NOTES: SINGULAR & PLURAL NOUNS
Plural Formation
Rule
Add ‘s’
Plural Formation
Rule
Add ‘es’ to nouns
ending in o, s, x,
ch, sh
Plural Formation
Rule
Add –s to some
nouns ending in o
Plural Formation
Rule
Change
(consonant y) to i
and add ‘es’
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
ape
cannon
picture
value
apes
cannons
pictures
values
cup
phone
book
ring
cups
phones
books
rings
Singular
Plural
brush
match
branch
fox
mango
hex
lunch
trench
brushes
matches
branches
foxes
mangoes
hexes
lunches
trenches
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
box
boxes
hero
heroes
echo
echoes
kiss
kisses
fly
flies
reality
realities
bush
bushes
embargo embargoes
Singular
Plural
piano
pianos
bamboo bamboos
igloo
igloos
tattoo
tattoos
poncho ponchos
kimono
kimonos
radio
zoo
dynamo
logo
photo
gazebo
radios
zoos
dynamos
logos
photos
gazebos
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
army
pony
story
baby
spy
armies
ponies
stories
babies
spies
city
fairy
duty
mystery
theory
cities
fairies
duties
mysteries
theories
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NOTES: SINGULAR & PLURAL NOUNS
Plural Formation
Rule
Add ‘s’ to (vowel
y)
Plural Formation
Rule
Omit –f or –fe and
add ‘ves’ to nouns
ending in –f or –fe
Plural Formation
Rule
Add ‘s’ to certain
nouns ending in –f
or –fe
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
toy
way
valley
boy
alley
toys
ways
valleys
boys
alleys
day
tray
bay
guy
prey
days
trays
bays
guys
preys
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
wife
shelf
thief
calf
scarf
knife
wives
shelves
thieves
calves
scarves
knives
loaf
sheaf
half
life
elf
self
loaves
sheaves
halves
lives
elves
selves
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
proof
safe
giraffe
puff
proofs
safes
giraffes
puffs
chief
roof
cliff
stuff
chiefs
roofs
cliffs
stuffs
Some words (ending with –f and –fe) have two forms of the plural:
• dwarf
- dwarfs or dwarves
• hoof
- hoofs or hooves
• scarf
- scarfs or scarves
• staff
- staffs or staves
• wharf
- wharfs or wharves
• handkerchief - handkerchiefs or handkerchieves
Plural Formation
Rule
Changing the
inside vowels
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
man
mouse
tooth
woman
men
mice
teeth
women
goose
louse
foot
fireman
geese
lice
feet
firemen
2
NOTES: SINGULAR & PLURAL NOUNS
Plural Formation
Rule
Add ‘en’
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
ox
oxen
child
children
Irregular Plural
1. No change in plural form.
sheep
salmon
trout
perch
cod
bison
swine
moose
deer
fish
offspring
2. By adding – s to some unusual nouns. Note where the –s is
placed.
Singular
Plural
brother – in - law
brothers – in - law
son – in law
sons – in law
mouse – trap
mouse – traps
passer – by
passers – by
maid – servant
maid – servants
step – son
step – sons
daughter – in – law
daughters – in –
law
man – of – war
men – of – war
3. Some nouns are used only in the plural.
scissors
tongs
spectacles
shorts
pincers
clothes
trousers
measles
4. Some nouns appear to be plural in form but are used in the
singular.
news
mathematics
gymnastics
statistics
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NOTES: SINGULAR & PLURAL NOUNS
Nouns adopted from other languages:
•
Singular ends in –is/ Plural ends in -es
analysis/analyses, basis/bases
•
Singular ends in –um/ Plural ends in -a
datum/data, curriculum/curricula
•
Singular ends in –on/ Plural ends in -a
criterion/criteria, phenomenon/phenomena
•
Singular ends in –a/ Plural ends in -ae
formula/formulae, antenna/antennae
•
Singular ends in –ex or –ix/ Plural ends in -ices
appendix/appendices, index/indices
•
Singular ends in –us/ Plural ends in -i
focus/foci, stimulus/stimuli
•
Singular ends in –us/ Plural ends in -a
corpus/corpora, genus/genera
•
Singular ends in –eau/ Plural ends in -eaux
bureau/bureaux, beau/beaux
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