Rules for changing from singular to plural

1- English nouns normally form their plurals by adding -s or es If the singular form ends in - s, ch, x,
sh, o, z. For example

Class- Classes
Pass- Passes
Bench- Benches
Catch- Catches
Batch- Batches
Bush- Bushes
Clash- Clashes
Rash- Rashes
Box- Boxes
Fox- Foxes
Cargo- Cargoes
Mango- Mangoes
Negro- Negroes
Potato- Potatoes
Quiz- Quizzes

Exceptions:

Ox- Oxen
Photo- Photos
Piano- Pianos
Solo- Solos
Canto- Cantos(sections in a poem)
Folio Folios( a single sheet of paper from a book or a book made with a large sheets of paper)
Ratio- Ratios
Stereo- Stereos
Memento- Mementos
Quarto- Quartos(a size of page made by folding a standard sheet of paper twice)
Portfolio- Portfolios

2. Nouns ending in -f or -fe form their plural by changing -f or -fe into v and adding -es
For Example-

Thief- Thieves
Loaf- Loaves
Leaf- Leaves
Knife- Knives
Wife- Wives
Self- Selves
Calf- Calves
Life- Lives

Exceptions:

Serf- Serfs
Brief- Briefs
Gulf- Gulfs
Roof- Roofs
Proof- Proofs
Belief Beliefs
Strife- Strifes

3- Nouns ending in -y, preceded by a consonant, form their plural by changing y into I and adding
es. For example;

Baby- Babies
Story- Stories
Pony- Ponies
City- Cities
Lady- Ladies

Nouns ending in y, preceded by a vowel, form their plural by adding s.
For example
Joy- Joys
Key- Keys
Pay- Pays
Storey- Storeys
Trolley- Trolleys

4- The following table lists other plural forms. Examples:
Child- Children
Foot- Feet
Mouse- Mice
Louse- Lice
Goose- Geese
Tooth- Teeth
Woman- Women

5- Animal names same in the plural.
Example:
Bison
Swine
Sheep
Deer
Cod
Salmon
Trout
Pike
Fish (fish collectively) fishes ( can be used to refer to different kinds of fish)
Example: they caught several fish.



6- Nouns in plural form only---- ( things consisting of two parts have no singular form and must be
preceded by a pair of if we wish to emphasize countability)

Bellows
Binoculars
Clippers
Glasses
Goggles
Pliers
Scissors
Tongs

Note: A pair of bellows/scissors/pliers etc

Nouns in plural form: articles of clothing

Braces
Breeches
Jeans
Leggings
Shorts
Slacks
Tights
Trousers
Stockings
Socks
Boots
Gloves

Names of diseases:

Measles
Mumps

Names of Games:

Billiards
Draughts

Other nouns used in the plural form only:

Barracks
Crossroads
Species
Works (Factory or authors works)
Headquarters
Alms
Riches
Thanks
Tidings(news)
Assets (Property, wealth)

7- The following are commonly used in the singular.

Mathematics
Physics
Politics
News
Innings(in cricket)
scenery
Certain collective nouns though singular in form are used as plurals

Poultry
Cattle
Gentry
cutlery
Note: People (as a common noun means a Nation and is used in both singular and plural)
Example:
The people of India are very hard working.
There are many different peoples in Asia

8- The following nouns do not have Plurals

Aircraft
Air
Counsel
Offspring
Furniture
Music
Advice
Information

9- Numerals

Hundred, thousand, million, dozen, score and gross have no plural when preceded by another numeral
For example:
Five hundred/ thousand/ million/ lakh/ people
Two dozen eggs; I have three pair of shoes
But we say:
There were hundreds/ thousands/ millions of people
Hundreds of soldiers died in the First World War.
I have pairs of socks
I have a pair of boots

10- Compound words

Compound noun generally forms its plural by adding s to the principal word
Example:
Commander - in - chief- Commanders - in - chief
Chief Minister - Chief Ministers
Son- in -law- Sons-in-law
Court-martial- Courts-martial / Court- martials
Man-of-war- men-of war
Passer-by - passers-by
Step Daughter- step- daughters
Maid-servant- maid- servants

But we say:

Man-servant- men-servants
Man-eater- man-eaters
Woman-doctor- women- doctors
Cupful- cupfuls
Handful - Handfuls
Attorney-General - Attorneys- General or Attorney- Generals


11- Many nouns taken from foreign languages form their plural as follows;

Index Indexes (List in book), Indices (technical)
Apex- Apexes (Highest Point), Apices (Technical)
Appendix- Appendixes (Medical), Appendices (Supplement in Book),
Cortex- cortices (outer part of an organ)
Duplex- Apartment on two floors (American)
Matrix- Matrices or Matrixes (Mould, Grid structure etc.)
Radius- Radii
Fungus- Fungi
Genius- Geniuses (Highly Intelligent person), genii (Guardian Spirit)\
Axis- Axes
Basis- Bases
Crisis- Crises
Diagnosis- Diagnoses
Hypothesis- Hypotheses
Oasis- Oases
Synopsis- Synopses
Criterion- Criteria
Medium- Media
Phenomenon- Phenomena
Datum- Data
Memorandum- Memoranda
Alumnus--- Alumni male
Alumna---- Alumnae female
Bacillus--- Bacilli
Bacterium- Bacteria