| When you talk about a person or thing, the
noun is called singular.
When you talk about persons or things, the noun is called plural.
Most nouns change when they become plural.
Many nouns add –s on the end when they are plural.
| |
boat |
boats |
| |
ship |
ships |
| |
street |
streets |
| |
light |
lights |
| |
load |
loads |
| |
horse |
horses |
| |
house |
houses |
| |
fence |
fences |
| |
dance |
dances |
Nouns which end in –y also have –s on the
end when they are plural, as long there is a vowel before the –y.
| |
boy |
boys |
| |
buoy |
buoys |
| |
key |
keys |
| |
donkey |
donkeys |
| |
way |
ways |
| |
Friday |
Fridays |
Other nouns which end in –y have a different spelling
rule, if there is a consonant before the –y,
change the –y to an –i and add –es
| |
baby |
babies |
| |
party |
parties |
| |
theory |
theories |
| |
ferry |
ferries |
Nouns which end in –s or –ss –sh –ch
or –x add –es in the plural.
| |
bus |
buses |
| |
dress |
dresses |
| |
wish |
wishes |
| |
church |
churches |
| |
box |
boxes |
Nouns which end in –z add –zes
Some nouns which end in –f just add –s to
make a plural.
| |
roof |
roofs |
| |
belief |
beliefs |
| |
scruff |
scruffs |
These nouns end in –f, and they all change the –f
to a –v and add –es.
| |
calf |
calves |
| |
elf |
elves |
| |
half |
halves |
| |
knife |
knives |
| |
leaf |
leaves |
| |
life |
lives |
| |
loaf |
loaves |
| |
self |
selves |
| |
sheaf |
sheaves |
| |
shelf |
shelves |
| |
thief |
thieves |
| |
wife |
wives |
| |
wolf |
wolves |
Some nouns which end in –f can have plurals which
end in –s or –ves.
| |
hoof |
hooves |
or |
hoofs |
| |
scarf |
scarves |
or |
scarfs |
| |
wharf |
wharves |
or |
wharfs |
Some plural nouns do not end in –s. They change
in a different way.
| |
child |
children |
|
|
| |
woman |
women |
|
|
| |
man |
men |
|
|
| |
ox |
oxen |
|
|
| |
person |
people |
|
|
| |
goose |
geese |
|
|
| |
mouse |
mice |
|
|
| |
louse |
lice |
|
|
| |
ox |
oxen |
|
|
| |
foot |
feet |
|
|
| |
tooth |
teeth |
|
|
| |
penny |
pence |
or |
pennies |
Some plural nouns are the same as the singular noun.
| |
a sheep |
two sheep |
| |
a deer |
a herd of deer |
Some nouns do not usually have a plural.
| |
furniture |
|
| |
jewellery |
|
| |
hardware |
|
| |
money |
|
| |
sugar |
|
| |
flour |
|
| |
dust |
|
| |
air |
|
| |
water |
|
| |
timber |
|
Some nouns do not have a singular. They are always plural.
| |
fruit |
|
| |
trousers |
|
| |
clothes |
|
| |
scissors |
|
| |
cattle |
|
To make these nouns singular, you put them in a group of
words
| |
a piece of fruit |
|
| |
a pair of trousers |
|
| |
a trouser leg |
|
| |
an item of clothing |
|
| |
a pair of scissors |
|
| |
a head of cattle (but we usually
say a cow or a bull) |
|