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With regard to the category of number both English and
Ukrainian nouns fall into two subclasses: countables and
uncountables. The former has number opposites, the latter does
not. Uncountable nouns are again subdivided into those having no
plural opposites and those having no singular opposites.
No grammatical phenomenon of opposition forming the
basis of the category of number is easier to present on the example
of the English language. Thus, the English noun lexeme can
contain two number opposemes (boy-boys, boy’s-boys’). Many
lexemes have but one opposeme (table-tables) and many others
have no opposemes (ink, news). In the opposeme boy-boys
“singularity” is expressed by a single morpheme and “plurality” is
marked by the morpheme [z], in spelling –s.
In the opposemes boy’s-boys’ both members have
morphemes –‘s, -s’ but these morphemes can be distinguished only
in writing. In the spoken language their forms do not differ. They
can be distinguished only by their combinability: boy’s head-
boys’ heads.
The English language has quite a simple way of the plural
form building: it has only one ending of the plural form- (e)s (with
its 3 phonetic variants [s], [z], [tz]) which is added to the noun
base. The exceptions of this rule are not numerous: this is the weak
form of the plural of the type: children, oxen.
Completely allomorphic i.e. pertained only to the English
language is the formation of plural numbers by way of sound
interchanges: foot-feet; tooth-teeth; mouse-mice.
A few simple life nouns have in English one and the same
form for singular and plural (sheep, deer, and swine). These are
some borrowed nouns inflexions: These are Latin: curriculum –
curricula; several Greek borrowings analysis- analyses, criterion-
criteria, though some nouns often take regular English plural
forms (memorandums, tempos).
Unlike English, Ukrainian number inflexions are
predetermined by the declension groups to which the nouns are

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