Singular and Plural Nouns

Singular Nouns:
When a noun means one only, it is said to be singular.
For example:
boy, girl, book, church, box

Plural Nouns:
When a noun means more than one, it is said to be plural.
For example:
boys, girls, books, churches, boxes

RULES TO REMEMBER:

1. Rule 1:
The plural of a noun is usually formed by adding -s to a singular noun.
For example:
lamp – lamps
cat – cats
fork – forks
flower – flowers

Exercise:

Write the plural of each of these nouns:

chair chairs owner owners

paper papers kitchen kitchens

farm farms
 2. Rule 2:
Nouns ending in -s, -z, -x, -sh and -ch form the plural by adding -es.
For example:
bus – buses
topaz – topazes
box – boxes
dish – dishes
church – churches

Exercise:

Write the plural of each of these nouns:

dress dresses brush brushes

fox foxes bench benches

waltz waltzes

3. Rule 3:
Nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant is expressed in plural form by changing -y into
-ies.
For example:
lady – ladies
city – cities
army – armies

Exercise:

Write the plural of each of these nouns:

injury injuries sky skies

pony ponies berry berries

baby babies

4. Rule 4:
Nouns ending in -y preceded by a vowel is expressed in plural form by adding -s.
For example:
boy – boys
day – days
donkey – donkeys

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Exercise:

Write the plural of each of these nouns:

essay essays turkey turkeys

chimney chimneys toy toys

play plays

5. Rule 5:
a) Most nouns ending in -o preceded by a consonant is expressed in plural form by adding
-es.
For example:
hero – heroes

*Exceptions:
The following nouns are expressed in plural form by adding -s only.
piano – pianos
halo – halos

b) Most nouns ending in -o preceded by a vowel are expressed in plural form by adding -s.
For example:
portfolio – portfolios
studio – studios

Exercise:

Write the plural of each of these nouns:

motto mottoes potato potatoes

mosquito mosquitoes tomato tomatoes

volcano volcanoes

6. Rule 6:
Some nouns ending in -f or -fe are made plural by changing the -f or -fe to -ves.
For example:
knife – knives
life – lives
wife – wives

*Exceptions:
The following nouns are made plural by adding -s only.

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 roof – roofs
safe – safes
handkerchief – handkerchiefs
hoof – hoofs
staff – staffs
cliff – cliffs
wharf – wharfs
turf – turfs

Exercise:

Write the plural of each of these nouns:

shelf shelves wolf wolves

loaf loaves leaf leaves

thief thieves

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 THE FOLLOWING TABLES ARE INCLUDED FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

Table 1: Learn the following singular nouns and their plural forms by heart:
SINGULAR: PLURAL:
athletics is sports are
gymnastics is the Olympic Games are
an inning (in cricket) is innings are
data is data are
economics is
mathematics (the subject) is his mathematics are
statistics (the subject) is statistics (data) are
physics is
clothing is clothes are
crockery is
cutlery is
jewellery is
billiards is
darts (the game) is
fruit is
furniture is
gallows is
game (wild animals) is
hair is
means (method) is means (income) are
sweepstakes is
each man is
each of them is
each and everyone is
everyone is
every person is
every boy and girl is
every one of the girls is
nobody is
nothing is
somebody is
someone is
either of the is
neither of them is
one of the girls is
not one of the boys is
one in ten is
many a man is
little is few are
much is many are
luggage is
machinery is

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 mumps is
measles is
news is tidings are
cattle are
leaves are
glasses are
spectacles are
people are
the police are
the poor are
folk are
the odds are
thanks are
minutes (of a meeting) are
remains are
vermin are
the number of ... is a number of ... are
a pair of trousers is trousers are
pants are
jeans are
bellows are
scissors are
shears are
pliers are
compasses are

Table 2: Irregular plurals:

SINGULAR: PLURAL:
man men
foot feet
mouse mice
tooth teeth
child children
goose geese
ox oxen

Table 3: The following nouns have no singular (also see Table 1):
ONLY
PLURAL:
scissors
trousers
cattle
tweezers
measles
mumps

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 Table 4: Some nouns are always singular:
ONLY
SINGULAR:
gold
silver
copper
sugar
cotton
coffee

*Some of these nouns may be used in the plural when different kinds are referred to,
for example the different ‘sugars’ in our diet.