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  Home    Grammar    Plural noun Contact  
American English Grammar
Plural noun
Learning objectives
  • Learn the definition of a plural noun
  • Study examples of plural nouns
  • Take the test
Definition of a plural noun

  • A plural noun:

    • is a word used to describe two or more things

    • is usually formed to indicate number by adding "s" or "es"

    • can be formed by changing the last letter before adding "s"

    • can also be formed in other ways
Examples of plural nouns

  • Plural nouns formed by adding an "s" to the singular form of the noun

    • boy-boys, girl-girls, cat-cats, table-tables, book-books, tree-trees, auto-autos, photo-photos, radio-radios, studio-studios

  • Plural nouns formed by adding an "es" to the singular form of nouns ending in "ch", "s", "sh", "x"

    • glass-glasses, dish-dishes, ditch-ditches, wish-wishes, coach-coaches, kiss-kisses, tax-taxes

  • Plural nouns formed by adding an "es" to the singular form of nouns ending in "o" and preceded by a consonant

    • hero-heroes, tornado-tornados-tornadoes (can end in either "s" or "es"), potato-potatoes, tomato-tomatoes

      • Note: nouns of Italian or Spanish origin are exceptions to this rule

        • ie: canto-cantos, grotto-grottos, piano-pianos, portico-porticos, quarto-quartos, solo-solos

  • Plural nouns formed by changing the "f" into a "v" and adding "es"

    • half-halves, leaf-leaves, calf-calves

      • Note: some just add an "s"

        • ie: proof-proofs, muff-muffs

      • Note: some can do either

        • ie: dwarf-dwarfs-dwarves, hoof-hoofs-hooves, staff-staffs-staves

  • Plural nouns formed by dropping the "y" and adding "ies" of nouns ending in "y" and preceded by a consonant

    • cherry-cherries, lady-ladies, story-stories, party-parties

  • Plural nouns formed by simply changing the vowel sound of the singular form

    • foot-feet, goose-geese, louse-lice, man-men, mouse-mice, tooth-teeth, woman-women, mouse-mice

  • Plural nouns where the singular and plural forms are different

    • child-children, ox-oxen, person-people

  • Plural nouns where the singular and plural forms are the same

    • cod, series, trout, deer, fish, moose, offspring, series, sheep, species

  • Plural nouns that have no singular form

    • annals, billiards, cattle, clothes, measles, nuptials, thanks, tidings, belongings, brains (intellect), clothes, congratulations, earnings, eyeglasses, goods, groceries, jeans, looks (appearance), manners (social behavior), pajamas, pants, scissors, shorts, sunglasses, surroundings, tropics, trousers

  • Plural nouns that consist of two parts and have no singular form but are considered to be one unit

    • scissors, trousers, tweezers, pants

  • Plural nouns where the plural form is retained such as nouns from foreign languages

    • analysis-analyses, appendix-appendices, bacterium-bacteria, basis-bases, crisis-crises, criterion-criteria, curriculum-curricula, datum-data, formula-formulae, hypothesis-hypotheses, medium-media, memorandum-memoranda, parenthesis-parentheses, phenomenon-phenomena, syllabus-syllabi, thesis-theses
Test
It is very important to make sure the words in a sentence have singular and plural agreement. In the following test, choose the correct sentences.
 
Can you tell which sentences have singular and plural agreement?
 
Fun Easy English Tests
Singular Plural Agreement
 
  1.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. She is taking less classes this semester.
B. She is taking fewer classes this semester.

  2.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. That student is always late for class. He annoys the teacher.
B. That student is always late for class. They annoy the teacher.

  3.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. That food has a lot of sugars.
B. That food has a lot of sugar.

  4.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. Every students was on time for class this morning.
B. Every student was on time for class this morning.

  5.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. This news is very exciting.
B. These news is very exciting.

  6.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. There are fewer calories in light beer than regular beer.
B. There are less calories in light beer than regular beer.

  7.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. John always gives his wife a lot of jewelry.
B. John always gives his wife a lot of jewelries.

  8.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. We bought a lot of used furniture at a garage sale.
B. We bought a lot of used furnitures at a garage sale.

  9.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. The new equipments for the basketball team has arrived.
B. The new equipment for the basketball team has arrived.

  10.  Choose the correct sentence.
A. Mayumi bought a little apples for her lunches this week.
B. Mayumi bought a few apples for her lunch this week.
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