7.4: Text- Regular Plural Nouns
- Page ID
- 59183
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A plural noun indicates that there is more than one of that noun (while a singular noun indicates that there is just one of the noun). English has both regular and irregular plural nouns.
Let’s start with regular plurals: regular plural nouns use established patterns to indicate there is more than one of a thing.
Recognize nouns marked with plural form –s.
We add the plural suffix –s to most words.
- apple → apples
- key → keys
- computer → computers
However, after sounds s, z, sh, ch, and j, we add the plural suffix –es.
- box → boxes
- wish → wishes
- kiss → kisses
Practice
Do you know how to spell the plurals for the following words?
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| book | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | peach | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| chair | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | buzz | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| picture | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | watch | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
[reveal-answer q=”245001″]Click to Show Answer[/reveal-answer]
[hidden-answer a=”245001″]
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| book | books | peach | peaches |
| chair | chairs | buzz | buzzes |
| picture | pictures | watch | watches |
[/hidden-answer]
After the letter o.
We add the plural suffix –es to most words that end in o.
- tomato → tomatoes
- hero → heroes
We add the plural suffix –s to words of foreign origin (Latin, Greek, Spanish, etc.)
- piano → pianos
- photo → photos
- video → videos
Practice
What are the correct plurals for the following words?
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| solo | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | portfolio | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| veto | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | memo | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| echo | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | radio | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| avocado | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | zero | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| studio | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | potato | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
[reveal-answer q=”245002″]Click to Show Answer[/reveal-answer]
[hidden-answer a=”245002″]
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| solo | solos | portfolio | portfolios |
| veto | vetoes | memo | memos |
| echo | echoes | radio | radios |
| avocado | avocados | zero | zeroes |
| studio | studios | potato | potatoes |
[/hidden-answer]
After –y and –f, –fe
When a word ends in y and there is a consonant before y, we change the y to i and add –es.
- baby → babies
- fly → flies
But not after a vowel + y
- toy → toys
- monkey → monkeys
- day → days
Practice
What are the correct plurals for the following words?
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| supply | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | key | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| fry | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | play | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| ally | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | boy | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
[reveal-answer q=”245003″]Click to Show Answer[/reveal-answer]
[hidden-answer a=”245003″]
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| supply | supplies | key | keys |
| fry | fries | play | plays |
| ally | allies | boy | boys |
[/hidden-answer]
When a word ends in –f or –fe, we change the f to v and add –es.
- leaf → leaves
- life → lives
- scarf → scarves
- calf → calves
- loaf → loaves
But not in these words
- cliff → cliffs
- roof → roofs
- belief → beliefs
- chief → chiefs
Practice
What are the correct plurals for the following words?
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| wolf | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | self | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| chief | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | half | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| sheaf | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | roof | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
| knife | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] | thief | [practice-area rows=”1″][/practice-area] |
[reveal-answer q=”245004″]Click to Show Answer[/reveal-answer]
[hidden-answer a=”245004″]
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| wolf | wolves | self | selves |
| chief | chiefs | half | halves |
| sheaf | sheaves | roof | roofs |
| knife | knives | thief | thieves |
[/hidden-answer]
- Revision and Adaptation. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
- Regular Plural Nouns. Authored by: Julie Sevastopoulos. Provided by: Grammar-Quizzes.com. Located at: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/agree1a.html. License: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
- Image of two men. Authored by: Gregor Cresnar. Provided by: The Noun Project. Located at: https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=people&i=176708. License: CC BY: Attribution