Singular & Plural Nouns

Singular Noun Definition:  When a noun means one only, it is said to be singular. Examples:  boy, girl, book, church, box

Plural Noun Definition:  When a noun means more than one, it is said to be plural.  Examples:  boys, girls, books, churches

Rule #1

The plural of nouns is usually formed by adding s to a singular noun.

Example:   lamp, lamps; cat,cats; fork, forks; flower, flowers; pen, pens

Exercise:  Write the plural of each of these nouns

chair star farm storm door rock owner paper cup bear

Rule #2

Nouns ending in s, z, x, sh, and ch form the plural by adding es.

Example:    moss, mosses             buzz, buzzes                                  dish, dishes                church, churches Exercise:  Write the plural of each of these nouns	box, boxes
dress         brush         hex           wish	class
fox cross bench bush grass mantis glass	ax

Special Note:

If you add s to such nouns as fox, bush, and bench, you will find that you cannot pronounce them without making an additional syllable. This is why such nouns form the plural by adding es.

Quick Review

Exercise:  Tell if the following nouns are singular or plural

box	cats	slipper	forks	books
chair	desk	houses	paper	wagon
lamps	shoes	garden	horses	dress
dog	carts	kitchen	pony	glass
chair	star	pencil	girl	boy
ax	bush	coat	tree	bench
sketch	owner	touch	latch	mug
bells	churches	wagons	coals	pictures
clocks	boxes	kitchens	basins	chairs
days	houses	pencils	trees	tables

Rule #3

Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant is formed into a plural by changing y to ies.  Examples:  lady, ladies; city, cities; army, armies

Exercise:  Write the plural of the following words

fly	baby	pony	injury	cherry
lady	beauty	story	history	berry
city	sky	duty	study	theory

Rule #4

Nouns ending in y preceded by a vowel form their plurals by adding s.

Example:  boy, boys; day, days

Exercise:  Write the plural of the following words

day	toy	essay	turkey	chimney
play	joy	valley	alley	volley

Rule #5

Most nouns ending in o preceded by a consonant is formed into a plural by adding es.  Example:  hero; heroes; grotto, grottoes

motto calico buffalo hero potato cargo volcano grotto mosquito* tomato halo* tornado* buffalo* portico* veto

*may add s or es

The following are among those that add s only

canto	solo	piano	lasso
halo	memento	albino	sirocco

Special Note:

Most nouns ending in o preceded by a vowel is formed into a plural by adding s. Example:  folio, folios; cameo; cameos; studio, studios; portfolio, portfolios

Rule #6

Some nouns ending in f or fe are made plural by changing f or fe to ves. Example:  beef, beeves; wife, wives

Exercise:  Write the plural of the following words

calf	self	leaf	sheaf	life
loaf	shelf	half	wolf	knife
elf	half	thief	wife	gulf
chief	dwarf*	proof	turf

Exceptions:   The following may form their plurals by adding s.

chief, chiefs fife, fifes mischief, mischiefs hoof, hoofs roof, roofs grief, griefs kerchief, kerchiefs safe, safes

IRREGULAR PLURALS

man, men	foot, feet	mouse, mice
woman, women	tooth, teeth	louse, lice
child, children	ox, oxen	goose, geese

The following nouns have no singular:

scissors oats tongs dregs trousers pinchers bellows snuffers cattle shears measles mumps victuals tweezers vespers

Some nouns are always singular.  Some of these nouns may be used in the  plural when different kinds are meant as sugars, coffees, cottons

gold, silver, wheat, corn, molasses, copper, sugar, cotton news, gallows, mathematics, ethics (other words ending in ics)

Singular nouns use this and that.

Plural nouns use these and those.

Special note:

singular	plural
son-in-law	sons-in-law
daughter-in-law	daughters-in-law
maid of honor	maids of honor
secretary of state	secretaries of state

In forming the plural of proper names with a title, some pluralize the title, e.g., the Misses Brown.

Others pluralize the name, e.g., the Miss Browns.

If a title belongs to each of the two names, it should take the s in forming the plural, e.g., Drs. Scott.

Nouns taken from foreign languages without change generally retain their original plurals.

Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
alumna	alumnae	focus	foci
formula	formulae	radius	radii
nebula	nebulae	stimulus	stimuli
vertebra	vertebrae	terminus	termini
automaton	automata	amanuensis	amanuenses
curriculum	curricula	analysis	analyses
datum	data	axis	axes
erratum	errata	basis	bases
genus	genera	crisis	crises
gymnasium	gymnasia	ellipsis	ellipses
phenomenon	phenomena	hypothesis	hypotheses
stratum	strata	parenthesis	parentheses
alumnus	alumni	thesis	theses

Some nouns from foreign languages have both an English and a foreign plural.

Singular	English Plural	Foreign Plural
beau	beaus	beaux
cherub	cherubs	cherubim
formula	formulas	formulae
focus	focuses	foci
gymnasium	gymnasiums	gymnasia
memorandum	memorandums	memoranda
medium	mediums	media
radius	radiuses	radii
spectrum	spectrums	spectra
vortex	vortexes	vortices