Page 27 - Basic English Grammar Student Textbook short

Plural Nouns

Singular nouns refer to one person, place, thing, or idea. Plural nouns refer to two or more.
Regular Nouns

Form the plural of regular nouns by adding s or es.
• Add s to most nouns:

desk, desks message, messages foe, foes

• Add es to nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh:

brush, brushes fuss, fusses bunch, bunches
tax, taxes wrench, wrenches

NOTE: When pronouncing an additional syllable, it’s clear you need es rather than simply s.

• For words ending in y, drop the y; change to an i and add es.

city, cities lilly, lillies

Irregular Nouns
Form the plural of irregular nouns by changing the spelling of the word.
man, men foot, feet mouse, mice tooth, teeth
child, children ox, oxen syllabus, syllabi loaf, loaves
wolf, wolves goose, geese appendix, appendices person, people

NOTE: Some irregular nouns are the same word for singular and plural forms. Note the following examples:
deer sheep moose scissors clothes
fish offspring aircraft pants eyeglasses (glasses)

Practice 4E: Noun Plurals. Write the correct plural form of the noun in the space provided.
Example: one dog two dogs

1. one cat two 6. one syllabus Three

2. one dish Several 7. one city two
3. a man a few 8.a fish ten

4. his watch Their 9. one tooth three

5. a song several 10. one foot two

Practice 4F: Noun Plural Errors. Underline the plural spelling errors in the following sentences.

1. Spurgeon’s work changed the lifes of many people.
2. Many familys were changed of Jesus.
3. Churchs around London and neighboring towns grew.
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