Learning Basic English Grammar - NOUN con...

Plural Nouns


When you are talking about two or more people, animals, places, or things, use plural nouns. Most nouns are made plural by adding -s at the end.


e.g :           Singular             Plural
                  bird               birds
                  broom              brooms
                  egg                 eggs
                 photo               photos


Some plural nouns end in -es.


e.g : glass - glasses
      bus   - buses
      watch - watches


Some plural nouns end in -ies.


e.g : butterfly - butterflies
      candy     - candies
      baby      - babies
      family    - families


What if there is a vowel before the y? In that case, add -s to form the plural.


e.g : key  - keys
      tray - trays
      day  - days


If a noun ends in -f, you often change f to v, and add -es.


e.g : calf  - calves
      elf   - elves
      half  - halves
      leaf  - leaves


Often nouns that end in -f, just need -s to form the plural.


e.g : chef   - chefs
      cliffs - cliffs
      roof   - roofs


For some words that end in -f, the plural can be spelled in two different ways.


e.g : dwarf  - dwarfs/dwarves
      hoof   - hoofs/hooves
      scarf  - scarfs/scarves


With some words that end in -fe, you change f to v, and add -s.


e.g : knife - knives
      life  - lives
      wife  - wives


If a noun ends in -o, you just add -s to form the plural.


e.g : a rhino    - rhinos
      a zoo      - zoos
      a kangaroo - kangaroos


But with some nouns that end in -o, you add -es to form the plural.


e.g : a tomato  - tomatoes
      a potato  - potatoes
      a hero    - heroes


With some nouns that end in -o, you can add either -s or -es to form the plural.


e.g : a mango  - mangoes/mangos




Some plural nouns don't follow the -s rule. They don't end in -s,-es,-ies, or -ves. Instead, the word changes form.


e.g : mouse  - mice
      goose  - geese
      child  - children
      man    - men
      ox     - oxen
      tooth  - teeth
      woman  - women


Some plural nouns are the same as the singular noun.


e.g : sheep    -  sheep
      reindeer -  reindeer
      bison    -  bison
      deer     -  deer
      fish     -  fish


NOTE!!


  You can use fishes as the plural of fish when you are talking about different kinds of fish : all the fishes of the Pacific Ocean.


Some nouns are always plural.


e.g : binoculars 
      goggles
      pants
      scissors
      shorts
      slippers


NOTE!!


  You can make these plural nouns singular by using a pair of :


    a pair of binoculars
    a pair of goggles
    a pair of shoes