Singular and Plural Nouns
Nouns can be singular (one) or plural (more than one). Understanding how to form plurals is a key step to communicating clearly and correctly.
Singular Nouns
Represents one person, place, or thing.
A singular noun refers to a single entity. It's the default form of a noun.
Example Sentence: "A dog barks loudly."
Example Sentence: "The house is painted white."
Plural Nouns
Represents more than one person, place, or thing.
A plural noun refers to multiple entities. Most plural nouns in English end with -s or -es.
Example Sentence: "Many dogs love to play fetch."
Example Sentence: "We saw beautiful houses."
How to Form Plurals
Follow these rules to change singular nouns to plural.
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| For most nouns, add -s. | cat → cats, book → books |
| For nouns ending in -s, -x, -z, -ch, -sh, add -es. | box → boxes, watch → watches |
| For nouns ending in consonant + y, change -y to -ies. | city → cities, baby → babies |
| For nouns ending in vowel + y, add -s. | toy → toys, day → days |
| For many nouns ending in -f or -fe, change -f to -ves. | leaf → leaves, wife → wives |
Common Irregular Plurals
Some nouns don't follow the rules. Here are common ones to memorize.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| man | men | woman | women |
| child | children | person | people |
| tooth | teeth | foot | feet |
| mouse | mice | goose | geese |
| ox | oxen | cactus | cacti |
| fungus | fungi | sheep | sheep |
| fish | fish | deer | deer |
Practice Time!
Choose the correct form of the noun for each sentence:
- The ___ (cat/cats) chased the mouse.
- My ___ (friend/friends) are coming over for dinner.
- She bought three ___ (apple/apples) from the market.
- The ___ (child/children) are playing in the park.
Exercises and Worksheets
Ready to practice more? Check out these resources.