THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: A COMPARATIVE LINGUISTIC STUDY

This article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the grammatical category of number in English and Uzbek. The paper examines how the singular and plural distinctions are expressed morphologically, semantically, and syntactically in both languages. English demonstrates a complex plural formation system with regular, irregular, zero, and foreign plurals, whereas Uzbek plural formation relies on the universal suffix -lar/-lar, which also expresses social politeness, collectivity, and emphasis. The study highlights the typological features of both languages, identifying major similarities and differences and analyzing the challenges learners face during acquisition. The findings contribute to linguistic theory and practical approaches to teaching English and Uzbek grammar.