Singular and Plural Nouns

Notes On Generalizations For Spelling/Forming

Plural Nouns.

LESSON 5

Singular vs. Plural

A singular noun names one person, place, thing, or idea.

• One cat, one store, one item

A plural noun names two or morepersons, places, things, or ideas.

• Two cats, four stores, fifteen items

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

1. For most singular nouns, add s.

Singular Plural

teacher teachers

street streets

pencil pencils

book books

elephant elephants

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

2. For nouns ending with s, x, z, sh, or ch, add es.

Singular Plural

gas gases

wax waxes

waltz waltzes

dish dishes

church churches

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

3. For nouns ending with a consonant and y, change the y to i and add es. For nouns ending with a vowel and y, add s.

Singular Plural

sky skies

army armies

penny pennies

boy boys

alley alleys

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

4. For some nouns ending with f or fe, add s. For others, change the f to v and add s or es. (You will need to memorize the spellings for such words or look them up in a dictionary to check.

Singular Plural

belief beliefs

roof roofs

loaf loaves

life lives

knife knives

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

These are a little more tricky . . .

5. For nouns that end with o, add s or es. (Again, you would need to memorize the spellings of such words or look them up in a dictionary to double-check.)

—One trick to remember: if it has to do with sound (“music”), just add s.—Ex: cello. piano, radio

Singular Plural

cello cellos

piano pianos

radio radios

zoo zoos

potato / tomato potatoes / tomatoes

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

Singular Plural

child children

foot feet

tooth teeth

mouse mice

man / woman men / women

6. Some nouns have irregular plural forms. You will have to memorize the spelling for irregular plurals.

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

Singular Plural

sheep sheep

Chinese Chinese

moose moose

grapefruit grapefruit

deer deer

salmon salmon

7. A few nouns have the same singular and plural forms.

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

8. A few nouns have only plural forms.

Plural

scissors

jeans

savings

dues

Generalizations for forming plural nouns:

9. A few nouns that end with s look pluralbut are considered singular.

Singular

measles

news

economics

dues

Multiple Choice

Which 2 words correctly complete these sentences?

We bought a pair of _____ and some _____ at the yard sale.

A. ski . . . dishes

B. skis . . . dishs

C. skies . . . dish

D. skis . . . dishes

CORRECT!

We bought a pair of _skis_ and some _dishes_ at the yard sale.

Multiple Choice

One of her _______ is studying _______ in the wild.

A. hobbys . . . monkeyes

B. hobbyes . . . monkies

C. hobbies . . . monkeys

D. hobbys. . . monkees

One of her _hobbies_ is studying _monkeys_ in the wild.

CORRECT!

A team of ______ pulled a wagon with three _______ inside.

A. ox . . . woman

B. oxen . . . women

C. oxes . . . women

D. oxens . . . womans

Multiple Choice

CORRECT!

A team of _oxen_ pulled a wagon with three _women_ inside.

Multiple Choice

Near the campsite they saw two _______ and several ________.

A. deer . . . moose

B. deers . . . moose

C. deers . . . mooses

D. deer . . . meese

CORRECT!

Near the campsite they saw two _deer_ and several _moose_.