MNW English Grammar » Nouns » The plural form of nouns
The plural form of nouns
THE PLURAL OF NOUNS
Most nouns form the plural by adding -s or -es.
Examples
| Singular | Plural |
| boat | boats |
| hat | hats |
| house | houses |
| river | rivers |
A noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant makes the plural with -ies.
Examples
| Singular | Plural |
| a cry | cries |
| a fly | flies |
| a nappy | nappies |
| a poppy | poppies |
| a city | cities |
| a lady | ladies |
| a baby | babies |
There are some irregular formations for noun plurals. Some of the most common ones are listed below.
Examples of irregular plurals
| Singular | Plural |
| woman | women |
| man | men |
| child | children |
| tooth | teeth |
| foot | feet |
| person | people |
| leaf | leaves |
| half | halves |
| knife | knives |
| wife | wives |
| life | lives |
| loaf | loaves |
| potato | potatoes |
| cactus | cacti |
| focus | foci |
| fungus | fungi |
| nucleus | nuclei |
| syllabus | syllabi/syllabuses |
| analysis | analyses |
| diagnosis | diagnoses |
| oasis | oases |
| thesis | theses |
| crisis | crises |
| phenomenon | phenomena |
| criterion | criteria |
| datum | data |
Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.
Examples
Singular |
Plural |
| sheep | sheep |
| fish | fish |
| species | species |
| aircraft | aircraft |
Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.
Examples
- news
The news is on at 6.30 p.m.
- athletics Athletics is good for young people.
- linguistics Linguistics is the study of language.
- darts Darts is a popular game in England.
- billiards Billiards is played all over the world.
Some nouns have a plural form and take a plural verb.
Examples
- trousers My trousers are too tight.
- jeans Her jeans are black.
- glasses Those glasses are his.
others include:
- savings, thanks, steps, stair, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages, spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits
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