The Plural of Nouns

THE PLURAL OF NOUNS EXERCISES:

Regular Plural Nouns

Recognize nouns marked with plural form -s

-S
We add the plural suffix –s to most words.
SINGULAR	PLURAL
apple (æ-pul)	apples (æ-pulz)
book	books
chair	chairs
picture	pictures
page	pages
key	keys
computer	computers

–S
We add the plural suffix -s to words of foreign origin (latin, greek, etc.)
SINGULAR	PLURAL
piano	pianos  /piˈænoʊz, ˈpyænoʊz/
auto	autos /ˈɔtoʊz/
avocado	avocados    /ˌɑvəˈkɑdoʊz/
ghetto	ghettos  /ˈgɛtoʊz/
kilo	kilos  /ˈkɪloʊz/
memo	memos  /ˈmɛmoʊz/
photo	photos  /ˈfoʊtoʊz/
portfolio	portfolios  /ˈfoʊtoʊz/
pro	pros /proʊz/
radio	radios  /ˈreɪdiˌoʊz/
soprano	sopranos  /səˈprænoʊz, -ˈprɑnoʊz/
solo	solos  /ˈsoʊloʊz/
studio	studios  /ˈstudiˌoʊz/
video	videos /ˈvɪdiˌoʊz/

-ES
After sounds s /s/,  z /z/,  sh /ʃ/,  ch /tʃ/ and j /dʒ/, we add the plural suffix -es /ɪz/
SINGULAR	PLURAL
box /bɒks/	boxes  /bɒks-iz/
kiss	kisses  /kɪs-ɪz/
wish	wishes /wɪʃ-ɪz/
watch	watches /watʃ-ɪz/
buzz	buzzes /bʌz-ɪz/
garage	garages /gəˈrɑʒ-ɪz/
judge	judges /ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/

–ES
We add the plural suffix -es to most words that end in o.
SINGULAR	PLURAL
tomato   /təˈmeɪtoʊ, -ˈmɑ-/	tomatoes /təˈmeɪtoʊz/
echo  /ˈɛkoʊ/	echoes /ˈɛkoʊz/
embargo	embargoes /ɛmˈbɑrgoʊz/
hero	heroes /ˈhɪəroʊz/
potato	potatoes /pəˈmeɪtoʊz/
veto	vetoes /ˈvitoʊz/
OPTIONAL	OS / OES
buffalo	buffalos or buffaloes /ˈbʌfəˌloʊz/
cargo	cargos or cargoes  /ˈkɑrgoʊz/
halo	halos or haloes /ˈheɪloʊz/
mosquito	mosquitos or mosquitoes
no	nos or noes /noʊz/
torpedo	torpedos or torpedoes
zero	zeros or zeroes  /ˈzɪəroʊz/

Y → I + ES
When a word ends in Y and there is a consonant before Y, we change the Y to I and add -ES.
SINGULAR	PLURAL
baby	babies  /ˈbeɪbiz/
fry	fries /fraɪz/
supply	supplies /səˈplaɪz/
fly	flies    /flaɪz/
ally	allies  /ˈælaɪz, əˈlaɪz/
BUT NOT AFTER—VOWEL+Y
boy	boys  /bɔɪz/
toys	toys  /tɔɪz/
key	keys   /kiz/
monkey	monkeys  /ˈmʌŋkiz/
day	days  /deɪz/
play	plays  /pleɪz/

After -Y  and -F, -FE

FE or F → V + ES
When a word ends in -F or -FE, we change the F to V and add -ES.
SINGULAR	PLURAL
leaf	leaves  /livz/
half	halves  /hævz, hɑvz/
life	lives  /laɪvz/  /lɪvz/
self	selves /sɛlvz/
thief	thieves  /θivz/
scarf	scarves  /skɑrvz/
calf	calves   /kævz, kɑvz/
knife	knives  /naɪvz/
loaf	loaves /loʊvz/
shelf	shelves  /ʃɛlvz/
wolf	wolves  /wʊlvz/
BUT NOT IN THESE WORDS
cliff	cliffs  /klɪfs/
roof	roofs   /rufs, rʊfs/
belief	beliefs /bɪˈlifs/
chief	chiefs    /tʃifs/

EXERCISES:

•  Write these words in plural.  Add  -s,-es, -ies, -ves 

a boy -          2 boyesboys	a pencil-         2 pencilspenciles	a peach-       3  peachspeachespeachies	a potato-       2 potatoespotatos
a box-           2 boxesboxs	a baby-           7 babysbabies	a table-        2  tablestablies	a bus-           5 busesbusies
a city-        5 cityscitescities	a dish-             2 dishesdishiesdishs	a robot-        7  robotesrobots	a knife-           2 knifesknives
a girl-           3 girlesgirls	a fox-              6 foxesfoxiesfoxs	a toy-            2  toystoies	a tomato-       2 tomatoestomatos
a dress-       10dresssdressesdressies	a beach-         2 beachesbeachies	a lady-          4  ladysladies	a monkey-       7 monkiesmonkeys
a bench-      2benchesbenchsbenchies	a brush-         10 brushsbrushes	a snake-        3  snakessnakies	a door-           2 dooresdoors
a bike-         3 bikiesbikes	a desk-           9   desksdeskes	a pen-           5   penspenes	a tree-           8 treestries
a story-        6 storiesstores	a body-          2   bodiesbodys	a glass-         2   glassiesglasses	a way-            2 wayswayes
a leaf-           2 leafsleavesleafes	a key-          5  keyskeyes	a cherry-      2  cherriescherrys	a duck -          6 ducksduckes
a day-           9  dayesdays	a chair-         2  chairschaires	an egg -         8  eggsegges	a wish-            2 wisheswishs

•   Write these words in plural.   Example:   one goose       four geese                

one  child   two	one  man two	one woman two	one  person many	one  tooth many
one  mouse two	one fish two	one  deer two	one  foot two	one sheep two

• Change the sentences into the plural form.

Example:  My foot is big.      My feet are big.

1. The  man is tall.         
2. The woman is fat.       
3. The child is sad.         
4. The mouse is gray.      
5. My tooth is white.      

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

• Change the sentences into the singular form.

Example:  The fish are quiet.     The fish is quiet.

1. The geese are in the yard.  
2. The children are tired.       
3. The policemen are old.        
4. The mice are hungry.          
5. The sheep are ugly.             

What is the correct plural of the word?

1. These (person)  are protesting against the president. 
2. The (woman)  over there want to meet the manager. 
3. My (child)  hate eating pasta. 
4. I am ill. My (foot)  hurt.
5. Muslims kill (sheep)  in a religious celebration.
6. I clean my (tooth)  three times a day. 
7. The (student )  are doing the exercise right now. 
8. The (fish)  I bought is in the fridge. 
9. They are sending some (man)  to fix the roof. 
10. Most (houswife)  work more than ten hours a day at home.
11. Where did you put the (knife)  ?
    On the (shelf)  .
12. (Goose)  like water.
13. (Piano)  are expensive
14. Some (policeman)  came to arrest him.
15. Where is my (luggage)  ?
    In the car!

Write down the correct form of the plural:

1. city -  .
2. house -  .
3. boy -  .
4. family -  .
5. life -  .
6. photo -  .
7. phone -  .
8. sandwich -  .
9. nurse -  .
10. elf -  .
11. phenomenon -  .
12. criterion -  .
13. village -  .
14. toy -  .