MAKING SINGULAR NOUNS PLURAL USING SPELLING RULES

Noun Forms

What are Nouns?

A noun is a type of word which refers to a person, place, or thing.

Nouns can be conjugated in either singular or plural form.

A singular noun refers to just one person, place, or thing (for example, a bat or a ship).

A plural noun refers to multiple people, places, or things (for example, bats or ships).

Rule #1- add “s”

Most nouns can be pluralized simply by adding an -s at the end of the word.

edge/edges girl/girls song/songs bag/bags cat/cats boy/boys day/days

Rule #2- add “es” to nouns ending in- s, ch, z, sh, and x

Nouns which end in the letters “s”, “z”, “ch”, “sh”, and “x”, “es” at the end.

glass/glasses buzz/buzzes dish/dishes box/boxes bush/bushes witch/witches switch/switches

Rule #3-Nouns ending in “o”

For words ending in the letter “o”, sometimes they are pluralized by adding “s”, while other words must be pluralized by adding “es”. These words must be memorized because there is no simple rule to explain the differences.

echo/echoes embargo/embargoes hero/heroes potato/potatoes veto/vetoes tomato/tomatoes torpedo/torpedoes

Rule continued

Examples (s):Most nouns ending in “o” preceded by a vowel are

pluralized by simply adding “s”. Some other “o” nouns do this, too:

auto/autos folio/folioscameo/cameos portfolio/portfolios kilo/kilos photo/photos zoo/zoos

More examples

memo/memos solo/solos - dealing with musicsoprano/sopranos – dealing with musicstudio/studios – dealing with musicpimento/pimentos tattoo/tattoos video/videos piano/pianos – dealing with musicpro/pros kangaroo/kangaroos

Rule #4- Nouns ending in “y”

For nouns ending in the letter y, replace the ending y with “ies”. Notice the preceding letter is a consonant.

baby/babies story/stories poppy/poppies baby/babies daisy/daisies spy/spies lady/ladies

Rule continued

Note that for words ending in “y” preceded by a vowel (a complex vowel sound), an “s” is simply added, as usual.

day/days toy/toys essay/essays turkey/turkeys chimney/chimneys play/plays joy/joys valley/valleys alley/alleys volley/volleys

Practice: make the following plural and give the rule

1. Giant2. Boy3. City4. Brush5. Couch6. Lady7. Box8. Potato9. Piano10. Alley

Answers

1. Giants- just add “s”2. Boys- just add “s” because vowel before “y” because the

“o” is a vowel3. Cities- drop “y” add “ies” because a consonant precedes

the “y”4. Brushes- ends in “sh” so add “es”5. Couches- ends in “sh” so add “es”6. Ladies- drop “y” add “ies” because of consonant precedes7. Boxes- ends in “x” so add “es”8. Potatoes- ends in “o”9. Pianos- ends in “o” 10. Alleys- add “s” because vowel comes before “y”

Rule #5- nouns ending in “f” or “fe”

For some nouns ending in “f” or “fe”, replace the “f” or “fe” with “ves”:

calf/calves elf/elves half/halves hoof/hooves leaf/leaves life/lives loaf/loaves scarf/scarves

More examples

self/selves sheaf/sheaves wolf/wolves shelf/shelves thief/thieves knife/knives wife/wives

Rule #6- Some nouns change the vowel sound

fireman/firemen – “an” to “en” man/men – “an” to “en” woman/women “an” to “en”

foot/feet – “oo” to “ee” goose/geese – “oo” to “ee” tooth/teeth – “oo” to “ee”

louse/lice – “ouse” to “ice” mouse/mice – “ouse” to “ice”

child/children –Old English plural ox/oxen – Old English plural

Rule #7- Nouns ending in “is”

For nouns in which the singular form ends in “is”, the plural form will end in “es”.

hypothesis/hypotheses diagnosis/diagnoses ellipsis/ellipses analysis/analyses basis/bases crisis/crises thesis/theses oasis/oases

More examples

synthesis/syntheses synopsis/synopses emphasis/emphases neurosis/neuroses paralysis/paralyses parenthesis/parentheses

Rule #8- Nouns ending in “um”

Nouns ending in “um” change to “a”.bacterium/bacteria datum/data curriculum/curricula medium/media memorandum/memoranda symposium/symposia erratum/errata addendum/addenda stratum/strata

