GRAMMAR
The Plural of Nouns
Lycée Thuriaf Bantsantsa
Port-Gentil
English Department
Lesson submitted by: Sébastien Nzuzi
Last edited: 10 March, 2012
1. REGULAR PLURALS
a. Most plurals are formed by adding -s to the noun.
cat → cats
cow → cows
book → books
bag→ bags
pen → pens
b. Nouns ending in s, sh, ch, x and z is formed by adding –es.
bus → buses
dress → dresses
church → churches box → boxes
bush → bushes
buzz → buzzes
c. Plurals of nouns ending in y
i. When a noun ends in y preceded by a vowel, just add –s.
subway → subways toy → toys
monkey → monkeys play → plays
cowboy → cowboys
ii. When a noun ends in y preceded by a consonant, change the y to i and add –es.
baby → babies
salary → salaries
cherry → cherries
candy → candies
cry → cries
try → tries
2. IRREGULAR PLURALS
a. Some nouns have an irregular plural form.
man → men
woman → women
ox → oxen
mouse → mice
child → children
louse → lice
tooth → teeth
foot → feet
b. Plurals of nouns ending in o
i. Most nouns that end in o simply add –s to form the plural.
auto → autos
studio → studios
radio → radios
video → videos
photo → photos
tattoo → tattoos
kilo → kilos
solo → solos
ii. Some nouns that end in o form their plural by adding –es.
echo → echoes
tomato → tomatoes hero → heroes
potato → potatoes
iii. A few nouns ending in o may form the plural with either –s or –es.
grotto → grottos/ grottoes
mosquito → mosquitos/ mosquitoes
zero → zeros/ zeroes
volcano → volcanos/ volcanoes
tornado → tornados/ tornadoes
c. Plurals of nouns ending in f or ff
The plural of most nouns ending in f or ff is formed by adding –s.
belief → beliefs
cliff → cliffs
chief → chiefs
puff → puffs
sheriff → sheriffs
roof → roofs
scarf → scarfs/ scarves
d. Plurals of nouns ending in f or fe
The plural of most nouns ending in f or fe is formed by changing f to ve and adding –s.
leaf → leaves
loaf → loaves
shelf → shelves
elf → elves
half → halves
life → lives
thief → thieves
knife → knives
e. Some nouns have the same singular and plural form.
one deer → two deer
one sheep → two sheep
one trout → two trout
one fish → two fish
one series → two series
one species → two species one means → two means
one cattle → two cattle
one corps → two corps
f. Some nouns borrowed from foreign languages have kept their foreign plural forms.
datum → data
medium → media
bacterium → bacteria
memorandum → memoranda
criterion → criteria
phenomenon → phenomena
formula → formulae/ formulas
oasis → oases
crisis → crises
thesis → theses
vertebra → vertebrae
basis → bases
analysis → analyses
appendix → appendices/ appendixes
parenthesis → parentheses
hypothesis → hypotheses
index → indices/ indexes
g. The plural of names
The plural of a name is formed by adding –s or –es.
Anthony & Dana Twain → the Twains
Gerald & Lana Fox → the Foxes
Alain & Amanda Moussavou → the Moussavous
Robin & Vanessa Jones → the Joneses
3. THE PLURAL OF COMPOUNDS
a. General rule
The last element of the compound normally bears the plural:
bus drivers, grown-ups, forget-me-nots, tooth brushes, guest-rooms, etc.
b. Exceptions
i.. Noun + preposition: the noun bears the plural
passers-by (des passants), lookers-on, (des spectateurs, des badauds);
ii. Man or woman: both elements bear the plural
Women-candidates, menservants, women drivers, men-students, etc.
BUT man-eaters (des caniballes), woman-haters (des mysogynes).
Man and woman here do not indicate the sex of the second noun but are complements of
that second noun.
iii. More than two elements: the most important noun bears the plural.
mothers-in-law (des belles-mères); mothers-to-be (des futures mamans), etc.