Teaching Plural Nouns

Making plural nouns is easy when you divide nouns into two groups. The first group adds -S and includes singular nouns that end in consonants, silent e and vowel + y. The second group adds -ES and has singular nouns that end with sibilants, F or FE, and Consonant + Y. Nouns ending with O are the most difficult to teach and learn.

Single Nouns + S 

The majority of nouns use the -s suffix. 

1. Single nouns that end with Consonant/s 

• chairs
• clouds
• months

2. Single nouns that end with E 

• trees
• houses
• names

3. Single nouns that end with Vowel + Y 

• days
• keys
• boys

5. Decades and Centuries

• Decades: 70s, 20s, 90s
• Centuries: 1800s, 1900s, 2000s

6. Letters, Numbers, and Abbreviations. Depending upon the style manual used, there are different rules for making letters, numbers, and abbreviations plural. (Chicago Manual of Style)

• Capital Letters Add -S: As, Ds, Ms, Xs
• Lower case letters Add 'S: a's, d's, m's, x's
• Numbers Add -S: 2s, 4s, 9s
• Abbreviations Add -S: PhDs, TDs, memos

7. Advanced Plural Rule states that nouns ending with -ief, -oof, -eef, -ff or -rf use the -s suffix.

• chiefs, hoofs, reefs, puffs, dwarfs

Single Noun + ES

Adding the -es suffix is a little more complicated. Use these three basic rules which depend upon the final letter/s of the noun.

1. Single nouns that end with ch, sh, s, x, or z 

• inch + es = inches
• dish + es = dishes
• bus + es = buses
• fox + es = foxes
• quiz + es = quizzes 

2. Single nouns that end with f or fe  - Change the f or fe to v.

• leaf + es = leaves
• shelf + es = shelves
• life + es = lives
• knife + es = knives

Nouns ending with f and fe appear to be undergoing a change to using the -s ending. (knifes, loafs)

3. Single nouns that end with Consonant + y - Change y to i

• penny + es = pennies
• bunny + es = bunnies
• country + es = countries

Words Ending With O 

The most challenging plural nouns are those ending with "o". There have been different rules put forth. One rule states that English nouns use the -es suffix and borrowed nouns have the -s suffix. However, most elementary and ESL students do not know which nouns are English or borrowed. A different rule states that nouns with a consonant + o use -es and nouns with a vowel + o use -s. This is an easier rule to use, but it has many exceptions. Plural nouns ending with O appear to be undergoing a change from these rules to simply using -s. Check a dictionary when you are unsure which ending to use.

• Borrowed - pianos, zeros, ratios 
• English - tomatoes, potatoes

• Vowel + o - radios, studios
• Consonant + o -echoes, buffaloes

Pronunciation

It is important to teach the correct pronunciation of  final -s and -es.  When -s follows a voiceless sound (f, gh, k, p, ph, t, th) is is pronounced as /s/. When -s follows a voiced sound (b, d, g, l, m, n, r, v, y, vowel) is is pronounced as /z/.  When -es follow a sibilant ( ce, ch, ge, s, sh, ss, x, z) it adds another syllable and is pronounced as /iz/. (Please refer to the Pronunciation of -S Anchor Chart.)

1. Voiceless Sounds /S/  

• puffs, laughs, books, stops, graphs, hats, months

2. Voiced Sounds /Z/ 

• rubs, words, bags, fills, dreams, pans, hears, lives, days, bows

3. Sibilant Sounds /IZ/ 

• faces, inches, pages, closes,  dishes, glasses, boxes, sizes

 Other Uses of S

English also uses -s for third person singular verbs (talks, sees, laughs) and uses 's to show possession (Tom's chair, class's books, town's sites). English learners often think that English speakers sound like snakes!

Always Plural

Some nouns only exist in their plural form. These can be used with singular and plural verbs depending upon the context. Below is a list of common words.

• new, clothes, pants, shorts, pajamas, (eye) glasses, binoculars,
• scissors tweezers, series, species, means

• Singular Verb: The news is very good.
• Plural Verb: My glasses are on the table.

Latin and Greek Plurals will be covered in the Irregular Plural Nouns blog.