Lesson 3: Plurals of Nouns

Definition

Most nouns can be made plural simply by adding –s to the end of the word. Some nouns are made plural by adding –es to the end of the word. Most nouns that end in s, x, z, ch, or sh form their plurals this way.

Explanation

For most nouns, making them plural is as simple as adding an -s. But for words that end with a hissing or buzzing sound (like s, x, z, ch, sh), you need to add -es to make the plural form easy to pronounce. A helpful trick is to check the syllables: if the plural has one more syllable than the singular, it probably ends in -es.

Examples

• flower flowers

[The plural flowers has the same number of syllables as the singular flower. The plural is formed by adding –s.]

• watch watches

[The plural watches has one more syllable than the singular watch. The plural is formed by adding –es.]

Definition

Many words that end in –y form the plural by changing the y to i before adding –es. If the final y follows a vowel, keep the y and add –s.

Explanation

When a noun ends in -y, look at the letter right before it. If that letter is a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), you just add -s. If the letter is a consonant (any other letter), you must change the y to an i and then add -es. Think of it as the 'y' needing a vowel buddy to stay put!

Examples

• key keys

[The letter before y is a vowel, so the plural is formed by adding s.]

• party parties

[The letter before y is a consonant, so the y changes to i and es is added.]

Definition

Many words that end in –f or –fe form the plural by changing the f to v. In some words, the f does not change.

Explanation

This rule can be a little tricky! For many nouns that end with an -f or -fe sound, the ending softens to a 'v' sound in the plural form, spelled with -ves. However, some words are exceptions and just get a simple -s. You often have to memorize the common ones, as there's no easy trick.

Examples

• wolf wolves

[The f in wolf changes to v in the plural form.]

• chief chiefs

[For some words, the f does not change; the plural is formed by simply adding s.]

Definition

The plurals of some nouns are formed in irregular ways. A few nouns do not change at all to form the plural.

Explanation

Some nouns are rebels and don't follow any rules! These irregular nouns have unique plural forms that you just have to learn and memorize. Many of these are old words from the history of English. Another special group of nouns uses the exact same word for both the singular and the plural.

Examples

• man men

[The vowel a in man changes to e in the plural form.]

• foot feet

[The vowels oo in foot change to ee in the plural form.]

• fish fish

[The singular and plural forms are the same for this noun.]

Definition

For most compound nouns, form the plural of only the last word of the compound. For compound nouns in which one of the words is modified by the other word or words, form the plural of the noun modified.

Explanation

When a noun is made of multiple words, where does the plural ending go? Most of the time, you just make the very last word plural. But, if the main, most important noun is not at the end, that's the word you make plural. Ask yourself: what do I really have more of?

Examples

• The family has two houseboats.

[For most compound nouns, the plural is formed on the last word.]

• The new attorneys general met last week.

[The plural is formed on attorney, which is the main noun being modified.]

Definition

For some nouns borrowed from other languages, the plural is formed as in the original languages.

Explanation

English has borrowed many cool words from other languages like Latin and Greek. These words often keep their original plural forms, which can look very different from typical English plurals. When in doubt, a dictionary is your best friend for figuring out these special foreign plurals.

Examples

• criterion criteria

[This noun, borrowed from Greek, follows its original plural form.]

• fungus fungi

[This noun, borrowed from Latin, follows its original plural form.]

Definition

To form the plural of numerals, most uppercase letters, symbols, and words used as words, add either an s or both an apostrophe and an s.

Explanation

How do you write about more than one letter, number, or symbol? It’s easy! You add an apostrophe and an s ('s). This special rule helps make your writing clear, showing that you are making the symbol itself plural and not just writing a regular word. For example, it helps distinguish multiple A's from the word As.

Examples

• Mind your p's and q's.
• Your phone number has too many 7's.
• You use too many so's in your writing.