The Plural of Nouns in English

In English, just like in French, nouns can be singular or plural. This lesson will guide you through the various rules to form the plural of English nouns, covering regular, irregular, and exceptional cases. Each rule is accompanied by examples translated into French to aid understanding. Interactive exercises await you at the end!

Lesson Overview

• 1. General cases: add -s
• 2. Endings in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, -o: add -es
• 3. Nouns ending in -y: change to -ies
• 4. Exceptions with -y after a vowel
• 5. Nouns ending in -f or -fe: change to -ves
• 6. Exceptions with -f or -fe: just add -s
• 7. Irregular plurals
• 8. Invariable nouns
• 9. Nouns always in plural form
• 10. Final exercises

1. General cases: just add -s

The most common rule to form the plural of a noun in English is to simply add -s at the end of the word. This rule applies to most common nouns.

Examples with Meaning

• This is my book. — A sentence showing one item belonging to me.
  These are my books. — A sentence showing multiple items belonging to me.
• She drives a car. — Describes one person operating a vehicle.
  They drive cars. — Describes several people operating vehicles.
• I eat an apple. — Expresses a person consuming one fruit.
  We eat apples. — Expresses a group consuming several fruits.
• There is a house on the hill. — States the existence of one building on a hill.
  There are houses on the hill. — States the existence of multiple buildings on a hill.

🧠 Exercise: Change the sentences to plural

Change the following sentences into their plural form. Then click on “Show the correction” to check your answers.

1. There is a cat in the garden.
2. This student has a book.
3. My sister likes that flower.
4. He eats an apple every day.

2. Nouns ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, or -o: add -es

When nouns end in -ch, -sh, -s, -x or -o, we don't just add -s. We add -es to respect pronunciation rules. Here are some examples:

Examples with Meaning

• This bus is late. — A large vehicle that carries passengers is not on time.
  These buses are late. — More than one large vehicle that carries passengers are not on time.
• She has a box for her toys. — She owns a container used to store her playthings.
  She has many boxes for her toys. — She owns several containers used to store her playthings.
• I like this tomato. — I enjoy this red round fruit often used in cooking.
  I like these tomatoes. — I enjoy multiple red round fruits often used in cooking.
• He washed a dish. — He cleaned a plate or bowl used for food.
  He washed all the dishes. — He cleaned every plate or bowl used for food.

🧠 Exercise: Change the sentences to plural

Transform the sentences below so they refer to more than one person, animal, or thing. Click on “Show the correction” to see the answers.

1. The witch is flying.
2. This box is heavy.
3. My tomato is red.
4. The dish is clean.

Exception: some words ending in -o take only -s

Although most nouns ending in -o form their plural with -es, some only take a simple -s. This exception often applies to words of foreign origin or abbreviations:

Example with Meaning

• My sister puts a photo in my bag..
  My sister puts photos in my bag..

3. Nouns ending in -y: change to -ies

When a noun ends with a consonant + y, the y changes to ies to form the plural. This is a regular rule in English.

Examples with Meaning

• The baby is crying. — A very young child who is crying.
  The babies are crying. — More than one very young child who are crying.
• This city is beautiful. — A large town that looks nice.
  These cities are beautiful. — More than one large town that look nice.
• A puppy is playing outside. — A young dog that is playing outside.
  Puppies are playing outside. — More than one young dog playing outside.
• I read a story. — I read a short tale or account.
  I read many stories. — I read several short tales or accounts.

🧠 Exercise: Change the sentences to plural

Change the following sentences into plural form. Click on “Show the correction” to check your answers.

1. This baby is hungry.
2. The story is interesting.
3. That city is big.
4. The puppy is cute.

4. Exceptions: nouns ending in -y after a vowel

When the -y is preceded by a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), we do not change it to -ies. We simply add -s to form the plural.

Examples with English explanations

• The boy is running. — A young male child is moving fast on foot.
  The boys are running. — Several young male children are moving fast on foot.
• This is my key. — This small metal object is used to open a lock.
  These are my keys. — These small metal objects are used to open locks.
• I like this toy. — I enjoy this object made for children to play with.
  I like these toys. — I enjoy these objects made for children to play with.
• Today is a beautiful day. — The current 24 hours have nice weather.
  These are beautiful days. — Several days have nice weather.

🧠 Exercise: change the sentences to the plural

Change the following sentences to more than one. Click on “Show correction” to check your answers.

1. This toy is expensive.
2. The key is on the table.
3. The boy is playing football.
4. That day was perfect.

5. Nouns ending in -f or -fe: change to -ves

Some nouns ending in -f or -fe change to -ves in the plural. This transformation is irregular and should be memorized for common words.