Practice: change to plural giving rule

1. Mouse2. Synopsis3. Knife4. Medium5. Child6. Thesis7. Woman8. Curriculum9. Basis10. Bacterium

Answers

1. Mice- change “ous’ to “ice”2. Synopses- change “is” to “es”3. Knives- change “fe” to “ves”4. Media- change “um” to “a”5. Children- Old English word6. Theses- change “is” to “es”7. Woman- change “an” to “en”-vowel change8. Curricula- change “um” to “a”9. Bases- change “is” to “es”10. Bacteria- change “um” to “a”

Rule #9- Nouns ending in “on”

Nouns ending in “on” change to “a”.

criterion/criteria phenomenon/phenomena automaton/automata

Rule #10- Nouns ending in “a”

Nouns ending in “a” change to “ae”. Just add an “e” to the end after the “a”.

alga/algae amoeba/amoebae larva/larvae formula/formulae antenna/ antennae nebula/nebulae vertebra/vertebrae vita/vitae

Rule #11- Nouns ending in “ix” or “ex”

Nouns ending in “ix” or “ex” change to “ices”.

It is acceptable to add “es” to some of these words.

appendix/appendices index/ indices matrix /matrices vertex/ vertices vortex/ vortices apex/ apices

Rule #12- Nouns ending in “us”

Nouns ending in “us” change to “i”.alumnus/alumni bacillus/bacilli cactus/cacti focus/foci stimulus/stimuli focus/foci octopus/octopi radius/radii stimulus/stimuli terminus/termini

Rule #13- Nouns ending in “us”

Nouns ending in “us” change to “ora” or “era”

corpus/corpora genus/genera

Rule #14- Nouns ending in “eau”

Nouns ending in “eau” change to “eaux” by just adding and “

bureau/ bureaux (or leave as it is)beau/beaux portmanteau/portmanteaux tableau/tableaux

Practice: make plural giving rule

1. Cactus2. Index3. Formula4. Criterion5. Nebula6. Bureau7. Genus8. Alumnus9. Phenomenon10. Stimulus

Answers

1. Cacti- change “us” to “i”2. Indices- change “is” to “ices”3. Formulae- change “a” to “ae”- add “e”4. Criteria- change “on” to “a”5. Nebula- change “a” to “ae” – add “e”6. Bureaux- add “x”7. Genera- change “us” to “era”8. Alumni- change “us” to “i”9. Phenomena – change “on” to “a”10. Stimuli- change “us” to “i”

Possessive Plurals

Plural nouns ending in “s”, add an apostrophe after the “s” to show possession.

The Johnsons' farm Singers' voices The thieves' guild

Possessive nouns

For plural nouns not ending in “s”, add the apostrophe before adding the “s”.

Women's soccer Children's books

Possessive hyphenated nouns

To make a hyphenated noun plural, add the “s” to the main word.

If it is singular, add apostrophe before the “s”Bother-in-law’s

If it is plural, add apostrophe “s” to the end of the word.

Brothers-in-law’s

Always Plural or Singular

Some nouns are always plural (things that come in pairs):

pants clothes binoculars jeans forceps trousers tongs shorts

More examples

tweezers people pajamas police shorts glasses scissors mathematics

Aggregate Nouns

Some nouns always end in “s”.accommodations amends archives congratulations stairs crossroadsgallowsthanks barracks

More examples

goods headquartersnews means series species

Nouns with the Same Form

Some nouns have the same form for singular and plural, such as fish and animals. (Note that not all fish have the irregular plural form, though--e.g., one shark becomes two sharks)

salmon trout deer sheep swine offspring snow

continue

CottonInformationAdviceKnowledgeFurniturePolice

Choose which one is correct-give the rule

1. A. CottonsB. Cotton 2. A. Jones’ house B. Jone’s house3. A. Deers B. Deer4. A. Scissors B. Scissor5. A. Sheep B. Sheeps6. A. Accommodations B. Accommodation7. A. Snows B. Snow8. A. PolicesB. Police9. A. sisters-in-law’s B. sister-in-laws’10. A. knowledges B. knowledge

Answers

1. B- cotton is plural without “s”2. A- the name Jones ends in “s”, so add apostrophe

after the “s”3. B- deer does not change form4. A- scissors always ends in “s”- (always plural)5. A- sheep does not change6. A- accommodations always end in “s”7. B- snow does not change form 8. B- police does not change form9. A- add “s” to main word to make plural-add

apostrophe before the last “s” in word10. B- Knowledge does not change form