Plurals

A1 Beginner

Plural nouns represent more than one person, place, or thing. Most English nouns form the plural by adding -s or -es to the singular form.

Overview

In English, we change the form of a countable noun to show if there is one (singular) or more than one (plural). Most nouns follow regular patterns, but some require spelling changes based on their final letters.

Regular Plurals

noun + -s / -es

For most nouns, add -s. If a noun ends in -s, -x, -ch, or -sh, add -es to make it easier to pronounce.

Spelling Rules

Note that nouns ending in a consonant followed by 'y' require the 'y' to be dropped before adding 'ies'.

Ending	Rule	Example
Most nouns	Add -s	book → books
-s, -sh, -ch, -x	Add -es	bus → buses
Consonant + -y	Change y to -ies	city → cities
Vowel + -y	Add -s	boy → boys

Examples

Common mistakes

I have two childs.
I have two children.
Some nouns are irregular and do not use -s.
The bus's are late.
The buses are late.
Do not use an apostrophe to make a noun plural.

Practice

Change the word 'watch' to the plural form.
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watches
Answer:watches
Why:Nouns ending in -ch require -es to form the plural.
What is the plural of 'baby'?
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babies
Answer:babies
Why:For nouns ending in a consonant + y, change the y to i and add es.
Complete the sentence: 'There are five ____ (apple) on the table.'
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apples
Answer:apples
Why:Most regular nouns simply add -s to become plural.