Nouns Part 1
Use of singular and plural forms of nouns
First of all,
What is a noun?
It is a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things (common
noun), or to name a particular one of these (proper noun).
Pluralizing Nouns
The plural form of a noun is the form a noun takes when it refers to more than one item.
For example, apple is singular while apples is plural.
In the English language, there are many rules and exceptions for pluralizing nouns.
The most common way to pluralize a noun is to add -s to the end.
- girl – girls
- tree – trees
- the Walker family – the Walkers
When a noun ends in -ss, -x, -ch, -sh, or -z, pluralize it by adding -es to the end.
- box – boxes
- ditch – ditches
- business – businesses
- the Jones family – the Joneses
- the Pérez family – the Pérezes
The most common way to pluralize a noun ending in -o is by adding -es to the end.
- tomato – tomatoes
- hero – heroes
- echo – echoes
Some nouns ending in -o are pluralized by adding -s to the end.
- video – videos
- piano – pianos
- soprano – sopranos
When a noun ends in "a vowel + -y," pluralize it by adding -s to the end.
- toy – toys
- day – days
- monkey – monkeys
When a noun ends in "a consonant + -y," pluralize it by removing the -y and adding -ies to the end.
- city – cities
- body – bodies
- family – families
The most common way to pluralize a noun ending in "-f or -fe" is by removing the -f or -fe and adding -ves to the end.
- knife – knives
- roof – rooves
- wolf – wolves
Some exception nouns of the rule: nouns ending in -f or -fe.
- serif – serifs
- gaffe – gaffes
Some nouns have irregular plural forms. Memorize such words or refer to a dictionary for assistance.
- child – children
- man – men
- woman – women
- mouse – mice
- crisis – crises
- syllabus – syllabi
Some nouns do not change spelling when pluralized.
- deer – deer
- moose – moose
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