Buna!
Vreau sa va intreb si eu ceva la engleza: Am vazut peste tot cuvinte(substantive) compuse ca de exemplu : armchair, team player, armful, policeman, passer-by ....si nu stiu cum se formeaza pluralul acestor cuvinte.
Se pune s/es la primul element sau la al doilea si as vrea sa imi explicati si de ce.
Funda

Pot sa te ajut cu un extras dintr-un curs de engleza, sper sa iti fie de ajutor:

The Category of Number in English

Nouns are marked for the categories of number, gender and case.
The English number system is represented by a two-term contrast: singular and plural, and the number of a noun phrase is generally determined by its head.
Traditional grammars usually distinguish between:
Common nouns (pen, class) and Proper nouns (Anne, Shakespeare, Thompson);
Concrete nouns (book, school) and Abstract nouns (advice, beauty, kindness);
Count(able) nouns (university-universities) and Uncountable / mass nouns (music, cheese).
Unlike the number system of synthetic languages such as Romanian, French or German, which, due to their inflectional character, can be defined as "overt", for quite a large part of the English nouns number distinction can be described as "covert." This statement can be accounted for by the form and agreement in number of nouns such as: information (sg.), luggage (sg.), news (sg.), scissors (pl./sg.), measles (sg./pl.), acoustics (sg./pl.), barracks (sg./pl.), etc. Since there are both concrete and abstract nouns with no plural form (knowledge, bread) and some noncount nouns can be reclassified as countable. (paper, -s, cheese, -s), the distinction between count and noncount does not seem to have a bearing on English.
More recent approaches on semantic and grammatical principles take into consideration several subclasses within the main noun number classes:
A. Singular invariable nouns have a singular or plural form (news, information, measles,
linguistics) and agree with the verb in the singular. Mass nouns which can be shifted from one class (noncount) to another (count) are nouns with dual class membership (cheese(s), water(s));
B. Plural invariable nouns, either marked or unmarked for plural, agree with the verb
in the plural: scissors, oats, police, vermin;
C. Variable nouns are nouns with regular singular and plural forms, zero plural forms, or
irregular plural forms: girl(s), goose-geese, half-halves, sheep-sheep, criterion-criteria.











non-count nouns: concrete gold, furniture
non-count nouns: abstract music, homework
singular singular proper nouns Henry, the Thames
invariable some nouns ending in –s news
abstract adjectival heads the beautiful, the true

invariable

summation plurals scissors
plural other plurali tantum in –s thanks
invariables some plural proper nouns the Netherlands
unmarked plural nouns cattle
personal adjectival heads the rich

regular
plurals boy boys


VOICING calf calves
MUTATION foot feet
-EN PLURAL ox oxen
ZERO sheep sheep
variable

-us → -i radius radii
irregular -a → -ae larva larvae
plurals -um → -a stratum strata
-ex, -ix → -ices matrix matrices
-is → -es thesis theses
-on → -a criterion criteria
-eau → -eaux tableau tableaux
zero
(spelling only) chassis chassis
-o → -i tempo tempi
base + -im cherub cherubim

(Quirk et al., A Grammar of Contemporary English, Longman, 1978: 166)

A. Singular invariable nouns
Some concrete noncount / mass nouns can have dual class membership, that is, they can be reclassified, with specific meanings, as count nouns:
I only read the evening paper(s).
The jug was wrapped in paper.
She’s lost all her papers.
There was no wood by the fireplace.
They walked through the woods.
There is too much lamb on the menu.
There were lambs in the fields.
The sand was hot.
Let’s play on the sands.
Noncount nouns such as coffee, tea, wine, butter, cheese, can also be reclassified as count with the specific meaning ‘cand/type of’:

A: What cheeses do you serve?
B: Well, we have Cheddar, Danish Blue...
I love French cheeses.
Five cream cheeses, please.
Would you like tea or coffee?
Can I have a [cup of] coffee, please?
Two coffees / cups of coffee, please.
This is a nice coffee. I love it.
I like Brazilian coffees and Chinese te-as best.

