Page 82 - Grammar Explorer 2 - demo

LEARN

3.1 Spelling Rules for Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns

Singular Plural
1. Add -s to most singular nouns to form the apple apples
plural. scientist scientists
boy boys
2. Add -es to nouns that end in -s, -sh, -ch, or class, dish, classes, dishes,
-x. inch, tax inches, taxes
3. For nouns that end in a consonant + -y, party, city parties, cities
change the -y to -i and add -es.

4. For some nouns that end in -o, add -s. photo photos
For other nouns that end in -o, add potato potatoes
-es. Learn the spelling of each noun
separately.

5. For most nouns that end in -f or -fe, leaf, wife leaves, wives
change the ending to -ves.
For other nouns that end in -f, add -s. belief, roof beliefs, roofs

6. Some nouns have irregular plural forms.*
Irregular plural nouns include nouns with
a. a vowel change a. man, foot, tooth a. men, feet, teeth
b. an irregular ending b. child b. children
c. no change (often animals) c. fish, deer c. fish, deer

*See page A2 for a list of common irregular plural nouns.

4 Complete each sentence with the plural form of the noun in parentheses.
1. Scientists (Scientist) are interested in traditional medicine. REAL ENGLISH
A few nouns have no
2. The healer told (story) about the life of her patient. singular form. They are
used only in the plural.
3. In some countries, most (baby) are born at home. Some examples are:
clothes, glasses, jeans.
4. The mother took her three (child) to the doctor.
I'm wearing my new
5. Healers work to improve the (life) of their patients. jeans today.

6. The dentist says my (tooth) are in very good condition.

7. The doctor told me to eat more (banana).

8. I think I eat too many (potato).

9. Our school offers healthy (lunch) every day.

10. Different cultures have different (belief) about health.

5 Work with a partner. Partner B closes his or her book. Partner A reads a singular noun from
chart 3.1. Partner B says the plural form of the word and spells it. Switch roles after five or
six words.

A: apple B: apples: a, p, p, l, e, s
62 NOUNS
Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.

51106_GE2_U03_058-085_rev06.indd 62 8/13/14 4:07 PM