The plural in compound nouns

1. As a rule in compounds it is the second component that takes the plural form: housewives, tooth-brushes, shoe shops.

2. Compounds in - ful have the plural ending at the end of the word: handfuls, spoonfuls or spoonsful.

3. Compounds in which the first component is “man” or “woman” have plurals in both parts: men-servant, women-doctors. But: man-eaters, woman – haters.

4. Compounds ending in man change it into men: policeman — policemen.

5. Such nouns as German, Roman, Norman are not compounds and therefore they have regular plurals: Germans, Romans, Normans.

6. In compounds originating from a prepositional noun phrase where the preposition is a linking element only the first noun takes the plural form: editors-in-chief, mothers-in-law, men-of-war (военные корабли ).

7. In compounds with a conjunction as a linking element the plural is taken by the second noun: gin-and-tonics.

8. In compounds formed by a noun plus a preposition, or an adverb, or an adjective only the first element takes the plural: passers-by, lookers-on, courts-martial, attorneys-general.

9. When a compound is a substantivized phrase which doesn’t contain a noun, the last element takes the plural form: forget-me-nots, merry-go-rounds, stand-bys, grown-ups, close-ups, pick-ups (случайные знакомства), drop-outs (дезертиры), go-betweens (посредники).

The Genitive Case

Case is a grammatical category which shows relation of the noun with other words in a sentence. The main meaningof the genitive case is that of possession.

The genitive case may be marked, i.e. having an apostrophe s (’s) or unmarked, e.i. with an apostrophe only.

The Form.

1) add ’s to singular nouns and names not ending in –s: Tom’s hat;

2) add ’s to singular nouns ending in -s: an actress’s career;

3) add ’s to irregular plural nouns: children’s games, sheep’s wool;

4) add an apostrophe (’) after the -s of regular plurals: the girls' teacher;

5) add ’s to proper names ending in -s: Charles’s car, Denis’s birthday, St. James’s Park;

Note: In many older, foreign and classical (ancient Greek and Roman) names, just add an apostrophe: Guy Fawkes’ night; Socrates’ wife; Cervantes’ Don Quixote; Euripides’ plays; Archimedes’ Law; Achilles’ heel.

6) add ’s to the final component of a compound noun: my mother-in-low’s dress;

7) add ’s to the last word in a phrase: The Duke of Norfolk’s sister; the Secretary of State’s private room; someone else’s gloves; in an hour two’s time; the boy on the left’s sister.

Possessives usually replace articles before nouns. We can say the car or Sue’s car but not Sue’s the car or the Sue’s car.

Types of the Genitive Case

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