SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS
REGULAR NOUNS
Most singular nouns form the plural by adding -s.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
boat boats
house houses
cat cats
river rivers
A singular noun ending in s, x, z, ch, sh makes the plural by adding-es.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
bus buses
wish wishes
pitch pitches
box boxes
A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y and adding-ies.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
penny pennies
spy spies
baby babies
city cities
daisy daisies
IRREGULAR NOUNS
There are some irregular noun plurals. The most common ones are listed below.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
woman women
man men
child children
tooth teeth
foot feet
person people
leaf leaves
mouse mice
goose geese
half halves
knife knives
wife wives
life lives
elf elves
loaf loaves
potato potatoes
tomato tomatoes
cactus cacti
focus foci
fungus fungi
nucleus nuclei
syllabus syllabi/syllabuses
analysis analyses
diagnosis diagnoses
oasis oases
thesis theses
crisis crises
phenomenon phenomena
criterion criteria
datum data
Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
sheep sheep
fish fish
deer deer
species species
aircraft aircraft
IRREGULAR VERB/NOUN AGREEMENT
Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.
Plural nouns used with a singular verb Sentence
news
The news is at 6.30 p.m.
athletics
Athletics is good for young people.
linguistics
Linguistics is the study of language.
darts
Darts is a popular game in England.
billiards
Billiards is played all over the world.
Some nouns have a fixed plural form and take a plural verb. They are not used in the singular, or they have a different meaning in the singular. Nouns like this include: trousers, jeans, glasses, savings, thanks, steps, stairs, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages, spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits
Plural noun with plural verb Sentence
trousers
My trousers are too tight.
jeans
Her jeans are black.
glasses
Those glasses are his.
REGULAR NOUNS
Most singular nouns form the plural by adding -s.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
boat boats
house houses
cat cats
river rivers
A singular noun ending in s, x, z, ch, sh makes the plural by adding-es.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
bus buses
wish wishes
pitch pitches
box boxes
A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y and adding-ies.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
penny pennies
spy spies
baby babies
city cities
daisy daisies
IRREGULAR NOUNS
There are some irregular noun plurals. The most common ones are listed below.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
woman women
man men
child children
tooth teeth
foot feet
person people
leaf leaves
mouse mice
goose geese
half halves
knife knives
wife wives
life lives
elf elves
loaf loaves
potato potatoes
tomato tomatoes
cactus cacti
focus foci
fungus fungi
nucleus nuclei
syllabus syllabi/syllabuses
analysis analyses
diagnosis diagnoses
oasis oases
thesis theses
crisis crises
phenomenon phenomena
criterion criteria
datum data
Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.
EXAMPLES
Singular Plural
sheep sheep
fish fish
deer deer
species species
aircraft aircraft
IRREGULAR VERB/NOUN AGREEMENT
Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.
Plural nouns used with a singular verb Sentence
news
The news is at 6.30 p.m.
athletics
Athletics is good for young people.
linguistics
Linguistics is the study of language.
darts
Darts is a popular game in England.
billiards
Billiards is played all over the world.
Some nouns have a fixed plural form and take a plural verb. They are not used in the singular, or they have a different meaning in the singular. Nouns like this include: trousers, jeans, glasses, savings, thanks, steps, stairs, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages, spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits
Plural noun with plural verb Sentence
trousers
My trousers are too tight.
jeans
Her jeans are black.
glasses
Those glasses are his.
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