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"News ni" au "news ni" – umoja au wingi katika Kiingereza?

Baadhi ya maneno ya Kiingereza yanamalizika kwa herufi "s" katika umoja. Wengi wao hawaleti shida kwa wanafunzi; ni wachache wangesema "the kiss were beautiful" badala ya "the kiss was beautiful". Hata hivyo, kuna machache ambayo mara nyingi husababisha matatizo:

news

Ingawa katika lugha nyingi neno linalolingana lingekuwa katika wingi, "news" ni nomino ya umoja, hivyo unapaswa kusema:

The news is being broadcast by all major TV stations.
The news are being broadcast by all major TV stations.

Inaweza kukushangaza kwamba "news" ni nomino isiyohesabika, ambayo inamaanisha kwamba si tu kwamba inafuatiwa na kitenzi cha umoja, lakini pia haiwezekani kusema "a news":

I've got good news.
I've got a good news.

lens

Tofauti na "news", "lens" ni nomino inayohesabika, hivyo unaweza kukumbuka kwamba ikiwa kunaweza kuwa na "two lenses", lazima pia kuwe na "one lens":

His new lens is big.
His new lenses are big.
His new lens are big.

series

Ili isiwe rahisi, wingi wa "series" pia ni "series". Kwa hivyo unapaswa kutumia kitenzi cha umoja ikiwa unazungumzia "series" moja maalum, kwa mfano, "My favourite TV series has been cancelled", na kitenzi cha wingi ikiwa unazungumzia "series" kadhaa kwa wakati mmoja, kwa mfano, "Some series on Netflix are pretty good."

means

Kama "series", "means" inawakilisha umoja na wingi kwa wakati mmoja. Kwa mfano:

The railway is a means (singular) of transportation, but there are also several other good means (plural) of transportation.

bellows

"Bellows" ni chombo kinachotumika kupuliza hewa. Kama "series", wingi wa "bellows" pia ni "bellows", hivyo unapaswa kutumia kitenzi cha umoja unapozungumzia "bellows" moja, na kitenzi cha wingi unapozungumzia zaidi ya moja.

Tujulishe kwamba kuna neno "bellow" likimaanisha "mlio wa mnyama", ambalo wingi wake pia ni "bellows".

measles

"Measles" ni ugonjwa, na kama ulivyogundua kutoka kwenye mada ya makala hii, neno hili ni la umoja:

Measles is especially common among children.
Measles are especially common among children.

Kwa kuwa ni jina la ugonjwa, ni nomino isiyohesabika, yaani, huwezi kuwa na "two measles". Kuna maana nyingine ya neno "measles" katika wingi, ikirejelea uvimbe kwenye nyama, lakini kama mzungumzaji asiye asili, karibu hakika hutakutana nayo.

Maneno mengine ambayo mara nyingi ni chanzo cha makosa ni:

...
Hii siyo yote! Jisajili ili kuona sehemu iliyobaki ya maandishi haya na kuwa sehemu ya jamii yetu ya wanaojifunza lugha.
...

Nomino za wingi ambazo wanafunzi mara nyingi huziona kama za umoja

Mbali na maneno yaliyotajwa hapo juu, kuna maneno kadhaa ambayo yana umbo la wingi pekee na yanaweza kuwachanganya baadhi ya wanafunzi ikiwa neno linalolingana katika lugha yao ya mama ni la umoja:

jeans, tights, trousers, pants

Mavazi haya yote yanatumika tu katika wingi (kawaida kwa sababu yanakuja kwa jozi—kwa miguu yote miwili—na umbo la umoja limepotea):

Her new jeans / tights / trousers / pants are black.
Her new jeans / tights / trousers / pants is black.

Ikiwa unataka kuzungumzia vipande zaidi, tumia neno pair, kwa mfano:

There are three pairs of trousers in the wardrobe.
...
Hii siyo yote! Jisajili ili kuona sehemu iliyobaki ya maandishi haya na kuwa sehemu ya jamii yetu ya wanaojifunza lugha.
...