THE PLURALS: RULES OF FORMATION

Singular ['sɪŋgjələ] form of a noun - means only one thing or person.

Plural ['plʊərəl] form – means two or more.

# Rule Examples Exceptions

A book – books
To make plural we usually add –s to the
1. A house – houses
singular form.
banana – bananas
One bus - many buses
a dress - dresses
Add –es to words ending in –s, -ss, –ch, -sh, -x watch - watches
2.
or –z to make the plural a bush - bushes
a box - boxes
a quiz – quizzes

3.1 If a noun ends in consonant+y, change –y

One baby - two babies
into –i and add –es.
3.
3.2 When words end in a vowel before –y, add
a toy - toys
an –s to make the plural.

a cliff – cliffs
a chief – chiefs
a chef – chefs
When words end in –f/-fe, change the –f/-fe to a one leaf – leaves
4. a roof – roofs
‘v’ before adding –es. a wife - wives
a giraffe – giraffes
a handkerchief –
handkerchiefs

a piano – pianos
a radio – radios
a tomato - some a photo – photos
If a noun ends in an –o, add –es to form the tomatoes a video – videos
5.
plural. a potato – three a kilo – kilos
potatoes a zoo – zoos
a kangaroo -
kangaroos

1 foot 2 feet
Irregular plurals: 1 tooth 2 teeth
1goose 2 geese
6.1 There are some nouns that do not take –s 1 man 2men
or –es. They form their plurals differently. 1 woman 2 women
1 child 2 children
1 person 2 people
1 mouse – mice
6.
6.2 Some nouns have the same singular and a fish – many fish
plural form. a sheep – 5 sheep
a deer – some deer

a criterion – criteria
6.3 Some nouns that English has borrowed
a phenomenon –
from other languages have foreign plurals.
phenomena
a datum – data

Note: Adjectives do not change in English! Compare: a strong boy

strong boys
It’s your turn!
Exercise 1: Write the plural forms of the nouns:
1. A sofa - ________________________
2. A sheep - ______________________
3. A trip - ________________________
4. An actor - _____________________
5. A play - _______________________
6. A mouse - _____________________
Exercise 2. Write the plural forms of the nouns:
1. A class - ____________________________________
2. A scarf - ____________________________________
3. An old photo - ______________________________
4. A grey goose - ______________________________
5. A big city - _________________________________
6. A happy child - _____________________________
7. A tornado - _________________________________
8. A roof - ____________________________________
7. A company - __________________
8. A life - ________________________
9. A woman - ____________________
10. A church - ____________________
11. A hero - ______________________
12. A chef - _____________________
9. A match - __________________________________
10. A monkey - ________________________________
11. A tie - _____________________________________
12. A factory - _________________________________
13. A sharp knife - _____________________________
14. A tooth - ___________________________________
15. A fish - ____________________________________
16. A dish - ____________________________________