1. Making singular nouns plural using spelling rules
Noun Forms
Making singular nouns plural using spelling rules

2. What are Nouns?
A noun is a type of word which refers to a person, place, or thing.
Nouns can be conjugated in either singular or plural form.
A singular noun refers to just one person, place, or thing (for example, a bat or a ship).
A plural noun refers to multiple people, places, or things (for example, bats or ships).

3. Rule #1- add “s”
Most nouns can be pluralized simply by adding an -s at the end of the word.
edge/edges
girl/girls
song/songs
bag/bags
cat/cats
boy/boys
day/days

4. Rule #2- add “es” to nouns ending in- s, ch, z, sh, and x
Nouns which end in the letters “s”, “z”, “ch”, “sh”, and “x”, “es” at the end.
glass/glasses
buzz/buzzes
dish/dishes
box/boxes
bush/bushes
witch/witches
switch/switches

5. Rule #3-Nouns ending in “o”
For words ending in the letter “o”, sometimes they are pluralized by adding “s”, while other words must be pluralized by adding “es”. These words must be memorized because there is no simple rule to explain the differences.
echo/echoes
embargo/embargoes
hero/heroes
potato/potatoes
veto/vetoes
tomato/tomatoes
torpedo/torpedoes

6. Rule continued Examples (s):
Most nouns ending in “o” preceded by a vowel are pluralized by simply adding “s”. Some other “o” nouns do this, too:
auto/autos
folio/folios
cameo/cameos
portfolio/portfolios
kilo/kilos
photo/photos
zoo/zoos

7. More examples memo/memos solo/solos - dealing with music
soprano/sopranos – dealing with music
studio/studios – dealing with music
pimento/pimentos
tattoo/tattoos
video/videos
piano/pianos – dealing with music
pro/pros
kangaroo/kangaroos

8. Rule #4- Nouns ending in “y”
For nouns ending in the letter y, replace the ending y with “ies”. Notice the preceding letter is a consonant.
baby/babies
story/stories
poppy/poppies
daisy/daisies
spy/spies
lady/ladies

9. Rule continued
Note that for words ending in “y” preceded by a vowel (a complex vowel sound), an “s” is simply added, as usual.
day/days
toy/toys
essay/essays
turkey/turkeys
chimney/chimneys
play/plays
joy/joys
valley/valleys
alley/alleys
volley/volleys

10. Practice: make the following plural and give the rule
Giant
Boy
City
Brush
Couch
Lady
Box
Potato
Piano
Alley

11. Answers Giants- just add “s”
Boys- just add “s” because vowel before “y” because the “o” is a vowel
Cities- drop “y” add “ies” because a consonant precedes the “y”
Brushes- ends in “sh” so add “es”
Couches- ends in “sh” so add “es”
Ladies- drop “y” add “ies” because of consonant precedes
Boxes- ends in “x” so add “es”
Potatoes- ends in “o”
Pianos- ends in “o”
Alleys- add “s” because vowel comes before “y”

12. Rule #5- nouns ending in “f” or “fe”
For some nouns ending in “f” or “fe”, replace the “f” or “fe” with “ves”:
calf/calves
elf/elves
half/halves
hoof/hooves
leaf/leaves
life/lives
loaf/loaves
scarf/scarves

13. More examples self/selves sheaf/sheaves wolf/wolves shelf/shelves
thief/thieves
knife/knives
wife/wives

14. Rule #6- Some nouns change the vowel sound
fireman/firemen – “an” to “en”
man/men – “an” to “en”
woman/women “an” to “en”
foot/feet – “oo” to “ee”
goose/geese – “oo” to “ee”
tooth/teeth – “oo” to “ee”
louse/lice – “ouse” to “ice”
mouse/mice – “ouse” to “ice”
child/children –Old English plural
ox/oxen – Old English plural

15. Rule #7- Nouns ending in “is”
For nouns in which the singular form ends in “is”, the plural form will end in “es”.
hypothesis/hypotheses
diagnosis/diagnoses
ellipsis/ellipses
analysis/analyses
basis/bases
crisis/crises
thesis/theses
oasis/oases

16. More examples synthesis/syntheses synopsis/synopses emphasis/emphases
neurosis/neuroses
paralysis/paralyses
parenthesis/parentheses

17. Rule #8- Nouns ending in “um”
Nouns ending in “um” change to “a”.
bacterium/bacteria
datum/data
curriculum/curricula
medium/media
memorandum/memoranda
symposium/symposia
erratum/errata
addendum/addenda
stratum/strata

