Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns
Examples of nouns with an added ‘s’:
bed ð beds / desk ð desks / crayon ð crayons,
When nouns end with –s, -x, -z, -ch and -sh, you must add ‘es’.
Examples of nouns with an added ‘es’:
bus ð buses / buzz ð buzzes / ax ð axes / bush ð bushes / peach ðpeaches
When nouns end with an ‘e’, just add ‘s’.
Examples: slice ð slices / game ð games,
When nouns end in ‘consonant + ‘y’,remove the ‘y’ and add ‘ies’.
Examples: baby ð babies / candy ð candies,
When nouns end in ‘vowel + ‘y’, just add ‘s’.
Examples: bay ð bays / toy ð toys,
When to add ‘os’ or ‘oes’ to nouns can be VERY confusing.
Here is a list of common nouns using ‘os’, ‘oes’ and both ‘os’ and ‘oes’.
Examples of nouns with ‘os’:
autos / kangaroos / kilos / photos / pianos
Examples of nouns with ‘oes’:
echoes / embargoes / heroes / potatoes
Examples of nouns with ‘os’ and ‘oes’
buffalos ~ buffaloes / cargos ~ cargoes / halos ~ haloes / zeros ~ zeroes, mosquitos ~ mosquitoes / mottos ~ mottoes / tornados ~ tornadoes,
When nouns end in ‘f’ or ‘fe’, change the ‘f’ to ‘v’ and add either ‘s’ or ‘es’.
Examples: wolf ðwolves / knife ð knives,
Some nouns do not change at all when they become plural.
Examples: cod / elk / deer / fish / offspring / sheep / shrimp
Some nouns are rarely, if ever, used in plural form.
Examples: advice / art / butter / electricity / happiness / information / luggage / rice / sugar / water
Some nouns change the vowel sound when they become plural.
Examples: foot ð feet / goose ð geese / man ð men / mouse ð mice, tooth ð teeth / woman ðwomen
Some Old English plurals are still in use.
Examples: child ð children, ox ð oxen
Some nouns that are traditionally plural do not change when used as singular.
Examples: barracks / crossroads / headquarters / means / series / species
Some nouns that come in pairs and are not used as singular.
Examples: binoculars / glasses / pants / scissors / tongs / trousers / tweezers
Some foreign nouns keep their foreign plural forms.
Examples: alga ð algae / amoeba ð amoebae *amoebas / antenna ð antennae *antennas / formula ð formulae *formulas / larva ð larvae / nebula ð nebulae *nebulas / vertebra ð vertebrae
* These have adapted a regular English form as well.
Some nouns ending in ‘on’ change to ‘a’ when becoming plural.
Examples: criterion ð criteria, phenomenon ð phenomena,
Some nouns ending in ‘us’ change to ‘i’ when becoming plural.
Examples: alumnus ð alumni / cactus ð cacti *cactuses / focus ð foci, fungus ð fungi *funguses / nucleus ð nuclei, octopus ð octopi *octopuses / radius ð radii / syllabus ð syllabi *syllabuses
* These have adapted a regular English form as well.
Some nouns ending in ‘um’ change to ‘a’ when becoming plural.
Examples: bacterium ð bacteria / curriculum ð curricula *curriculums / datum ð data / medium ðmedia / memorandum ð memoranda *memorandums / symposium ð symposia *symposiums
* These have adapted a regular English form as well.
Some nouns ending in ‘ex’ or ‘ix’ change to ‘ices’ when becoming plural.
Examples: appendix ð appendices *appendixes / cervix ð cervices *cervixes / index ð indices *indexes
* These have adapted a regular English form as well.
Some nouns ending in ‘is’ change to ‘es’ when becoming plural.
Examples: analysis ð analyses / axis ð axes / basis ð bases / crisis ð crises / diagnosis ð diagnoses / emphasis ð emphases / hypothesis ð hypotheses / parenthesis ðparentheses / thesis ð theses,
(The final ‘e’ is pronounced as a long ‘e’ sound.)
I created this blog to help ESL students.
All of the articles on this blog are just basic rules.
If you leave comments, I will know what you want me to post.
If you are not sure about something on my blog, or English in general, ask.
Remember!
“The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
(You’ll only get help if you ask for it.)
No comments:
Post a Comment