Examples with Meaning

• A leaf is falling from the tree. — The flat, green part of a plant is coming down.
  Leaves are falling from the tree. — Multiple flat, green parts of plants are coming down.
• This knife is sharp. — This cutting tool has a very thin edge.
  These knives are sharp. — These cutting tools have very thin edges.
• The wolf is howling. — The wild animal related to dogs is making a loud sound.
  The wolves are howling. — Several wild animals related to dogs are making loud sounds.
• My wife is kind. — The woman I am married to is nice.
  My wives are kind. — The women I am married to are nice.

🧠 Exercise: change the sentences to the plural

Change the following sentences to talk about more than one. Click on “Show correction” to check your answers.

1. The leaf is green.
2. This knife is dangerous.
3. A wolf is in the forest.
4. Your wife is beautiful.

6. Exceptions: some nouns ending in -f or -fe only take -s

Some nouns ending in -f or -fe do not change to -ves. They are exceptions and form the plural simply by adding -s.

Examples with Meaning

• The chief is speaking. — The leader or person in charge is speaking.
  The chiefs are speaking. — The leaders or people in charge are speaking.
• This roof is leaking. — The top covering of the building is leaking.
  These roofs are leaking. — The top coverings of the buildings are leaking.
• He put a safe in his office. — He placed a strong box to keep valuables secure in his office.
  He put two safes in his office. — He placed two strong boxes to keep valuables secure in his office.
• A dwarf appears in the story. — A very small person or creature appears in the story.
  Dwarfs appear in the story. — Very small people or creatures appear in the story.

🧠 Exercise: change the sentences to the plural

Rewrite the following sentences using more than one subject or object. Click on “Show correction” to check your answers.

1. The chief is angry.
2. This roof is new.
3. A dwarf lives here.
4. The safe is closed.

7. Irregular plurals

Some nouns form the plural in a completely irregular way. They do not follow any rule and must be memorized. These are common in both written and spoken English.

Examples with Meaning

• This man is strong. — an adult male human who has great physical power.
  These men are strong. — more than one adult male humans who have great physical power.
• The child is playing. — a young human is engaging in an activity for fun.
  The children are playing. — more than one young humans are engaging in an activity for fun.
• My foot hurts. — the lower part of my leg used for standing and walking feels pain.
  My feet hurt. — the lower parts of my legs used for standing and walking feel pain.
• There is a mouse in the kitchen. — a small rodent animal is present in the room where food is prepared.
  There are mice in the kitchen. — more than one small rodent animals are present in the room where food is prepared.

🧠 Exercise: change the sentences to the plural

Convert the following singular sentences into their plural forms. Click on “Show correction” to see the correct answers.

1. The woman is dancing.
2. This child has a toy.
3. My tooth is white.
4. A goose is in the yard.

8. Invariable nouns

Some English nouns have the same form in both singular and plural. The word doesn’t change, but the verb does (is/are). This is often the case for animals, species, or units used in a general or scientific context.

Examples with Meaning

• This fish is small. — A water animal with fins and gills is not big.
  These fish are small. — Several of these water animals are not big.
• A deer is in the garden. — One wild animal with antlers is in the yard.
  Two deer are in the garden. — Two of these wild animals are in the yard.
• This aircraft is fast. — One flying vehicle moves quickly.
  These aircraft are fast. — Several flying vehicles move quickly.
• The new series is amazing. — The latest group of related shows is very good.
  These series are amazing. — These groups of related shows are very good.

🧠 Exercise: identify the correct plural

Choose the correct plural form. Click on “Show correction” to check your answers.

1. There are five (fish / fishes) in the pond.
2. Two (deer / deers) crossed the road.
3. Many (species / speci) are endangered.
4. Those (aircrafts / aircraft) are military.

9. Nouns that are always plural

Some nouns in English exist only in the plural form. They don’t have a singular equivalent and are always used with a plural verb. These words often refer to things that come in pairs, tools, clothing, or collective/abstract concepts.

Examples with Meaning

• These trousers are too long. — Clothing that covers both legs, often used in the plural form.
• Where are my glasses? — An object with two lenses used to help you see.
• The scissors are on the table. — A cutting tool with two blades, always used in the plural.
• His earnings are impressive. — The amount of money someone receives from working or investments.
• She lives on the outskirts of the city. — The outer area or edge of a city or town.

🧠 Exercise: choose the correct verb

Choose the correct plural verb that matches the noun. Click “Show correction” to check your answers.

1. Your jeans (is / are) new.
2. The binoculars (is / are) expensive.
3. My earnings (is / are) low this month.
4. The trousers (is / are) in the wardrobe.