Grammar - Beginner - Plural Nouns

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.
Word File
Singular     Plural
bird            birds
broom        brooms
camel        camels
desk          desks
doll          dolls
egg           eggs
flower      flowers
fork          forks
game        games
lamb        lambs
nest          nests
pen          pens
photo       photos
shirt        shirts
spoon      spoons
Some plural nouns end in -es.
Word File
Singular       Plural
beach            beaches
branch          branches
box               boxes
bush             bushes
church         churches
dish             dishes
dress           dresses
sandwich    sandwiches
witch          witches
When the last letters of singular nouns are ch, sh, s, ss or x, you usually add -es to form the plural.
Some plural nouns end in -ies.
Word File
Singular        Plural
baby               babies
cherry            cherries
diary              diaries
dictionary      dictionaries
fairy                fairies
family             families
fly                   flies
lady                 ladies
library             libraries
puppy              puppies
story                stories
strawberry       strawberries
Nouns like these are made plural by changing y to i, and adding -es.

What if there is a vowel before the y? In that case, add -s to form the plural.
Word File
Singular            Plural
chimney            chimneys
cowboy             cowboys
day                    days
donkey             donkeys
jersey               jerseys
kidney              kidneys
monkey           monkeys
toy                   toys
trolley             trolleys
valley             valleys

If a noun ends in -f, you often change f to v, and add -es.
Singular       Plural       Singular       Plural
calf               calves      loaf              loaves
elf                elves        shelf            shelves
half              halves      thief            thieves
leaf              leaves      wolf            wolves

Often nouns that end in -f, just need -s to form the plural.
Singular         Plural        Singular            Plural
chef               chefs          handkerchief     handkerchiefs
chief             chiefs         roof                   roofs
cliff             cliffs          sheriff                sheriffs
For some words that end in -f, the plural can be spelled in two different ways.
Singular           Plural
dwarf              dwarfs or dwarves
hoof                hoofs or hooves
scarf               scarfs or scarves

With some words that end in -fe, you change f to v, and add -s.
Singular       Plural
knife            knives
life              lives
wife           wives
But you only add -s to giraffe to form the plural.

If a noun ends in -o, you just add -s to form the plural.
Word File
Singular      Plural
a hippo        hippos
a video        videos
a zoo            zoos
But with some nouns that end in -o, you add -es to form the plural.
Word File
Singular      Plural
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.

Some plural nouns don’t follow the -s rule. They don’t end in -s, -es, -ies or -ves. Instead, the word changes form.
Word File
Singular          Plural
child               children
man                men
ox                   oxen
tooth              teeth
woman          women
The plural of the mouse that you use with your computer is either mice or mouses.

Some plural nouns are the same as the singular noun.
Word File
Singular     Plural
bison         bison
deer          deer
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.
Word File
pants          scissors
pajamas     sneakers
shorts        slippers
trousers     stockings
sandals
Another word for spectacles is glasses.

- You can make these plural nouns singular by using a pair of:
a pair of binoculars
a pair of spectacles
a pair of goggles
a pair of jeans
a pair of shorts
a pair of pliers