Abstract noncount / mass nouns such as abuse, difficulty, doubt, experience, evidence,
failure, fear, hope, income, injustice, kindness, pleasure, regret, strength, weakness can be reclassified as count nouns when they refer to an instance of a given abstract phenomenon:

There is no freedom that is not open to abuse.
This book is about the uses and abuses of power.
I have no doubt that there will be a lot of young people there.
They have serious doubts.
She has no experience whatsoever.
She’s had several sad experiences so far.
The plurals of some noncount nouns which denote natural phenomena may be used metaphorically to express ‘intensity’, ‘great quantity / extent’:
Still waters are deep.
Beware of fishing in muddy/troubled waters.
The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

Some subclasses of singular invariable nouns ending in –s usually agree with the verb in the singular:
a) news:
What’s the news? No news is good news.
News travels pretty fast.
It was a fascinating piece of news.
The two pieces of news cheered us up.
b) names of certain diseases ending in –s which agree with the verb in the singular (BrE) can sometimes be used with a plural verb (AmE): measles, mumps, rickets, shingles:
Have you had measles?
Yes, I had it/them when I was four.
c) nouns ending in –ics, such as: acoustics, athletics, cybernetics, dynamics, economics, electronics, ethics, geophysics, gymnastics, informatics, linguistics, mathematics, mechanics, optics, phonetics, physics, poetics, politics, statistics, tactics, etc. When they denote sciences or branches of knowledge, they agree with the verb in the singular. They take a plural verb only when they denote circumstances of the application of that science or results of the application of that science. Compare:

Acoustics deals with the scientific study of sounds. What are his politics? (political views)
The hall has excellent acoustics. His politics are rather conservative.
The acoustics of the theatre were excellent. He’s always been open about his politics.

Politics is said to be dirty. Most people are fairly cynical about politics. Andrew went up to Cambridge to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
He’s gone into politics (‘became a politician’). She became quite active in student politics.
He retired from politics long ago. (‘the profession of being a politician’). Note also: local office politics/sexual politics, etc.

Gymnastics is their favourite pastime. Gymnastics are not given enough attention in school. The gymnastics were held in the open.

d) names of some games ending in –s usually have singular agreement with the verb: billiards, bowls, darts, dominoes, draughts (BrE), checkers/drafts (AmE), marbles, ninepins, skittles.
Compare: Checkers is the game of draughts in American English. Draughts is/are more popular than billiards
When they are used attributively, some nouns in c) and d) can occur with either a singular or a plural form:
a billiard table, a card table, a checkerboard, a dartboard, a draughtboard; the domino effect, gymnastic exercises, athletic sports;
but:
a draughtsman/draftsman, a shingles rash, measles spots, a mumps infection, a newsagent,
a sports shop, the sports page; an athletics meeting, an economics course, a classics degree,
a clothes basket/hanger, a goods train.
This certificate excuses him from gymnastics at school.
We all wondered at his gymnastic ability at school.

e) proper nouns with an invariable plural form in –s: Athens, Brussels, Marseilles, Naples, Wales, the Netherlands, the United Nations, the United States, etc. The names of these countries agree with the verb in the singular if we refer to the country as a unit and with a plural verb when we refer to individuals from that country. National sport teams are usually referred to with a plural verb.
Compare: The United States of America is made up of over 50 states.
The United States have won the championship. (i.e. the team of the USA, seen as a unit).

B. Plural invariable nouns
Pluralia Tantum Nouns, which are plural in form and usually agree with the verb in the plural, fall into two categories: summation plurals and pluralia tantum nouns proper.
Summation plurals denote tools, instruments and articles of dress consisting of two
identical parts joined together. They are reclassified as countable by means of the partitive phrase a pair of.
Tools and instruments:
bellows:
1. ‘a device used for blowing air into a fire to make it burn more fiercely’:
a pair of bellows…, a bellows made out of a goat skin (CC) (ro. foale, (sl.) bojoci, plamâni)
2. ‘a device that is part of a musical instrument (such as an accordion)’:
a new set of bellows for the organ (CC);
callipers are instruments that are used to measure the size of things (ro: şubler )
glasses, spectacles, binoculars
scales (‘a balance’) are ‘a device or a machine for weighing things or people’:
"You want me to get the scales, Mabel, so you can weigh her?"(CC)
… a pair of scales
As a count noun (C), scale-s :
1. the scales of fish, snakes and other reptiles:
"Wash the fish and take off the scales with a knife."(CC)
2. (music) a series of musical notes moving upwards or downwards in pitch with fixed distances between each note
Phrases: tip the scales / balance : "Your support tipped the scales in our favour."
tip the scales at: "He tips the scales at 180 pounds (he weighs 180 pounds)."
… the scales fell from my eyes (literary, ‘I suddenly realized what had been clear to other people’)
clippers are used to cut small pieces from something, especially from someone’s hair or nails: (a pair of) nail clippers (ro. forfecuţă de unghii);
pincers are a tool used for gripping things or for pulling things out (ro: cleşte, pensetă):
"Pull them out with a pair of pincers."
tongs are used to pick up objects that you do not want to touch, sugar-tongs, coal-tongs. (ro. cleşte):
She was putting lumps of sugar into her tea with a pair of silver tongs."
forceps are used by a doctor to hold something firmly; sometimes used to deliver a child.
pliers are used for pulling out or holding small things or for bending wire (ro. patent)
scissors are used for cutting paper or cloth:
"How much is/are the scissors? We need a new pair."
"How much is the new pair of scissors?"
shears are a large pair of scissors used for shearing sheep, also used for cutting hedges (ro: foarfecă foarfece mare/ foarfeci mari):
"He handled the shears with skill and speed."
tweezers are used for pulling out hairs and picking up small objects. (ro. pensetă)
When they are predetermined or premodified, some speakers may use a singular verb with some of these nouns:
How much is/are the new scissors?"
"Where is/are the old tweezers?"

