Plural Count Nouns

What to look for and where

What to look for and where

Changes in the last syllable Changes in the next to the last letter or

sound

The standard rule is add –s, but we need to look at the irregularities of the language.

Due to historical developments Causing language change and growth

Rules for Old Plurals

men

women

oxen

man

woman

ox

feet

geese

teeth

foot

goose

tooth

Change -oo- -ee-

mice

lice

mouse

louse

Change –ous- -ic-

PluralSingular Change –an –en

or add -en

Basic Plural Noun Rules

cities

monkeys

city

monkey

buzzes

kisses

churches

boxes

bushes

buz

kiss

church

box

bush

chiefs

cliffs

beliefs

roofs

Chief

cliff

belief

roof

Exceptions:

Plural

calves

knives

wives

scarves / *scarfs

calf

knife

wife

scarf

Change f v + -es with nouns ending in

{-V+f, l+f, r+f}

* Word in transition

PluralSingular Change y I + -es with nouns ending in C + y

Singular Add –es to nouns ending in:

x, ch, sh, s, z

Plurals for Words ending in -o

mementoes/-s

mosquitoes/-s tornadoes/-s

volcanoes/-s

zeroes/-s

radios

solos

sopranos studios

tatoos

videos

zoos

autos

ghettos

kangaroos

kilos

memos

photos

pianos

volcano

zero

memento mosquito

tornado

Add -es or -s to words in transition

radio

solo

soprano studio

tatoo

video

zoo

auto

ghetto

kangaroo

kilo

memo

photo

piano

Add -s to words borrowed from other languages

potatoes

tomatoes

echoes

potato

tomato

echo

Add -es

• Nouns with the same singular and plural form

two deer

two fish

two means of transportation (automobile, train)

two offspring (two children, two calves, two small plants)

two series

two sheep

two shrimp

two species

one deer

one fish

one means of transportation (automobile)

one offspring (a child, a calf, a small plant)

one series

one sheep

one shrimp

one species

• Latinate Words Ending in -a

formulae

*formulas

vertebrae

formula

vertebra

PluralSingular

Add –e or *Add –s

• Latinate Words Ending in –um

bacteria

curricula

data

media

memoranda

bacterium

curriculum

datum

medium

memorandum

PluralSingular

Change -um -a

• Latinate Words Ending in -us

cacti / * cactuses

fungi

nuclei

stimuli

syllabi / *syllabuses

cactus

fungus

nucleus

stimulus

syllabus

PluralSingular

Change –us -i or *-es

Greek Origin Words

appendices / * appendixes

indices / *indexes

appendix

index

PluralSingular

Ending in –ix , -ex

Change –ix, -ex ices or

* Add -es

criteria

phenomena

criterion

phenomenon

PluralSingular

Ending in –on

Change –on -a

• Greek Origin Words Ending in -sis

analyses

bases

crises

hypotheses

oases

parentheses

theses

analysis

basis

crisis

hypothesis

oasis

parenthesis

thesis

PluralSingular

Change –i- -e-

How to add plurals to nouns

Look at the ending of the word Listen to the sounds Is it an old plural rule? Is it today’s English? Is it a borrowed word? What is the ending? Are there any exceptions?But “Practice Makes Perfect….”