A1 English GrammarPlural Nouns
Learn to form plural nouns correctly in English. Master regular plural endings (-s, -es) and common irregular plurals.
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1Regular Plurals: Add -s
Most English nouns form their plural by adding -s. This is the most common pattern and applies to the majority of nouns.
Regular Plurals with -s
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| book | books |
| car | cars |
| dog | dogs |
| table | tables |
| phone | phones |
Examples
I have two cats.
I have two cats.
cat → cats
There are many trees in the park.
There are many trees in the park.
tree → trees
She bought three apples.
She bought three apples.
apple → apples
2Plurals with -es
Add -es to nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, and -o (for some words). This makes pronunciation easier.
Plurals with -es
| Ending | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| -s, -ss | bus, class | buses, classes |
| -sh | dish, brush | dishes, brushes |
| -ch | watch, church | watches, churches |
| -x | box, fox | boxes, foxes |
| -o | tomato, potato | tomatoes, potatoes |
Examples
I need two boxes.
I need two boxes.
box → boxes
She washes the dishes every day.
She washes the dishes every day.
dish → dishes
He has three watches.
He has three watches.
watch → watches
3Consonant + Y Plurals
For nouns ending in consonant + y, change the y to i and add -es. But if a vowel comes before y, just add -s.
Y Plurals
| Rule | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Consonant + y → ies | city, baby, party | cities, babies, parties |
| Vowel + y → ys | day, key, toy | days, keys, toys |
Examples
There are many countries in Europe.
There are many countries in Europe.
country → countries
I have two hobbies.
I have two hobbies.
hobby → hobbies
We went on vacation for ten days.
We went on vacation for ten days.
day → days (vowel + y)
4Irregular Plurals
Some common nouns have irregular plurals that must be memorized. A few nouns have the same singular and plural form.
Common Irregular Plurals
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| man | men |
| woman | women |
| child | children |
| person | people |
| foot | feet |
| tooth | teeth |
| mouse | mice |
| fish | fish |
| sheep | sheep |
Examples
The children are playing outside.
The children are playing outside.
child → children
My feet hurt after walking.
My feet hurt after walking.
foot → feet
There are five fish in the tank.
There are five fish in the tank.
fish → fish (same form)
Many people came to the concert.
Many people came to the concert.
person → people
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
What is the plural of 'watch'?
What is the plural of 'city'?
What is the plural of 'child'?
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