.p. plural - directors
locksmith, -I, pl.-and, -ey and -I, -ey
Form rod.p. unit -
sl sary; correct forms im.p. plural -
sl saree and locksmithgenus.p. plural -sl shed
cream, -a and -y
Form rod.p. unit - creams and cream; correct form im.p. plural -
kr we(because there is no mark, it means that the ending is used -s)
Exercises for the topic “Noun. Nominative Plural »
Exercise 1. Put the nouns in brackets into the nominative/accusative plural. Check yourself in a dictionary.
1. (Engineer) needed everywhere.
2. Fishermen (vessel) have not gone to sea for three months.
3. The (bottom) of the vessels were covered with soot.
4. A (chicken) and (chicken) ran relaxed along the country road, and (pig) and (calf) fumbled in the dust. 5. In the Historical Museum, I enthusiastically examined the ancients (gun).
6. At the border, the border guards very painstakingly inspected our (passport) and luggage.
7. (Child) often cry at night.
8. (Citizen), go ahead a little bit!
9. (Owner) something has not been visited for a long time.
10. Oily (spot) separately clearly stood out on a light jacket.
11. Ancient ones (mirror) hung in large halls.
12. (Peasant) always treated the cow-nurse with special tenderness.
13. The admiral gave the command to raise (anchor).
14. (Navigator) ships were called to the headquarters of the fleet.
15. Pacific and Northern (fleet) conducted exercises.
16. (Peasant) received abandoned (farm) for rent.
17. The (manager) of the airport decided to start a strike.
18. The (Director) of the factories were summoned to the city administration, but the (Chairman) of the cooperatives were not.
19. (Coach) of the Olympic team - generally recognized (master).
20. Used (syringe) are placed in special (container) and then destroyed.
21. Only experienced (driver) can work on taiga routes.
22. (Valve) on the gas pipeline were immediately blocked.
23. The plant needs experienced (accountant, turner, carpenter, painter, security guard).
24. Almost all the roofs of the houses in the fishing village were installed (weather vane).
25. Bright (Jupiter) were installed on the sides of the stage.
26. Everything (corkscrew) has gone somewhere.
Exercise 2. Correct the errors associated with the use of nouns in the singular and in the plural. Try to explain what the essence of these errors is. Check yourself in a dictionary.
1. Raskolnikov wanted to confess his deed, but he did not have enough strength and courage.
2. In The Master and Margarita, Bulgakov encoded his views and worldviews.
3. Our factory produces TV sets of the highest quality.
4. The wife brought a whole tray of teas.
5. He came to the wedding all in rags.
6. A wealthy brother had many cattle, and a poor brother had only one cattle.
7. They were ordered to immediately surrender all guns.
8. The bowels of the earth are very rich.
9. My sister and I washed all the dishes, put them in the cupboard and began to wait for my mother.
10. I like the profession of a policeman because there are many threats and risks in it.
11. The boy learned to play all sorts of music on the harmonica.
12. The guys in the hall yelled and whistled away Barmaley.
13. I was ordered to take this remedy before every meal.
14. In the yard, the swing broke.
15. I wish to be given a small vise for my birthday.
16. Cut the thread with a scissor.
17. I've run out of ink and can't write anymore.
18. We painted the windows with whitewash.
19. The essay tells a great story about the districts of the school.
20. Water is also used for economic purposes.
21. The sky is covered with a solid grayish cloud.
22. My friend and I arrived from the dachas on the same day.
23. This doctor perceives only according to preparatory notes.
24. Drivers carried bread across Ladoga and delivered the fighter to the fronts.
25. One person will not be able to do anything here.
26. Every winter he gets flu.
27. In the ideas of Tolstoy's heroes, everything was different.
28. Heroes of the battle of Borodino, as shown by L.N. Tolstoy, belonged to different social environments.
29. Incorrect expressions often have the opportunity to hear in the speeches of babies.
30. At the beginning of the war, our troops were encircled a couple of times.
31. At the moment, it is difficult to educate children in the right deeds for work.
32. Work on the exchange of experiences is organized at the enterprise.
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Additional to the site:
As noted earlier (see paragraph 2.2.1. Gender of nouns), in the form nominative plural(primarily masculine nouns) there is a large number of endings, which is associated with the history of the development of the declension system of Russian nouns.
