Guidelines for Forming Singular and Plural Nouns
This collection provides clear guidelines for forming singular and plural nouns, including adding "-s", "-y endings, and "-ies". It also covers exceptions, proper nouns, and tips on pluralizing certain words. Learn when to add "-es", double consonants, or when a false pronunciation might occur.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Writing Lab Singular and Plural Nouns
Plural and s To form the plural of most nouns, add -s: Singular Ski Guru miser Banana Menu Encyclopedia Breakfast Plural skis gurus misers bananas menus encyclopedias breakfasts
Plural and -y Endings To form the plural of a noun ending in y preceded by vowel, add only an s. Singular Plural Key keys Ploy ploys Birthday birthdays Jersey jerseys
Plurals, -y endings, and -ies To form the plural of a noun ending in y preceded by a consonant, change the y to I and add es. Singular Plural Country countries Spy spies Dictionary dictionaries
EXCEPTION: To form the plural of proper nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant, just add an s. the Kennedys the Bradys the Cosbys two hot Julys
For s, -sh, -ch, -z, or x, add es: To form the plural of a noun ending in s, -sh, -ch, - z, or x, add es: Singular Plural Fax faxes Bonus bonuses Atlas atlases Leash leashes Watch watches Tax taxes
Double the final consonant Double the final consonant of one-syllable words ending in a single s or z preceded by vowel: Singular Plural Bus buses or busses Quiz quizzes
Proper nouns ending in s, -sh, ch, -z, and x Proper nouns ending in s, -sh, ch, -z, and x also form their plurals with an es: the Joneses the Harrises the Willises two Gladyses in my class the Hirsches the Martinezes
False Pronunciation Don t add es to a proper noun ending in s if the additional inflection creates a false pronunciation: two Mercedes, not two Mercedeses.
Dictionaries Spelling Dictionaries may differ in their spelling of words ending in o: Singular Plural Tornado tornadoes or tornados Memento mementos or mementoes Halo halos or haloes Mosquito mosquitoes
Ending in o and Preceded by a Vowel To form the plural of a noun ending in o preceded by a vowel, add an s: Singular Plural Stereo stereos Rodeo rodeos Shampoo shampoos Radio radios
Nouns Ending in o and Preceded by a Consonant To form the plural of some nouns ending in o preceded by a consonant, add s: Singular Plural Taco tacos Photo photos Ghetto ghettos Embryo embryos Piano pianos
Nouns Ending in o and Preceded by a Consonant cont. To form the plural of some nouns ending in o preceded by a consonant, add es: Singular Plural Potato potatoes Veto vetoes
Plurals cont. 1 To form the plural of some words ending in f or fe, add s only; to others, change the f to v and add es: Singular Plural Belief beliefs Roof roofs Sheriff sheriffs Tiff tiffs Half halves Leaf leaves Life lives Shelf shelves Dwarf dwarfs or dwarves Scarf scarfs or scarves
Irregular Ways Some nouns form their plurals in irregular ways: Singular Plural ox oxen Child children Man men Woman women Die dice Mouse mice
Change the Last Element To form the plural of some compound nouns, change the last element of the compound: Singular Plural a three-year-old handful cease-fire madman three-year-olds handfuls cease-fires madmen
Most Important With other compound nouns, change the form of the word that s clearly the most important: Singular Plural statute of limitations statutes of limitations mother-in-law mothers-in-law rule of thumb rules of thumb passer-by passers-by runner-up runners-up bill of sale bills of sale poet laureate poets laureates court martial court martials attorney general attorneys general or attorney generals
Foreign Words Change Nouns derived from foreign words change their spelling altogether: Singular Alumnus Alumna Crisis Analysis Nucleus Parenthesis Medium Criterion Basis Memorandum Syllabus Bacterium Opus Plural alumni alumnae crises analyses nuclei parentheses media criteria bases memorandums or memoranda syllabuses or syllabi bacteria opera
Some nouns dont change their form. species corps salmon series status hiatus salmon deer sheep means Chinese
Plurals cont. 2 To form the plural of symbols, letters, and words, add an apostrophe and s: four S s in the word Mississippi no if s, and s, or but s
Thats all, folks! This lesson is part of the UWF Writing Lab Grammar Mini-Lesson Series Lessons adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon To find out more, visit the Writing Lab s website where you can take a self-scoring quiz corresponding to this lesson
