Rules for Making Singular Nouns Plural
Here are the general rules for making singular nouns plural in English:
1. Regular Plurals:
* Add -s to most singular nouns:
* cat → cats
* book → books
* table → tables
* Add -es to nouns ending in -s, -x, -ch, -sh, or -z:
* bus → buses
* box → boxes
* church → churches
* dish → dishes
* buzz → buzzes
* Add -ies to nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant:
* baby → babies
* city → cities
* story → stories
* Change -y to -ies for nouns ending in -y preceded by a vowel:
* monkey → monkeys
* boy → boys
* toy → toys
2. Irregular Plurals:
* Some nouns have irregular plural forms:
* child → children
* tooth → teeth
* woman → women
* mouse → mice
* foot → feet
* goose → geese
* Some nouns have the same singular and plural forms:
* sheep → sheep
* deer → deer
* fish → fish
* series → series
* species → species
3. Compound Nouns:
* For compound nouns where the main word is plural, only the main word is pluralized:
* mothers-in-law
* passers-by
* attorneys general
* For compound nouns where the main word is singular, the last word is usually pluralized:
* cupfuls
* spoonfuls
* handstands
4. Nouns Ending in -o:
* Most nouns ending in -o add -es to form the plural:
* hero → heroes
* potato → potatoes
* tomato → tomatoes
* Some nouns ending in -o add only -s:
* piano → pianos
* photo → photos
* kilo → kilos
* zoo → zoos
5. Foreign Words:
* Some foreign words retain their original plural forms:
* alumnus → alumni
* datum → data
* phenomenon → phenomena
6. Acronyms:
* Some acronyms can be pluralized by adding -s:
* UFO → UFOs
* VIP → VIPs
* Other acronyms stay the same in both singular and plural:
* NASA → NASA
* NATO → NATO
Remember: These are general rules, and there are always exceptions. It is always best to consult a dictionary if you are unsure about the plural form of a noun.