General Rule:
* Add "s" to most singular nouns to make them plural.
* Example: cat -> cats, book -> books, chair -> chairs
Exceptions:
* Nouns ending in "s," "x," "ch," "sh," or "z" add "es":
* Example: bus -> buses, box -> boxes, church -> churches, brush -> brushes, quiz -> quizzes
* Nouns ending in a consonant followed by "y," change "y" to "i" and add "es":
* Example: baby -> babies, city -> cities, story -> stories
* Exception: If the word ends in a vowel followed by "y," simply add "s":
* Example: boy -> boys, monkey -> monkeys
* Nouns ending in "o" preceded by a consonant add "es":
* Example: potato -> potatoes, hero -> heroes, tomato -> tomatoes
* Exceptions:
* Some words ending in "o" preceded by a consonant still add only "s" (there are no hard rules, so you'll need to memorize these):
* Example: piano -> pianos, photo -> photos, kilo -> kilos
* Words ending in "o" preceded by a vowel add only "s":
* Example: radio -> radios, studio -> studios, zoo -> zoos
* Proper nouns (names of people, places, etc.) follow their own rules:
* If a proper noun ends in "s," it usually stays the same in the plural.
* Example: Jones -> Jones, Texas -> Texas
* If a proper noun ends in a consonant + "y," it usually changes the "y" to "i" and adds "es."
* Example: Henry -> Henrys, Berry -> Berrys
Tips to Remember:
* Look at the spelling of the word. The ending will determine if you add "s" or "es."
* Practice! The more you see and use these rules, the easier it will become.
* Use a dictionary. If you are ever unsure, always check a dictionary.
Let me know if you have any more specific questions!