Grammar
Plural nouns: regular forms and common exceptions
One bag, two bags. Often, an extra letter is enough. Some everyday nouns need a different plural word, so learn the pattern and the word together.
Make regular English plural nouns and choose common irregular or unchanged plural forms in short everyday sentences.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
There are several buses outside. /ðeər ɑː ˈsev.rəl ˈbʌs.ɪz ˌaʊtˈsaɪd/
The short answer
Use a plural noun when you mean more than one countable person or thing. Add -s to most nouns and -es after endings such as -s, -x, -ch, and -sh. Learn common exceptions, including children, people, and feet, as singular and plural pairs.
The café has six small tables outside.
Why it works: Table takes the regular -s ending because it is an ordinary countable noun.
6 more examples
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Two folders are on the shared desk.
Folder uses the regular -s plural ending.
Not this:
One folderis on the shared desk. What changes: After one, use the singular noun folder. -
The buses leave every twenty minutes.
Bus ends in -s, so its plural adds -es.
Not this:
The busleaves every twenty minutes. What changes: Bus is singular in this sentence. -
Several libraries stay open late on Fridays.
Library changes y to ies because a consonant comes before y.
Not this:
The librarystays open late on Friday. What changes: Library is the singular form. -
The hikers carried warm scarves in their bags.
Scarf is one of several nouns that changes f to ves in the plural.
Not this:The hiker carried
a warm scarfin her bag. What changes: Scarf is singular after a. -
The children drew pictures after lunch.
Children is the irregular plural of child.
Not this:
The childdrew a picture after lunch. What changes: Child is the singular form. -
We counted four sheep in the field.
Sheep has the same form for one and for more than one.
Not this:We counted
one sheepin the field. What changes: The form sheep also appears after one.
Read the full guide
First decide whether the sentence means one or more than one. For a regular countable noun, look at its final letters and choose the usual ending. When the word has an irregular plural, use the form you have learned for that noun. A number or quantity word can help you check the choice.
Choose singular or plural by meaning
Use a singular countable noun for one person or thing. Use a plural countable noun for more than one. Numbers often show the meaning, but quantity words can show it too. Many and several refer to more than one, so the next countable noun is plural.
Several guests arrived before dinner.
Several tells you that guest needs the plural form guests.
Choose the noun after three: message or messages?
Use messages. Three means more than one.
Add -s to most countable nouns
For many nouns, add -s. This is the normal pattern for words such as chair, email, ticket, and photo. Try this pattern first when the noun does not have a special ending or an irregular form.
The students put their coats near the door.
Student becomes students and coat becomes coats by adding -s.
My neighbors grow tomatoes on their balcony.
An apostrophe does not make an ordinary plural. Tomatoes means more than one tomato. An apostrophe has another job, such as showing possession.
Use -es after some endings
Many nouns ending in -s, -x, -z, -ch, or -sh take -es. This gives forms such as buses, boxes, quizzes, watches, and dishes. Say the singular word first, then add the ending to the whole noun.
The shop sells fresh peaches every morning.
Peach ends in -ch, so the plural is peaches.
Two boxes waited beside the elevator.
What is the plural of brush?
Brushes. Brush ends in -sh, so add -es.
Check spelling changes before the ending
A noun ending in a consonant plus y often changes y to ies: party becomes parties. After a vowel plus y, keep y and add -s: day becomes days. Some nouns ending in -f or -fe change to -ves, including leaf, knife, and wife.
The families met in the park after school.
Family becomes families because a consonant comes before y.
Yellow leaves covered the path.
Leaf changes to leaves, but roof changes to roofs. Learn these words as pairs.
Learn irregular plurals as word pairs
Some common nouns do not use the usual endings. Child becomes children, person becomes people, man becomes men, woman becomes women, foot becomes feet, and mouse becomes mice. These forms need to be learned as vocabulary.
Two women waited at the clinic.
Woman changes to women. It does not take -s.
The children chose seats near the window.
Child and children are one singular and plural pair.
What is the usual plural of person?
People. Use people for an ordinary group of people.
Notice nouns that stay the same
A few nouns have one form for singular and plural. Sheep and deer are common examples. The number and the rest of the sentence tell you whether the noun means one or more than one.
One deer stood near the gate, and three deer crossed the field.
Deer stays deer in both parts of the sentence. One and three show the number.
When a noun has an unusual plural, make a note of both forms. Writing one sheep and two sheep helps you remember the pattern.
Before you go
Remember this
When you mean more than one countable noun, begin with the regular pattern: add -s or, after certain endings, -es. Then check for a spelling change, an irregular pair, or a noun that stays the same. Learn unusual plurals with their singular forms.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Plural nouns: regular forms and common exceptions"
What is a plural noun?
A plural noun names more than one person, place, thing, or idea. Most countable nouns need a plural form after a number greater than one or words such as many and several. For example, chairs is plural and chair is singular.
Two folders are on the shared desk.
When do I add -s or -es to a noun?
Add -s to most countable nouns, as in books and tables. Add -es to many nouns ending in -s, -x, -z, -ch, and -sh. For example, bus becomes buses and dish becomes dishes.
One folder is on the shared desk.
Why does a noun ending in y sometimes change to ies?
For many nouns ending in a consonant plus y, change y to ies: city becomes cities. When a vowel comes before y, the word usually keeps y and adds -s, as in day and days.
The buses leave every twenty minutes.
Which English plurals are irregular?
Common irregular pairs include child and children, person and people, foot and feet, and mouse and mice. These forms do not follow the usual -s pattern, so learn both forms of the noun together.
The bus leaves every twenty minutes.
Which nouns have the same singular and plural form?
Some nouns use one form for singular and plural. Sheep and deer are common examples. A number word and the rest of the sentence show whether the noun refers to one or more than one.
Several libraries stay open late on Fridays.