1. Currently, among the masculine nouns of the second declension, two endings are most common: -s/-s and -and I, and in colloquial speech and vernacular, the ending -and I. It partially replaces the ending -s/-s and in literary language.
So, in the 19th century, forms were common houses, trains, and in the twentieth century - houses ́, trains ́. Already in recent decades, forms directors, professors became obsolete, and their place was taken by the options for director ́, professor ́.
However, the process of replacing the ending -ы / - and the ending -а / -я in the literary language is much slower than in common speech, precisely because the forms with -а / -я are largely perceived as second-rate, reduced.
The use of both endings is determined by a number of factors:
a) ending -а/-я have nouns denoting paired concepts:
eyes ́, sleeves ́, cuffs ́;
b) most monosyllabic words have a plural ending -s/-s (cakes, fleets, noises), but exceptions are possible (houses ́, varieties ́);
in) ending -а / -я, as a rule, two-syllable words with an accent on the first syllable have in the plural.
Wed: ka ter - boats, ramrod - ramrod ́.
If the stress in the initial form falls on the second syllable, then the plural ending is common -s/-s: watermelon - watermelons;
G) in trisyllabic and polysyllabic words, the ending is common -s/-s with an accent in the middle of a word: pharmacists, contracts(the form contracts although it is permissible, it is still undesirable!);
e) foreign words (more often of French origin) with the final -er / -er and the stress on the last syllable usually have the ending -ы / -и:
officer - officers, kiosker - kioskers, chauffeur - chauffeurs (!);
note to the last form. The form used in colloquial and professional speech driver supported by the colloquial singular with the stress on the first syllable - chauffeur. But such pronunciation is not literary (!).
e) words of Latin origin with the final -tor/-sor usually have the ending -ы/-и ( computers, processors), although in animate nouns, which are quite frequent and common in speech, the ending -а / -я becomes common.
Wed: commentators, lecturers, novators - directors ́, doctors ́, professors ́;
g) the ending -а/-я usually have two-syllable and three-syllable nouns with stress on the first syllable and with the final -l/-l and -r/-r:
shako - shako, tunic - tunic(admissible - jackets).
Sometimes the same noun is simultaneously subject to several mutually exclusive factors. It is among these words that the largest number of variants in speech is observed.
For example, words factor, vector disyllabic with stress on the first syllable, so in the plural they could have the ending -а / -я. At the same time, these are inanimate nouns of Latin origin with a final -tor, so they can end with -s/-and . In the literary language, the action of the second factor wins and variants are normative vectors , factors.
Noun bunker disyllabic with stress on the first syllable, so it can have an ending -a. But as a word of German and not French origin in -er, it can end in -s. In the literary language, both forms are equal: bunker and bunkers.
Sometimes the use of one or another ending is determined by the meaning and compatibility of the word:
- hog(horizontal parts of chimneys) and hogs(castrated male pigs);
- conductors / conductors of trams and conductors in the machine(special devices in mechanisms);
- corps - factory, cadet corps - and body of a person or animal;
- fur(dressed animal skins) and bellows;
- images in the novel and images of saints in the church;
- knightly orders and orders for feats;
- reins for a horse and occasions(urges);
- belts - robes and Time Zones(admissible - time zones);
- letter gaps and factory passes;
- sable(fur) and sable(animals);
- bank accounts ́ - office accounts;
- sons from first marriage and sons of the fatherland;
- electric currents and current ́ in the field;
- tones in music and tones in painting;
- apply the brakes - eliminate the brakes in work;
- spiritual teachers and school teachers;
- bread in the oven and bread in the field;
- colors(paints) and flowers(plants);
- junkers(large landowners in Germany) and Junkers(pupils of military schools).
2. Nouns of the second gender of the second declension mostly have the ending -а/-я in the plural: ring ́ - rings, porch ́ - porches.
This ending (unlike masculine nouns) is usually unstressed: villages, glass, buckets.
