Here's a breakdown:
* -s: This is the most common plural ending. It's added to most nouns.
* Example: cat - cats, book - books, flower - flowers
* -es: This ending is used in specific cases:
* When a noun ends in "-s", "-x", "-ch", "-sh", or "-z":
* Example: bus - buses, box - boxes, church - churches, wish - wishes, buzz - buzzes
* When a noun ends in a consonant followed by "-y":
* Example: baby - babies, story - stories, city - cities
* Note: If the word ends in a vowel followed by "-y," you simply add "-s": boy - boys, toy - toys
Important Notes:
* There are irregular nouns that don't follow these rules, like man - men, child - children, and sheep - sheep. You'll need to learn these irregular forms.
* Sometimes, the plural form of a noun can be the same as the singular form. For example, fish, deer, and sheep can be singular or plural.
* Be careful with the spelling of the plural forms of words ending in "-f" or "-fe." Some change to "-ves" (e.g., knife - knives, wife - wives) while others just add "-s" (e.g., roof - roofs, chief - chiefs).
Let me know if you'd like more examples or have any other questions!