18. Practice: change to plural giving rule
Mouse
Synopsis
Knife
Medium
Child
Thesis
Woman
Curriculum
Basis
Bacterium

19. Answers Mice- change “ous’ to “ice” Synopses- change “is” to “es”
Knives- change “fe” to “ves”
Media- change “um” to “a”
Children- Old English word
Theses- change “is” to “es”
Woman- change “an” to “en”-vowel change
Curricula- change “um” to “a”
Bases- change “is” to “es”
Bacteria- change “um” to “a”

20. Rule #9- Nouns ending in “on”
Nouns ending in “on” change to “a”.
criterion/criteria
phenomenon/phenomena
automaton/automata

21. Rule #10- Nouns ending in “a”
Nouns ending in “a” change to “ae”. Just add an “e” to the end after the “a”.
alga/algae
amoeba/amoebae
larva/larvae
formula/formulae
antenna/ antennae
nebula/nebulae
vertebra/vertebrae
vita/vitae

22. Rule #11- Nouns ending in “ix” or “ex”
Nouns ending in “ix” or “ex” change to “ices”.
It is acceptable to add “es” to some of these words.
appendix/appendices
index/ indices
matrix /matrices
vertex/ vertices
vortex/ vortices
apex/ apices

23. Rule #12- Nouns ending in “us”
Nouns ending in “us” change to “i”.
alumnus/alumni
bacillus/bacilli
cactus/cacti
focus/foci
stimulus/stimuli
octopus/octopi
radius/radii
terminus/termini

24. Rule #13- Nouns ending in “us”
Nouns ending in “us” change to “ora” or “era”
corpus/corpora
genus/genera

25. Rule #14- Nouns ending in “eau”
Nouns ending in “eau” change to “eaux” by just adding and “
bureau/ bureaux (or leave as it is)
beau/beaux
portmanteau/portmanteaux
tableau/tableaux

26. Practice: make plural giving rule
Cactus
Index
Formula
Criterion
Nebula
Bureau
Genus
Alumnus
Phenomenon
Stimulus

27. Answers Cacti- change “us” to “i” Indices- change “is” to “ices”
Formulae- change “a” to “ae”- add “e”
Criteria- change “on” to “a”
Nebula- change “a” to “ae” – add “e”
Bureaux- add “x”
Genera- change “us” to “era”
Alumni- change “us” to “i”
Phenomena – change “on” to “a”
Stimuli- change “us” to “i”

28. Possessive Plurals
Plural nouns ending in “s”, add an apostrophe after the “s” to show possession.
The Johnsons' farm
Singers' voices
The thieves' guild

29. Possessive nouns
For plural nouns not ending in “s”, add the apostrophe before adding the “s”.
Women's soccer
Children's books

30. Possessive hyphenated nouns
To make a hyphenated noun plural, add the “s” to the main word.
If it is singular, add apostrophe before the “s”
Bother-in-law’s
If it is plural, add apostrophe “s” to the end of the word.
Brothers-in-law’s

31. Always Plural or Singular
Some nouns are always plural (things that come in pairs):
pants
clothes
binoculars
jeans
forceps
trousers
tongs
shorts

32. More examples tweezers people pajamas police shorts glasses scissors
mathematics

33. Aggregate Nouns stairs crossroads gallows thanks barracks
Some nouns always end in “s”.
accommodations
amends
archives
congratulations
stairs
crossroads
gallows
thanks
barracks

34. More examples
goods
headquarters
news
means
series
species

35. Nouns with the Same Form
Some nouns have the same form for singular and plural, such as fish and animals. (Note that not all fish have the irregular plural form, though--e.g., one shark becomes two sharks)
salmon
trout
deer
sheep
swine
offspring
snow

36. continue
Cotton
Information
Advice
Knowledge
Furniture
Police

37. Choose which one is correct-give the rule
A. Cottons B. Cotton
A. Jones’ house B. Jone’s house
A. Deers B. Deer
A. Scissors B. Scissor
A. Sheep B. Sheeps
A. Accommodations B. Accommodation
A. Snows B. Snow
A. Polices B. Police
A. sisters-in-law’s B. sister-in-laws’
A. knowledges B. knowledge

38. Answers B- cotton is plural without “s”
A- the name Jones ends in “s”, so add apostrophe after the “s”
B- deer does not change form
A- scissors always ends in “s”- (always plural)
A- sheep does not change
A- accommodations always end in “s”
B- snow does not change form
B- police does not change form
A- add “s” to main word to make plural-add apostrophe before the last “s” in word
B- Knowledge does not change form