In the initial form, the stress usually falls on the last syllable: village, glass, bucket.
But the stress ending -а / -я is also possible - mirrors(in the initial form, such nouns usually have an accent on the stem - mirror).
Much less often, neuter nouns have the ending -ы/-и: shoulder - shoulders.
Sometimes in speech there is an erroneous use of the ending -ы / -и for a number of neuter nouns instead of the normative ending -а / -я.
For example: mirrors instead of normative mirrors; spots instead of normative spots; eggs instead of normative eggs.
3. A number of nouns are characterized by non-standard formation of the nominative plural form:
masculine nouns in -yonok in the plural have the suffix -yat- and the unstressed ending -а:
foal - foals, child - guys;
-anin/-yanin plural nouns end in -any/-yan:
citizen - citizens, peasant - peasants, Armenian - Armenians (!);
note into plural forms of nouns: host - hosts(very big mistake) hosts!), bottom - donya, awl - shilya, chicken - chickens, ship - ships, child - children, man - people.
4. In addition, it should be remembered that not all nouns have two forms - singular and plural.
Collective, abstract nouns have only the singular form:
goodness, faith, youth, underwear.
A number of specific nouns do not have a singular form:
scissors, trousers.
The names of substances usually also have one form: either the singular form or the plural form.
Wed: sugar, coal, jam; ink, sawdust.
Therefore, it would be incorrect to use an abstract noun in the plural morality in a sentence: The word "morality" is understood as generally accepted forms of morality, protected by the state.
The state of linguistic culture in modern Russia leaves much to be desired. And the reason for this is by no means an orientation towards Western culture and not a lack of craving for reading, as the media lament.
A wide range of dictionaries in which you can find different spellings of the same word, heated debates of linguists around the spelling of individual words, a huge flow of literature that has not been worked out by a competent proofreader, clogging speech with inappropriate jargon words - this is the true reason for the prosperity of illiteracy. Language norms do not exist for their own sake, but, first of all, so that people understand each other, avoid ambiguity and, finally, preserve the national linguistic wealth.
How often in offices can you hear calls instead of calls, a catalog instead of a catalog, etc. Moreover, more and more often interlocutors begin to think about the pronunciation of words in the plural: directors or directors, accountants or accountants, contracts or contracts? All this slowly but surely shakes the traditional literary norms of the Russian language and leads to a general decline in culture.
In modern Russian, there are about 300 words in which the nominative plural is “fluctuating”, with variants. Moreover, the stress norm in some words changed over time, reflecting the development of the declension system of Russian nouns. So, for example, at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, directors were called directors, and professors were called professors. In the course of the last century, irreversible changes have taken place. Endings in -а (-я) began to reign in common speech and "professional" jargon, and forms in -ы (-и) turned out to be more neutral, more traditional for the literary language (editors, instructors, proofreaders). But do not forget that there are exceptions to all rules.
DIRECTORS, CONTRACTS, ACCOUNTANTS - these are the norms that have become the ONLY POSSIBLE!
- The directors of large factories arrived, the directors gathered, we wrote a letter to the directors.
- Our company has signed contracts.
- Accountants calculated the estimate, etc.
The spelling (ending and stress) of the words director, accountant, contract, etc. is subject to the rule "Ends of the nominative case of the plural of masculine nouns -ы (-и) - -а (-я)". This rule is quite complicated. If the ending -op / -ёr / -еr is stressed, then it is more often preserved in the plural form, i.e. gives -ers, -ors: contracts, drivers, gliders, motors, fences, engineers, cavaliers. In other cases, nouns, especially animate ones, on -op / -er in the plural have a strong tendency to shift the stress to the ending: doctors, cadets, boats, etc. But there are also a lot of reverse examples, in particular, accountants, coaches, etc. In addition, there are a number of factors that directly affect the spelling of a particular ending in a word. All this is described in detail (with numerous examples) in spelling guides.
However, it will be difficult for a simple person (not a philologist) to form the plural form of the nominative case, guided by the points of the rules. Therefore, take my word for it - it is better to just remember some words. Otherwise, you can easily "confuse" the desired rule. And even better, at least occasionally, look into the dictionary.
