Hai Kipers! Memahami perbedaan antara singular (tunggal) dan plural (jamak) adalah fondasi penting dalam belajar bahasa Inggris yang sering diabaikan.
Kesalahan dalam menggunakan bentuk singular dan plural tidak hanya membuat kalimat terdengar janggal, tapi juga bisa mengubah makna keseluruhan yang ingin disampaikan.
Contoh paling umum yang sering membingungkan adalah penggunaan “woman” (singular) dan “women” (plural) yang pelafalannya berbeda namun penulisannya mirip.
Apa Itu Singular dan Plural?
Singular merujuk pada satu benda, orang, atau konsep, sedangkan plural merujuk pada lebih dari satu. Dalam bahasa Inggris, perubahan dari singular ke plural biasanya melibatkan penambahan akhiran atau perubahan bentuk kata, yang juga mempengaruhi verb dan determiner yang digunakan dalam kalimat.
Pemahaman yang baik tentang singular dan plural sangat penting karena mempengaruhi subject-verb agreement, penggunaan article (a, an, the), dan struktur kalimat secara keseluruhan.
Contoh Paling Umum: Woman vs Women
Sebelum masuk ke aturan umum, mari kita bahas contoh yang paling sering membingungkan learners:
Woman (Singular) – dibaca: “wúman”
- A woman is walking down the street.
- The woman in red dress is my sister.
- She is a successful woman in her field.
- That woman teaches English at the university.
Women (Plural) – dibaca: “wímin”
- Three women are walking down the street.
- The women in red dresses are my colleagues.
- They are successful women in their fields.
- Those women teach English at the university.
Tips Penting: Perhatikan bahwa “woman” dan “women” tidak hanya berbeda dalam penulisan, tetapi juga dalam pelafalan. “Woman” diucapkan dengan bunyi “wu-man”, sedangkan “women” diucapkan “wi-min”.
Aturan Dasar Pembentukan Plural
1. Menambahkan -s
Ini adalah aturan paling umum untuk membentuk plural dalam bahasa Inggris.
Contoh Kalimat Singular:
- I have a book on my desk.
- The cat is sleeping under the table.
- She bought a new car yesterday.
- A student is waiting outside the classroom.
- The apple looks fresh and delicious.
Contoh Kalimat Plural:
- I have three books on my desk.
- The cats are sleeping under the table.
- They bought new cars yesterday.
- Five students are waiting outside the classroom.
- The apples look fresh and delicious.
2. Menambahkan -es
Untuk kata benda yang berakhiran dengan -s, -ss, -x, -z, -ch, atau -sh, tambahkan -es.
Contoh Kalimat Singular:
- The bus arrives at 8 AM every morning.
- A glass is on the kitchen counter.
- She found a box in the attic.
- The church stands tall in the town center.
- A dish needs to be washed after dinner.
Contoh Kalimat Plural:
- The buses arrive at 8 AM every morning.
- Several glasses are on the kitchen counter.
- She found three boxes in the attic.
- The churches stand tall in the town center.
- Many dishes need to be washed after dinner.
3. Kata Berakhiran -y
Jika kata benda berakhiran dengan konsonan + y, ubah y menjadi i dan tambahkan -es. Jika berakhiran dengan vokal + y, cukup tambahkan -s.
Contoh Kalimat Singular (konsonan + y):
- A baby is crying in the nursery.
- The city has a beautiful park.
- A lady was walking her dog.
- The story is very interesting.
- A fly landed on my food.
Contoh Kalimat Plural (konsonan + y):
- Three babies are crying in the nursery.
- The cities have beautiful parks.
- Two ladies were walking their dogs.
- The stories are very interesting.
- Several flies landed on my food.
Contoh Kalimat Singular (vokal + y):
- A boy is playing in the yard.
- The key is on the table.
- A toy was left on the floor.
Contoh Kalimat Plural (vokal + y):
- Five boys are playing in the yard.
- The keys are on the table.
- Many toys were left on the floor.
4. Kata Berakhiran -f atau -fe
Untuk sebagian besar kata yang berakhiran -f atau -fe, ubah menjadi -ves.
Contoh Kalimat Singular:
- A wolf howled in the forest last night.
