Plural of nouns
Most nouns become plural by adding a “s” their singular. book  books
Nouns ending in S, X, Z, SH or CH, add “es” to form the plural. Ex: dress  dresses
Nouns ending in F or FE, change the F to V and add “es”. Ex.: knife  knives life  lives
Nouns ending in Y:
a) “Y” preceded by a consonant, change the “y” to ”ies”. Ex.: party  parties
b) “Y” preceded by a vowel, just add a “s”. Ex.: monkey  monkeys
5) Nouns ending in O:
a) If a vowel precedes the O, add a “s”. Ex.: radio  radios, video  videos
b) If a consonant precedes the O, add “es”. Ex.: hero  heroes
potato  potatoes
BUT just add “s” to musical terms. Ex.: solo  solos, banjo  banjos
Exceptions
1)
2)
3)
4)
6) Some nouns have irregular plural form. Here are some examples:
one man  two men
one tooth  two teeth
one goose  two geese
one woman  two women
one child  two children one roof  two roofs
one foot  two feet
one mouse  two mice
one die  two dice
7) In rare cases, some words do not change:
one moose  two moose
one aircraft  two aircraft
one sheep  two sheep
one fish  two fish except when it is about
different species
8) Words from Latina or Greek origins take will have a plural form like the plural form of these
languages. alumnus  two alumni
one syllabus  two syllabi one analysis  two analyses
one alumna  two alumnae
one alga  many algae
one criterion  many criteria
one forum  many fora (or : forums)
one thesis  two theses
one hypothesis  two hypotheses
one phenomenon  two phenomena one cactus  two cacti (or : cactuses)
one diagnosis  two diagnoses
one oasis  two oases
9) Finally, in English, we can find nouns that become adjectives by adding a hyphen and a number to them.
In these cases, the new adjectives stay invariable. Ex.: the word week is usually a noun but can become
an adjective. “A one-week vacations”. The plural form would then be “A two-week vacations”. For the
noun syllable, it can be change to an adjective. “A one-syllable word” in its plural form would be: ”A twosyllable word”.
Write the plural form of each of the following singular nouns. Write the rule
number beside your answer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Method_____ Methods (# 1)_________
Elf
____________________#_____
Mountain___________________#____
Fish
____________________#_____
Box
____________________#_____
Shelf ____________________#_____
7. Tax
8. Match
9. Knife
10. Man
11. Baby
12. Thesis
____________________#_____
____________________#_____
____________________#_____
____________________#_____
____________________#_____
____________________#_____
13. School ____________________#_____
14. Mystery ____________________#_____
15. Wish
____________________#_____
16. Diagnosis___________________#_____
17. Ax
____________________#_____
18. House ____________________#_____
19. Candy ____________________#_____
20. Tooth ____________________#_____
21. Wife
____________________#_____
22. Sun
____________________#_____
23. Oasis ____________________#_____
24. Thief
____________________#_____
25. Desk
____________________#_____
26. Puppy ____________________#_____
27. Glass ____________________#_____
28. Goose ____________________#_____
29. Ghost ____________________#_____
30. Peach ____________________#_____
31. Fox
____________________#_____
32. Half
____________________#_____
33. Salesman __________________#_____
34. Sheep ____________________#_____
35. Aircraft ____________________#_____
36. Hundred____________________#_____
37. Video ____________________#_____
38. Canoe ____________________#_____
39. Boy
____________________#_____
40. Child
____________________#_____
41. Dictionary __________________#_____
42. Foot
____________________#_____
43. Friend ____________________#_____
44. Piano ____________________#_____
45. Woman ____________________#_____
46. Porch ____________________#_____
47. Kiss
____________________#_____
48. Tomato ____________________#_____
49. Lady
____________________#_____
50. Dish
____________________#_____
51. Birthday ____________________#_____
52. Calf
____________________#_____
53. Leaf
____________________#_____
54. Subway ____________________#_____
55. Family ____________________#_____
56. Address ____________________#_____
57. Sandwich __________________#_____
58. Story ____________________#_____
59. Boss
____________________#_____
60. Truck ____________________#_____
61. Punch ____________________#_____
62. Studio ____________________#_____
63. Ship
____________________#_____
64. Die
____________________#_____
65. Holiday ____________________#_____
66. Moose ____________________#_____
67. Bus
____________________#_____
68. Ox
Oxen (6)
69. Mouse ____________________#_____
70. Rule
____________________#_____
71. One-flower _________________#_____
72. Tree
____________________#_____
73. Roof
____________________#_____
74. Lunch ____________________#_____
75. Six
____________________#_____
76. Coach ____________________#_____
77. Strategy ____________________#_____
78. Switch ____________________#_____
79. Rash
____________________#_____
80. Chance ____________________#_____
81. Scarf
____________________#_____
82. Analysis ____________________#_____
83. Foot
____________________#_____
84. Book
____________________#_____
85. Eraser ____________________#_____
86. List
____________________#_____
87. Hero
____________________#_____
88. Game ____________________#_____
89. Adagio ____________________#_____
90. Jockey ____________________#_____
91. Echo
____________________#_____
92. Class
____________________#_____
93. Party ____________________#_____
94. Witch ____________________#_____
95. Canary ____________________#_____
96. Shampoo ___________________#_____
97. Window ____________________#_____
98. Sheep ____________________#_____
99. Cherry ____________________#_____
100. Ratio ____________________#_____