A little humor
When memorizing, you can be guided by rhyme-associations:
- directorA - masterA
- contracts are thieves
- accountants - gliders
1. List of words with the normative ending -Ы (-И) in the nominative plural:
| Them. p. units h. | Them. n. pl. h. |
| accountant | accountants |
| age | ages |
| rebuke | reprimands |
| lead | leads |
| dispatcher | dispatchers |
| treaty | treaties |
| driver | drivers |
| engineer | engineers |
| Instructor | instructors |
| inspector | inspectors |
| compressor | compressors |
| constructor | constructors |
| container | containers |
| corrector | correctors |
| doctor | healers |
| month | months |
| player | players |
| policy | policies |
| port | ports |
| handwriting | handwriting |
| spotlight | spotlights |
| poodle | poodles |
| editor | editors |
| rector | rectors |
| sweater | sweaters |
| stock | warehouses |
| locksmith | locksmiths |
| syllable | syllables |
| sniper | snipers |
| carpenter | carpenters |
| report card | report cards |
| turner | turners |
| cake | cakes |
| tractor | tractors |
| trainer | coaches |
| outbuilding | wings |
| front | fronts |
| chauffeur | drivers |
2. List of words with the normative ending -А (-Я) in the nominative plural
| Them. p. units h. | Them. n. pl. h. |
| the address | addresses |
| bill of exchange | bills |
| heap | heap |
| director | directors |
| doctor | the doctors |
| boat | boats |
| tunic | tunic |
| bell | bells |
| body | body |
| dome | domes |
| coachman | coachmen |
| ham | ham |
| county | districts |
| order | orders |
| passport | passports |
| cook | cooks |
| cellar | cellars |
| Professor | professors |
| belt | belts |
| grade | varieties |
| stack | haystacks |
| watchman | watchman |
| tenor | tenor |
| tower | tower |
| poplar | poplars |
| paramedic | paramedic |
| vane | weather vane |
| farm | farms |
| stack | stacks |
| stamp | stamp |
| anchor | anchors |
Note:
1) It is necessary to remember the following forms:
BODIES (trunks) - BODIES (buildings)
CAMPS (political groups) - CAMPS (tourist)
HUSBANDS (state) - HUSBANDS (in families)
TEETH (in humans, animals) - TEETH (in a saw)
PASSES (spaces) - PASSES (documents)
ORDERS (knightly, monastic) - ORDERS (awards)
IMAGES (artistic) - IMAGES (icons)
TONES (sounds) - TONES (shades of color)
BREAD (food) - BREAD (cereals)
BOTTOM - DONYA
CHICKEN - HENS
PERSON PEOPLE
CHILDREN
LOG - LOG
SHIP - SHIPS
The noun NEDRA (earth) is used only in the plural and with the ending -A in the nominative case.
The following rhymes help to remember the normative formation of the nominative plural form of a number of nouns:
Our kids know
The university has a professor A!
Negotiated -
We signed contracts.
2, Normative formation of the forms of the GENITAL PLURAL of some NOUNS
1. Nouns denoting the name of vegetables and fruits, mostly in the form of the genitive plural, have the ending -OB:
| APRICOTS | ABRIKOSOV |
| PINEAPPLES | PINEAPPLE |
| ORANGE | ORANGE |
| eggplant | BAKLAZHANOV |
| bananas | bananas |
| Grenade | Pomegranates |
| LEMONS | LIMONOV |
| MANDARINS | TANGERINS |
| PATISSONS | PATISSONOV |
| TOMATOES | TOMATOES |
| TOMATOES | TOMATOV |
2. Nouns denoting the names of paired objects, mainly in the form of the genitive plural, have a zero ending:
| Nominative plural | Genitive plural |
| SHOES (shoes) | SHIELD |
| BOOTS | BOOT |
| CLIPS | BUTS |
| TROUSERS | PANTS |
| FELT BOOTS | VALENOK |
| GAITERS | GAIT |
| PANTS | PANTS |
| CASTANETS | CASTANET |
| SNEAKERS | SNEAKER |
| LOCASSINS | MOCCASIN |
| TROUSERS | PANTALON |
| epaulettes | Shoulder strap |
| BOOTS | BOOT |
| SLIPPERS | Slippers |
| SHOES | SHOES |
| STOCKINGS | STOCKING |
| TROUSERS | SHAROVAR |
| SHORTS | SHORT |
| EPAULTES | EPAULET |
Note:
To memorize the correct formation of the genitive plural form of nouns SOCKS and STOCKINGS allows the following mnemonic - a method of facilitated memorization:
SOCKS are short, but in the genitive plural we use the long word SOCKS;
STOCKINGS are long, but in the genitive plural we use the short word (with a zero ending) STOCKING.
