Home of English Grammar

Grammar Guide
  • Home
  • Exercises
  • Rules
  • Test Yourself
  • Tools
    • Grammar Checker
    • Word Counter
  • Top Social Media Posts
  • Writing Guides
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Nouns / Rules regarding the formation of plurals

Rules regarding the formation of plurals

July 1, 2014 - pdf

In English, we form the plurals of nouns by adding –s to the singular. Examples are given below.

Boy -> boys

Girl -> girls

Book -> books

There are several exceptions to this rule. Nouns ending in –s, -sh, -ch and –x, form their plurals by adding –es to the singular.

Examples are:

Box -> boxes

Class -> classes

Branch -> branches

Brush -> brushes

Watch -> watches

Most nouns ending in –o, generally form their plurals by adding –es.

Examples are:

Mango -> mangoes

Hero -> heroes

Potato -> potatoes

Volcano -> volcanoes

Some singular nouns ending in –o, form their plurals by simply adding –s.

Examples are:

Piano -> pianos

Photo -> photos

Stereo -> stereos

Dynamo -> dynamos

Nouns ending in a consonant + -y, form their plurals by changing that –y into –i and adding –es.

Baby -> babies

Lady -> ladies

City -> cities

Story -> stories

Most nouns ending in –f or –fe form their plurals by changing –f or –fe into v and adding –es.

Leaf -> leaves

Life -> lives

Thief -> thieves

Knife -> knives

There are several exceptions to this rule and the following nouns form their plurals by simply adding –s.

Examples

Roof -> roofs

Proof -> proofs

Dwarf -> dwarfs

Belief -> beliefs

A few nouns form their plurals irregularly. Examples are given below.

Man -> men

Woman -> women

Tooth -> teeth

Mouse -> mice

Some nouns have the singular and the plural alike. Examples are: swine, sheep, deer

The nouns dozen, score, pair, hundred and thousand do not have a plural form when they are used after a number.

The car cost me five thousand dollars. (NOT … five thousands dollars)

  • Share
  • Post
  • Send
  • Mail
2,485,429 
716,032 

Grammar Checker

GrammarCheck.net - Try online
Hint → Bookmark GrammarCheck for future use.

Latest Exercises

  • Noun + Preposition July 9, 2025
  • By, With, On July 7, 2025
  • Would Have Been, Could Have Been, Should Have Been July 4, 2025
  • Intermediate Level Vocabulary Exercise July 3, 2025
  • Being, To Be July 1, 2025
  • Verb + Preposition June 26, 2025
  • B2 Level Tenses Exercise June 24, 2025
  • Conjunctions Exercise Level B1 June 20, 2025
  • Passive Voice – Simple Past Tense June 16, 2025

Copyright © 2025 · EnglishGrammar.org
Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Sitemap

Notifications