8 English Plurals rules: Comprehensive Guide to Plural Noun Rules

What are the 8 Plural Noun Rules?

1. Add 's' to form the plural of most nouns

   • Example: girl → girls, apple → apples

2. Add 'es' to nouns that end in ch, sh, s, x, or z

   • Example: bench → benches, dish → dishes, bus → buses, box → boxes, quiz → quizzes

3. For nouns that end in 'y' with a consonant before the 'y', change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'

   • Example: candy → candies, puppy → puppies

4. For nouns that end in 'y' with a vowel before the 'y', just add 's'

   • Example: toy → toys, monkey → monkeys

5. For nouns that end in 'f' or 'fe', drop the 'f' or 'fe' and add 'ves'

   • Example: loaf → loaves, knife → knives

6. For nouns that end with a consonant before an 'o', add 'es.'

   • Example: potato → potatoes, tomato → tomatoes

7. Some nouns change the spelling of the singular noun

   • Example: child → children, mouse → mice

8. Some nouns use the same singular and plural form

   • Example: fish → fish, deer → deer

 Examples of how to use the eight plural rules in English

1. Add 's' to form the plural of most nouns

• "The girls are playing in the park."
• "He picked several ripe apples from the tree."
• "There are many colourful flowers in the garden."

2. Add 'es' to nouns that end in ch, sh, s, x, or z

• "She sat on the benches in the park."
• "He washed all the dirty dishes after dinner."
• "The buses arrive every ten minutes."

3. For nouns that end in 'y' with a consonant before the 'y', change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'

• "She bought a bag of candies for the kids."
• "The puppies are playing in the yard."
• "He took some lovely photographs on his trip."

4. For nouns that end in 'y' with a vowel before the 'y', just add 's'

• "The child has many toys."
• "A group of monkeys was seen in the forest."
• "She keeps all her keys in a bowl by the door."

5. For nouns that end in 'f' or 'fe', drop the 'f' or 'fe' and add 'ves'

• "He baked several loaves of bread."
• "She has a collection of antique knives."
• "The shelves were filled with colourful scarves."

6. For nouns that end with a consonant before an 'o', add 'es'

• "She grew potatoes in her garden."
• "He likes tomatoes in his salad."
• "The children enjoyed the heroes in the story."

7. Some nouns change the spelling of the singular noun

• "The children are playing soccer."
• "A group of mice scurried across the floor."
• "The men are working on the construction site."

8. Some nouns use the same singular and plural form

• "He caught three fish in the lake."
• "A herd of deer was grazing in the field."
• "The museum had several sheep in its farm exhibit."