Articles of dress:
bloomers are an old-fashioned cand of women’s underware, wide, loose trousers gathered at the knees.
bracers (BrE) /suspenders (AmE) are a pair of straps used instead of a belt.
breeches (BE)/ britches (AE) (e.g. riding ~) are trousers which reach as far as your knees.
drawers (old-fashioned) are underclothing that you wear on the lower part of your body.
flannels are man’s trousers made of flannel (i.e. a lightweight cloth woven from wool or a synthetic material):
"He wore flannels and a faded blue tweed jacket."
jeans
knickers (BrE) (pants)/knickerbockers (AmE) are loose trousers which reach as far as the knees, usually worn by children and women (breeches):
"She bought herself a new pair of knickers." (knicker elastic)
leggings are an outer covering of leather or other strong material, often in the form of trousers, that men wear over their normal trousers in order to protect them. (ro. jambiere, carâmbi):
"Farmers in leather breeches and leggings;"
nylons (old-fashioned) are stockings or tights
overalls (protective trousers, dungarees worn by workmen) ro. salopetă
pants (BrE) are men’s underwear; in AmE pants ‘trousers’:
Waterproof pants under the nappies are a special
help. (CC)
pyjamas (BrE)/ pajamas (AmE)
pantaloons are long trousers with very wide legs, gathered at the ankles;
shorts are short trousers; men’s underpants (esp. AmE);
slacks are trousers, esp. casual ones (old-fashioned);
tails are a formal jacket which has two long pieces hanging down at the back and is worn on very formal occasions:
"The duke wore white tie and tails."
tights are worn by women and dancers (e.g. silk tights);
trousers
trunks or swimming trunks
tweeds are a tweed suit (… a stout nosy man in tweeds);
Either a singular or a plural concord is possible with a singular determiner (or a modifier):
"I’d like to buy this pair. How much is it?/ are they?"
Epecially when they are premodified, some summation plurals can be predetermined by the indefinite article a(n):: a garden shears, a curling tongs, a new clippers, etc.
When used attributively (in premodification), most of the summation plurals, like other nouns ending in –s or –ics, have a singular form.
Compare: a spectacle case, a trouser leg, a suspender belt, a pyjama blouse / top, a checkerboard, a draughtboard; and a glasses case, a draughtsman / draftsman (AmE).
Summation plurals are often treated as count nouns: several tweezers.

Pluralia tantum nouns proper are uncount nouns (U) which can take singular forms with a change in meaning:
airs are exaggerated, unnatural manners which people adopt in order to impress other people. They are often used in set phrases such as:
to put on airs: "She didn’t want him to think she was just putting on airs when she came to visit."
to give oneself airs: behaves as if (s)he were more important than (s)he really is;
someone’s airs and graces: behaves as if (s)he were more important than other people, e.g.
"You’ll have to put up with her phoney airs."
.

Armchair=fotoliu,armful=brat,policeman=politist,passer=trecator iar passer-by =trecator pe...(trecere de pietoni, de exemplu)
"team player" nu e corect [-x deoarece team=echipa si player=jucator, deci nu exista o echipa cu un singur jucator corect e teamplayers (=echipa de jucatori). Toate aceste cuvinte NU SUNT COMPUSE in romana noastra draga, asa par, dar in engleza sunt simple cuvinte de exemplu:postman=postas.Noi intelegem 2 cuvinte : posta si barbat, dar la englezi e doar un cuvant "postas". Stiu ca e aiurea, si mie mi-a venit greu la iceput sa le invat, dar cum eu sunt la profil uman (filologie) fac engleza, franceza si germana de rup, am nevoie .aaaa...era sa uit de plural pluralul se formeaza cum ai spus tu,cu "s" sau "es" si se adauga la sfarsitul celui de-al doilea substativ ex: postmanS,policemanS, teamplayerS, aaa, si mai erau un tip de substantive,"substantive cu plural neregulat" cum ar fi mouse=soarec si la plural este mice=soareci sau tooth=dinte si la plural teeth=dinti. Sper sa te ajute asta in caz ca ai nedumeriri, ma gasesti la skill_little_angel@yahoo.com si iti explic ce vrei tu (in masura in care stiu bye :*