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American English Grammar
Plural noun
Learning objectives
  • Learn the definition of a plural noun
  • Study examples of plural nouns
Definition of a plural noun
  • A plural noun:

    • is a word used to describe two or more things

    • is usually formed to indicate number by adding "s" or "es"

    • can be formed by changing the last letter before adding "s"

    • can also be formed in other ways

Examples of plural nouns
  • Plural nouns formed by adding an "s" to the singular form of the noun

    • boy-boys, girl-girls, cat-cats, table-tables, book-books, tree-trees, auto-autos, photo-photos, radio-radios, studio-studios

  • Plural nouns formed by adding an "es" to the singular form of nouns ending in "ch", "s", "sh", "x"

    • glass-glasses, dish-dishes, ditch-ditches, wish-wishes, coach-coaches, kiss-kisses, tax-taxes

  • Plural nouns formed by adding an "es" to the singular form of nouns ending in "o" and preceded by a consonant

    • hero-heroes, tornado-tornados-tornadoes (can end in either "s" or "es"), potato-potatoes, tomato-tomatoes

      • Note: nouns of Italian or Spanish origin are exceptions to this rule

        • ie: canto-cantos, grotto-grottos, piano-pianos, portico-porticos, quarto-quartos, solo-solos

  • Plural nouns formed by changing the "f" into a "v" and adding "es"

    • half-halves, leaf-leaves, calf-calves

      • Note: some just add an "s"

        • ie: proof-proofs, muff-muffs

      • Note: some can do either

        • ie: dwarf-dwarfs-dwarves, hoof-hoofs-hooves, staff-staffs-staves

  • Plural nouns formed by dropping the "y" and adding "ies" of nouns ending in "y" and preceded by a consonant

    • cherry-cherries, lady-ladies, story-stories, party-parties

  • Plural nouns formed by simply changing the vowel sound of the singular form

    • foot-feet, goose-geese, louse-lice, man-men, mouse-mice, tooth-teeth, woman-women, mouse-mice

  • Plural nouns where the singular and plural forms are different

    • child-children, ox-oxen, person-people

  • Plural nouns where the singular and plural forms are the same

    • cod, series, trout, deer, fish, moose, offspring, series, sheep, species

  • Plural nouns that have no singular form

    • annals, billiards, cattle, clothes, measles, nuptials, thanks, tidings, belongings, brains (intellect), clothes, congratulations, earnings, eyeglasses, goods, groceries, jeans, looks (appearance), manners (social behavior), pajamas, pants, scissors, shorts, sunglasses, surroundings, tropics, trousers

  • Plural nouns that consist of two parts and have no singular form but are considered to be one unit

    • scissors, trousers, tweezers, pants

  • Plural nouns where the plural form is retained such as nouns from foreign languages

    • analysis-analyses, appendix-appendices, bacterium-bacteria, basis-bases, crisis-crises, criterion-criteria, curriculum-curricula, datum-data, formula-formulae, hypothesis-hypotheses, medium-media, memorandum-memoranda, parenthesis-parentheses, phenomenon-phenomena, syllabus-syllabi, thesis-theses

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