Regular Plurals
For most nouns, forming the plural is simple. You just add -s or -es to the singular form:
- Add -s: This works for most nouns ending in consonants or vowels (except y).
- Example: cat → cats, book → books, toy → toys
- Add -es: For nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh, you add -es to make them easier to pronounce.
- Example: bus → buses, box → boxes, buzz → buzzes, church → churches, brush → brushes
Nouns Ending in Y
Nouns ending in y require special attention because their pluralization depends on what comes before the y:
- If the y is preceded by a consonant, change the y to i and add -es.
- Example: baby → babies, city → cities
- If the y is preceded by a vowel, simply add -s.
- Example: boy → boys, key → keys
Irregular Plurals
Not all nouns follow these rules. Some have irregular plural forms that need to be memorized. Here are a few examples:
- Vowel Changes: Some nouns change internal vowels instead of adding suffixes.
- Example: man → men, woman → women, foot → feet, tooth → teeth
- No Change: Certain nouns remain the same in both singular and plural forms.
- Example: sheep → sheep, deer → deer, fish → fish (though “fishes” is sometimes used for different species)
- Completely Different Words: A handful of nouns have unrelated plural forms.
- Example: child → children, mouse → mice, person → people
Foreign-Origin Nouns
Many English words borrowed from other languages retain their original plural forms. These often look unusual but are worth noting:
- Latin-based nouns: criterion → criteria, phenomenon → phenomena
- Greek-based nouns: analysis → analyses, thesis → theses
- Italian nouns: cactus → cacti, fungus → fungi
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns refer to groups of things or people, such as “team,” “family,” or “herd.” In British English, collective nouns are often treated as plural, while American English tends to treat them as singular.
- British English: The team are winning.
- American English: The team is winning.
Compound Nouns
When dealing with compound nouns (two words combined into one), the plural typically applies to the main noun within the compound:
- Example: mother-in-law → mothers-in-law, passerby → passersby
If the compound noun doesn’t specify which part is the main noun, pluralize the entire thing:
- Example: forget-me-not → forget-me-nots
Uncountable Nouns
Some nouns cannot be made plural because they represent concepts, substances, or abstract ideas. These are called uncountable nouns and include words like “water,” “advice,” “furniture,” and “knowledge.”
- Incorrect: I gave her three advices.
- Correct: I gave her some advice.
To quantify uncountable nouns, use phrases like “a piece of,” “a bottle of,” or “some”:
- Example: a piece of furniture, two bottles of water
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are a few frequent errors people make when forming plurals:
- Adding Apostrophes: Never use an apostrophe to form a plural! It’s incorrect to write “apple’s” when you mean “apples.” Save apostrophes for possessives.
- Overlooking Irregular Forms: Don’t assume every noun follows the standard rules. Remember that “child” becomes “children,” not “childs.”
- Misusing Uncountable Nouns: Be careful not to pluralize uncountable nouns like “information” or “equipment.”
