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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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Plurals

English plural nouns


In order to change a singular noun to its plural form in English, you usually add "s". For example, the plural of book is books. The plural of table is tables. These are regular plurals. But there are many nouns which don't follow this rule. For example the plural of fish is fish. The plural of tooth is teeth. These are irregular plurals

Regular plurals:
Form: Add "s" to the noun: Noun + S While many plural nouns follow this rule, the spelling sometimes differ.

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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Examples: Singular snake window box boy lorry potato knife Plural snakes windows boxes boys lorries potatoes knives

Spelling of plurals: The plural form of most nouns is created simply by adding the letter "s". more than one snake = snakes more than one girl = girls more than one window = windows Nouns that end in -ch, x, s, z or s-like sounds, however, will require an es for the plural: more than one witch = witches more than one box = boxes more than one gas = gases more than one bus = buses more than one kiss = kisses Nouns that end in a vowel + y take the letter s: more than one boy = boys more than one way = ways Nouns that end in a consonant + y drop the y and take ies: more tha one baby = babies more than one lorry = lorries A lot of nouns that end in o take es in the plural: more than potato = potatoes more than one hero = heroes o becomes oes echo hero echoes heroes embargo embargoes

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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potato tomato veto

potatoes tomatoes vetoes

torpedo torpedoes

Some nouns ending in o break the above rule and get os in the plural form: o becomes os auto kilo memo photo piano pro solo soprano studio tattoo video zoo autos kilos memos photos pianos pros solos sopranos studios tattoos videos zoos kangaroo kangaroos

pimento pimentos

Other nouns ending in o get either os or oes i the plural forms: o becomes os or oes buffalo cargo halo motto no tornado zero buffalos/buffaloes cargos/cargoes halos/haloes mottos/mottoes nos/noes tornados/tornadoes zeros/zeroes

mosquito mosquitos/mosquitoes

volcano volcanos/volcanoes

Plurals of nouns that end in f or fe usually change the f sound to a v sound and add s or -es. more than one knife = knives

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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more than one leaf = leaves more than one hoof = hooves more than one life = lives more than one self = selves more than one elf = elves

Irregular plurals:
There are several nouns that have irregular plural forms. Singular Plural fish sheep fish sheep

barracks barracks foot tooth goose tooth goose child man woman person mouse feet teeth geese teeth geese children men women people mice

Plurals formed in this way are sometimes called irregular plurals or mutated (or mutating) plurals. more than one child = children more than one woman = women more than one man = men more than one person = people more than one goose = geese more than one mouse = mice more than one barracks = barracks more than one deer = deer Other irregular plural forms include the following: Some foreign nouns retain their plural. (Note that some of them adapted the s of the English plural form!) Singular Foreign plural English plural

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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alga amoeba formula larva nebula

algae amoebae formulae larvae nebulae nebulas amoebas antennas formulas

antenna antennae

vertebra vertebrae Nouns ending in us get a, i or the s of the English plural: Singular Foreign plural English plural corpus genus bacillus cactus focus fungus nucleus radius corpora genera bacilli cacti foci fungi nuclei octopuses radii syllabuses funguses cactuses

alumnus alumni

octopus octopi stimulus stimuli syllabus syllabi terminus termini

Nouns ending in um get a, i or the s of the English plural: Singular addendum bacterium curriculum datum erratum medium ovum stratum symposium Foreign plural English plural addenda bacteria curricula data errata media memorandums ova strata symposia symposiums curriculums

memorandum memoranda

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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Nouns ending in ex or ix get ices or get the s of the English plural: Singular Foreign plural English plural apex apices apexes appendixes cervixes indexes matrixes

appendix appendices cervix index matrix vortex cervices indices matrices vortices

Nouns ending in is becoming es in plural: Singular analysis axis basis crisis diagnosis emphasis Plural form analyses axes bases crises diagnoses emphases

hypothesis hypotheses neurosis oasis neuroses oases

parenthesis parentheses synopsis thesis synopses theses

Nouns ending in -on becoming -a:

singular criterion

plural criteria

phenomenon phenomena automaton automata

Nouns that are always singular:


A handful of nouns appear to be plural in form but take a singular verb:

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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The news is bad. Gymnastics is fun to watch. Economics/mathematics/statistics is said to be difficult. Some nouns never take the s of the plural and are always singular: your luggage / baggage is so heavy I'd like to buy new furniture for the house you can find more information in our website.

Exercise on plurals.

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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Grammar Lessons - English Plurals (Plural Nouns)

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