What are singular and plural nouns?

A singular noun means one person, one animal, one place, or one thing.

• Example: a dog, a book, a city.

A plural noun means more than one person, animal, place, or thing.

• Example: dogs, books, cities.

We use plural nouns to talk about many things.

How do we make most nouns plural?

For most nouns, we add -s at the end. This is the most common rule.

Look at these examples:

• one cat → two cats
• one car → two cars
• one table → two tables
• one friend → two friends

When do we add -es to make nouns plural?

If a noun ends with -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z, we add -es.

This makes the word easier to say.

Here are some examples:

• one bus → two buses
• one class → two classes
• one dish → two dishes
• one watch → two watches
• one box → two boxes
• one quiz → two quizzes

What about nouns ending in -y?

If a noun ends in -y and has a consonant before it (like b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, z), we change the -y to -i and add -es.

Examples:

• one baby → two babies (consonant ‘b’ before ‘y’)
• one city → two cities (consonant ‘t’ before ‘y’)
• one party → two parties (consonant ‘t’ before ‘y’)

Important: If a noun ends in -y but has a vowel before it (like a, e, i, o, u), we just add -s.

• one day → two days (vowel ‘a’ before ‘y’)
• one boy → two boys (vowel ‘o’ before ‘y’)

Are there any special plural nouns?

Yes, some nouns have different plural forms. They do not follow the -s or -es rules. These are called irregular plurals.

You need to learn them by heart.

Here are a few common ones for beginners:

• one man → two men
• one woman → two women
• one child → two children
• one foot → two feet
• one tooth → two teeth
• one mouse → two mice

Examples

• I have two sisters.
• There are many buses in the city.
• She has three watches.
• The babies are sleeping.
• My friend has two dogs and three cats.
• We saw many children in the park.
• The boxes are empty.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Forgetting to add -s/-es: Spanish speakers might forget to add -s or -es because in Spanish, the plural is often formed differently or implied by the article.

• Wrong: I have two car.
• Right: I have two cars.

Adding -es incorrectly: Sometimes learners add -es when only -s is needed, or vice-versa.

• Wrong: two watchs
• Right: two watches

Not changing -y to -ies: Forgetting to change -y to -i before adding -es for words like city.

• Wrong: many citys
• Right: many cities

Using singular for irregular plurals: Using the singular form when a plural is needed for irregular nouns.

• Wrong: two child
• Right: two children

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common way to make a noun plural?

The most common way is to add -s to the end of the singular noun. For example, book becomes books.

Do all nouns follow the same rules for plurals?

No, most nouns follow rules like adding -s or -es. But some nouns have irregular plural forms, like man becoming men.

How do I know if I should add -s or -es?

You add -es if the noun ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z. For all other common endings, you usually add -s.

Related lessons

• Plural nouns