Plural nouns

Rules

• Rule 1: Most words add -s

  Most nouns just add -s: cat → cats.

  Pattern: noun + s

  Example: a frog → two frogs

  Example: a tree → many trees

• Rule 2: Hissing sounds → -es

  If a word ends in s, ss, x, ch, sh, add -es. These sounds hiss, so they need an extra “iz” sound: not “boxs”, but boxes. Some words ending in o also add -es (potato, tomato), but some just add -s: photo → photos, piano → pianos.

  Pattern: -s / -x / -ch / -sh / -o + es

  Example: a bus → two buses

  Example: a brush → three brushes

• Rule 3: consonant + y → -ies

  If a word ends in a consonant + y, change y to -ies: baby → babies. But if there is a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) before the y, keep the y and just add -s: boys, keys, days.

  Pattern: consonant + y → ies · vowel + y → ys

  Example: a puppy → two puppies

  Example: a cherry → ten cherries

• Rule 4: Irregular plurals

  Some words don't add -s. They change. Learn them by heart, and never add another -s: “childrens” is wrong!

  Pattern: child → children · man → men · woman → women · person → people · mouse → mice · foot → feet · tooth → teeth

  Example: The women are singing.

  Example: Three people are on the bus.

Common mistakes

• I have two cat. → I have two cats.

  After a number bigger than one, use the plural.

• There are three childrens. → There are three children.

  children is already plural.

• Two babys are sleeping. → Two babies are sleeping.

  consonant + y → -ies.