Give the plural forms of the following words: (i) tomato (ii) aircraft (iii) leaf (iv) businessman (v) city

To form the plural forms of the given words, we apply different rules based on the nature and origin of each word. Let's determine the plural forms for each word:

(i) tomato

• Plural: tomatoes

(ii) aircraft

• Plural: aircraft (same form for both singular and plural)

(iii) leaf

• Plural: leaves

(iv) businessman

• Plural: businessmen

(v) city

• Plural: cities

Here's the breakdown of the rules and patterns used to form the plural forms:

• Regular Pluralization:

  • For most nouns, we add "-s" or "-es" to form the plural.
    • Example: "tomato" becomes "tomatoes" (adding "-es" to nouns ending in a vowel and "o").
    • Example: "leaf" becomes "leaves" (changing "-f" to "-ves" and adding "-s" for the plural).

• Irregular Pluralization:

  • Some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow typical patterns.
    • Example: "aircraft" remains unchanged in the plural form (same for both singular and plural).
    • Example: "businessman" changes to "businessmen" with "-men" replacing "-man" to indicate plural.

• Pluralization of Compound Nouns:

  • Compound nouns (nouns composed of two or more words) may have specific rules for forming the plural.
    • Example: "city" becomes "cities" by adding "-es" to form the plural.

Understanding these rules allows us to correctly pluralize nouns in English and communicate effectively. While many nouns follow standard patterns for pluralization, irregular nouns require memorization of specific forms. Additionally, compound nouns may vary in their plural forms based on their structure and usage.