PLURAL OF
NOUNS
The plural form of most nouns is created
simply by adding the letter ‘s’ to the
end of the word.
For example:
book – books
face – faces
girl – girls
pencil - pencils
For nouns that end in –ch, -x, -s, -ss, -
sh, -z and the like, the plural is formed
by adding ‘es’ to the end of the word.
The ending is pronounced like [iz].
For example:
church – churches
box – boxes
bush – bushes
kiss - kisses
Most nouns ending in –o preceded by a
consonant also form their plurals by
adding ‘es’.
For example:
potato – potatoes
volcano – volcanoes
hero - heroes
However, many newly created words
and words with a Spanish or Italian
origin that end in –o just add an ‘s’.
For example:
photo – photos
piano - pianos
Nouns ending in a consonant + y, drop
the ‘y’ and add ‘ies’.
For example:
party – parties
lady – ladies
country – countries
story – stories
BUT: Nouns ending in a vowel + y, keep
the ‘y’ and just add ‘s’.
day – days
boy – boys
toy - toys
Most nouns ending in –f or –fe, drop the ‘f’
and add ‘ves’.
For example:
life – lives
wife – wives
leaf – leaves
wolf – wolves
half – halves
BUT:
roof – roofs
chief – chiefs
dwarf – dwarfs
cliff - cliffs
Most words ending in –is, drop the –is
and add –es.
For example:
crisis – crises
hypothesis – hipotheses
oasis - oases
IRREGULAR PLURAL
For example:
child – children
man – men
woman – women
foot – feet
tooth – teeth
mouse – mice
goose - geese
Some nouns have identical plural and
singular forms, although they are still
considered to have a plural form.
For example:
fish – fish
sheep – sheep
aircraft – aircraft
species – species
series – series
headquarters - headquarters
Uncountable nouns on the other hand
have no plural form and take a singular
verb (e.g. is/was ...).
For example:
advice / information / luggage / news
Plural:
e.g. two pieces of advice
Some nouns (especially those associated
with two things) exist only in the plural
form and take a plural verb (e.g. are/
were ...).
For example:
scissors / trousers / congratulations /
pyjamas
Nouns that stem from older forms of
English or are of foreign origin often
have odd plurals.
For example:
ox – oxen
index – indices or indexes
In compound nouns the plural ending is
usually added to the main noun.
For example:
son-in-law → sons-in-law
passer-by →passers-by
DEMONSTRATIVES
SINGULAR This is a bag.
PLURAL These are bags.
SINGULAR That is a window.
PLURAL Those are windows.
Affirmative:
SINGULAR There is a pencil on the
table.
PLURAL There are pencils on the table.
Questions:
SINGULAR Is there a pencil on the
table?
PLURAL Are there pencils on the
table?
Negative forms:
SINGULAR There isn’t a pencil on the
table.
PLURAL There aren’t pencils on the
table.
TASK 1: WHAT IS THE PLURAL
FORM OF THESE NOUNS?
baby
fish
man
monkey
party
camera
beach
fox
knife
puppy
sky
boy
TASK 2: TURN INTO PLURAL
1) This woman is really pretty.
2) That box is very small.
3) There is a fish in the lake.
4) This country is beautiful.
5) There is a policeman in the street.
6) There is a book on the shelf.
THANK YOU!