In other words, the shorter, the longer, that is, the shorter the object, the longer the word: a pair of SOCKS - a pair of STOCKINGS.
If you are in doubt about how to correctly form the genitive plural from nouns SOCKS, STOCKINGS, then remember the following quatrain:
I left her inpledge
A couple of trendystocking
And went straight toPskov
With a box of coloredsocks .
3. Nouns denoting the name of nationalities, mostly in the genitive plural form, have a zero ending:
| Nominative plural | Genitive plural |
| ARMENIANS | ARMENIANS |
| BASHKIRS | BASHKIR |
| BULGARIANS | BULGAR |
| BURYATS | BURYAT |
| GEORGIANS | GEORGIAN |
| LEZGINS | LEZGIN |
| OSSETIANS | OSSETIAN |
| ROMANIANS | ROMANIAN |
| TATARS | Tatar |
| TURKS | TURK |
| TURKMEN | TURKMEN |
| gypsies | GYPSY |
4. Nouns of the neuter gender ending in the nominative singular in -CE, in the genitive plural, as a rule, end in -EC:
5. Nouns denoting the name of a group of people by occupation, most often have a zero ending:
6. Nouns of the neuter gender, ending in the nominative singular in -ЬЕ without stress, and feminine in -ЬЯ without stress, have the ending -II in the genitive plural:
| Nominative singular (-е; -ЬЯ without stress) | Genitive plural (-II) |
| RUNNER | RUNNER |
| NESTING | NESTING |
| WRIST | WRIST |
| FOOD | EATING |
| tombstone | TOMBSTONE |
| NECKLACE | NECKLACES |
| FRITTER | OLADIY |
| SPIRIT | OTRODIUS |
| BISCUIT | COOKIES |
| DANCER | DANCER |
| COAST | COASTS |
| BELIEVE | BELIEVE |
| DUNGEON | DUNGEONS |
| SEAT | SEAT |
| PICKLE | PICKLES |
| INJURY | INJURY |
| GORGE | Gorges |
7. Nouns of the neuter gender, ending in the nominative singular in -ЁЁ, as well as feminine and common gender in -Ья under stress, in the genitive plural have the ending -EY:
9. The following nouns in the genitive plural have the ending -EY:
10. The following nouns in the genitive plural have a zero ending:
| BARGES | BARG |
| FABLE | BASEN |
| TOWER | TOWERS |
| SPRAY | SPLASH |
| WAFER | WAFEL |
| CASE | many affairs |
| KOPNA | KOPYON or KOPN |
| POKER | KOCHERYOG |
| KITCHEN | KITCHENS |
| PASTA | MACARON |
| CUFF | CUFF |
| NANNY | NIAN |
| THE LOOP | LOOP |
| SABER | SABEL |
| EARRING | EARRINGS |
| GOSSIP | gossip |
| SHOES | SHOES |
| HERON | TSAPEL |
| SPRATS | sprat |
| APPLE TREE | APPLE TREE |
11. The following nouns have the ending -OB in the genitive plural:
| BRONCHI | BRONCH |
| dahlias | GEORGINOV |
| DEBATE | DEBATE |
| FROST | ZAMOROZKOV |
| CANNED FOOD | CANNED FOOD |
| NERVES | NERVES |
Note:
Remember the normative formation of the genitive plural of the following nouns.