- The knife is very sharp, be careful.
- A thief broke into the store.
- The shelf needs to be cleaned.
- A leaf fell from the tree.
Contoh Kalimat Plural:
- Several wolves howled in the forest last night.
- The knives are very sharp, be careful.
- Two thieves broke into the store.
- The shelves need to be cleaned.
- Many leaves fell from the tree.
5. Kata Berakhiran -o
Untuk beberapa kata yang berakhiran -o, tambahkan -es. Untuk yang lainnya, cukup tambahkan -s.
Contoh Kalimat Singular (tambah -es):
- A hero saved the day.
- The potato is ready to be cooked.
- A tomato grew in my garden.
- An echo could be heard in the cave.
Contoh Kalimat Plural (tambah -es):
- Many heroes saved the day.
- The potatoes are ready to be cooked.
- Three tomatoes grew in my garden.
- Several echoes could be heard in the cave.
Contoh Kalimat Singular (tambah -s):
- A photo was taken at the beach.
- The piano sounds beautiful.
- A studio is rented for the recording.
Contoh Kalimat Plural (tambah -s):
- Many photos were taken at the beach.
- The pianos sound beautiful.
- Two studios are rented for the recording.
Irregular Plural (Bentuk Jamak Tidak Beraturan)
Beberapa kata memiliki bentuk plural yang tidak mengikuti aturan umum dan harus dihafalkan.
Perubahan Vokal Internal
Contoh Kalimat Singular:
- A man is standing at the door.
- The woman works at the hospital.
- A child is playing in the park.
- The mouse ran across the floor.
- A tooth needs to be checked by the dentist.
- My foot hurts after running.
- A goose swam in the pond.
Contoh Kalimat Plural:
- Three men are standing at the door.
- The women work at the hospital.
- Five children are playing in the park.
- Two mice ran across the floor.
- Several teeth need to be checked by the dentist.
- My feet hurt after running.
- Many geese swam in the pond.
Bentuk Sama (Singular dan Plural Identik)
Beberapa kata benda memiliki bentuk yang sama untuk singular dan plural.
Contoh Kalimat Singular:
- A sheep is grazing in the field.
- The deer ran into the forest.
- A fish is swimming in the aquarium.
- The aircraft landed safely at the airport.
- A series of events led to this moment.
Contoh Kalimat Plural:
- Ten sheep are grazing in the field.
- Three deer ran into the forest.
- Many fish are swimming in the aquarium.
- Two aircraft landed safely at the airport.
- Several series of events led to this moment.
Countable vs Uncountable Nouns
Penting juga memahami perbedaan antara countable (dapat dihitung) dan uncountable nouns (tidak dapat dihitung).
Countable Nouns
Contoh Kalimat Singular:
- I need a pen to write this letter.
- There is one orange in the basket.
- A dog barked all night long.
- She borrowed a book from the library.
Contoh Kalimat Plural:
- I need some pens to write these letters.
- There are five oranges in the basket.
- Two dogs barked all night long.
- She borrowed several books from the library.
Uncountable Nouns (Hanya Singular)
Uncountable nouns tidak memiliki bentuk plural dan selalu menggunakan verb singular.
Contoh Kalimat:
- Water is essential for life.
- The information was very helpful.
- Rice is a staple food in Asia.
- Music makes me happy.
- Advice from experienced people is valuable.
- Furniture in this room is expensive.
Penggunaan This, That, These, Those
Demonstrative pronouns juga berubah tergantung singular atau plural.
Singular (This/That):
- This book is mine.
- That car belongs to my father.
- This idea sounds great.
- That building is very old.
Plural (These/Those):
- These books are mine.
- Those cars belong to my father.
- These ideas sound great.
- Those buildings are very old.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Penggunaan verb harus sesuai dengan subjek singular atau plural.
Singular Subject + Singular Verb:
- The student studies hard every day.
- My brother works at a bank.
- A bird flies in the sky.
- The teacher explains the lesson clearly.
Plural Subject + Plural Verb:
- The students study hard every day.
- My brothers work at banks.
- Many birds fly in the sky.
- The teachers explain the lessons clearly.
