Plurals

Question 1

Regular plurals

Answer 1

noun + s at the end
bag - bags

exceptions:
1) Nouns that end in -ch, -x, -s, -sh —> add es at the end

box - boxes
boss - bosses

2) Most nouns ending in O preceded by a consonant –> es

potato - potatoes
tomato - tomatoes
volcano - volcanoes

However many newly created words and words with a Spanish or Italian origin that end in -o just add an ‘s’.

photo - photos | piano - pianos | portico - porticos

3) Nouns that end in Z —> add ZES at the end
quiz - quizzes

4) Nouns ending in a consonant + y, drop the y and add ‘-ies’
party - parties | lady - ladies

5)Most nouns ending in ‘is’, drop the ‘is’ and add ‘-es’.

For example:-

crisis - crises | hypothesis - hypotheses | oasis - oases

6) Most nouns ending in -f or -fe, drop the f and add ‘ves’.

For example:-

calf - calves | half - halves | wolf - wolves

But this isn’t a hard and fast rule:-

belief - beliefs (believes is a verb form)
brief - briefs
chef - chefs
proof - proofs
roof - roofs
cafe - cafes
safe - safes (saves is a verb form)

Question 2

Irregular plurals

Answer 2

a) classic irregular
child - children
goose - geese
mouse - mice
tooth - teeth
footh - feet

b) identical plural and sigular form
aircraft
fish
headquarters
sheep
species
In the plural form they still take a plural verb (are / were)

c) Uncountable nouns —> they do not have a plural form and they take a singular verb

Advice
Information
Lugagge
News

There is a lot of luggage on the plane, but a piece of luggage has gone missing.

d) Some nouns (especially those associated with two things) exist only in the plural form and take a plural verb (are / were…)

cattle
scissors
trousers
tweezers
congratulations
pyjamas

Have you seen my scissors? They were on my desk.

e) Nouns that stem from older forms of English or are of foreign origin often have odd plurals.

For example:-

ox - oxen
index - indices or indexes

f) In compound nouns the plural ending is usually added to the main noun.

For example:-

son-in-law - sons-in-law
passer-by - passers-by

Question 3

words ending in US

Answer 3

If they have a latin origins –> replace us with i
radius - radii
alumnus - alumni

But is not always true
virus - viruses
campus - campuses
bonus - bonuses

Question 4

Always singular

Answer 4

Uncountable nouns are always singular

The pronouns each, either, neither, another, and all compound words ending in one, body, or thing are always singular.