Kata Benda yang Selalu Plural
Beberapa kata benda selalu dalam bentuk plural dan menggunakan verb plural.
Contoh Kalimat:
- My glasses are on the table.
- The scissors are very sharp.
- These jeans fit perfectly.
- The trousers need to be ironed.
- The police are investigating the case.
- The stairs are too steep for elderly people.
Collective Nouns (Kata Benda Kolektif)
Collective nouns bisa diperlakukan sebagai singular atau plural tergantung konteks.
Sebagai Singular (grup sebagai satu kesatuan):
- The team is playing well today.
- The family lives in a big house.
- The government has announced new policies.
- The class is studying grammar.
Sebagai Plural (anggota grup secara individual):
- The team are arguing among themselves.
- The family are going to different places for vacation.
- The government are divided on this issue.
- The class are submitting their assignments.
Kesalahan Umum yang Harus Dihindari
1. Menggunakan Article yang Salah
Salah:
- I need a informations about the course.
- She bought a furnitures for her apartment.
Benar:
- I need some information about the course.
- She bought some furniture for her apartment.
2. Subject-Verb Agreement Error
Salah:
- The students is waiting for the teacher.
- A group of people was protesting outside.
Benar:
- The students are waiting for the teacher.
- A group of people were protesting outside.
3. Plural Irregular yang Salah
Salah:
- Three childs are playing.
- Many womans attended the conference.
- I saw two mouses in the kitchen.
Benar:
- Three children are playing.
- Many women attended the conference.
- I saw two mice in the kitchen.
Tips Praktis Menguasai Singular dan Plural
1. Hafalkan Irregular Plurals: Buat daftar kata-kata irregular plural yang sering digunakan dan hafalkan. Tidak ada jalan pintas selain memorization untuk kata-kata ini.
2. Perhatikan Subject-Verb Agreement: Selalu periksa apakah subjek dan verb sudah sesuai. Subjek singular menggunakan verb singular (is, was, has), subjek plural menggunakan verb plural (are, were, have).
3. Praktik dengan Membaca: Saat membaca teks bahasa Inggris, perhatikan bagaimana penulis menggunakan singular dan plural. Ini akan membantu kamu develop natural feel untuk penggunaan yang benar.
4. Gunakan dalam Kalimat: Jangan hanya menghafal bentuk plural-nya, tapi praktikkan dalam kalimat lengkap agar terbiasa dengan konteks penggunaannya.
5. Record dan Review: Rekam diri kamu saat berbicara atau menulis, lalu review untuk menemukan kesalahan singular-plural yang sering kamu buat. Fokus untuk memperbaiki pattern error tersebut.
Latihan Soal
Untuk mengasah pemahaman, coba identifikasi dan perbaiki kesalahan dalam kalimat berikut:
- A lot of student is studying in the library.
- The child are playing outside.
- I bought two breads from the bakery.
- These informations are very useful.
- The womans in my office are very professional.
Jawaban:
- A lot of students are studying in the library.
- The children are playing outside.
- I bought two loaves of bread from the bakery.
- This information is very useful.
- The women in my office are very professional.
Kesimpulan
Memahami singular dan plural adalah skill fundamental yang akan sangat mempengaruhi kualitas bahasa Inggris kamu, baik dalam speaking maupun writing. Mulai dari aturan dasar seperti menambahkan -s atau -es, hingga irregular forms yang harus dihafalkan, setiap aspek membutuhkan latihan konsisten. Kunci utama adalah practice, practice, dan practice lagi sampai penggunaan singular dan plural menjadi natural dalam komunikasi sehari-hari.
Ingat, kesalahan dalam singular dan plural adalah hal yang wajar dalam proses belajar. Yang penting adalah awareness terhadap kesalahan tersebut dan konsisten untuk memperbaiki. Dengan pemahaman yang solid tentang konsep ini, kamu akan lebih percaya diri dalam berkomunikasi menggunakan bahasa Inggris.
Ingin menguasai grammar bahasa Inggris secara lebih mendalam dengan bimbingan langsung dari native speakers dan tutor berpengalaman? Bergabunglah dengan program di Kampung Inggris terbaik dan tingkatkan kemampuan bahasa Inggris kamu secara komprehensif. Good luck, Kipers!