Nouns
Plurals, countable vs uncountable nouns and the possessive case.
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing or idea. Most English nouns form their plural by adding -s (book → books), but nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x or -o usually add -es (box → boxes, watch → watches). A noun ending in a consonant + y changes the y to i and adds -es (city → cities), and many nouns ending in -f or -fe change to -ves (leaf → leaves, knife → knives). Some nouns are irregular and change their whole form (child → children, man → men, foot → feet, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice, person → people), while a few stay the same in the plural (sheep, fish, deer). Nouns are also either countable, which can be counted and made plural and take many, few or a number, or uncountable, which cannot be counted, have no plural and take much or little (information, advice, water, money, furniture). We show ownership with the possessive case: add 's to a singular noun (the boy's book), only an apostrophe to a regular plural ending in -s (the boys' books), and 's to an irregular plural (the children's toys). For example: the plural of 'baby' is 'babies' (consonant + y → -ies), and we say 'the women's room' because 'women' is an irregular plural that does not end in -s.
Key terms
| Rule | Singular → Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Add -s | book → books | dog → dogs, pen → pens |
| Add -es after -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o | box → boxes | watch → watches, bus → buses, tomato → tomatoes |
| Consonant + y → -ies | city → cities | baby → babies, country → countries |
| -f / -fe → -ves | leaf → leaves | knife → knives, wife → wives |
| Irregular (form changes) | child → children | man → men, foot → feet, mouse → mice |
| Unchanged in the plural | sheep → sheep | fish → fish, deer → deer |
| Noun type | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular noun | 's | the boy's book, my sister's car |
| Regular plural ending in -s | only ' | the boys' books |
| Irregular plural (no final -s) | 's | the children's room, the women's coats |
- 1Look at the ending: 'city' ends in a consonant (t) + y, so the simple -s rule does not apply.
- 2Apply the rule: For a consonant + y, change the y to i and add -es.
- 3Answer: city → cities (not citys or cityes).
- 1Read the clue: 'These are the ___ books.' tells us there is more than one boy.
- 2Pick the rule: 'boys' is a regular plural ending in -s, so we add only an apostrophe.
- 3Answer: the boys' books — for one boy it would be the boy's book.
Do not add -s to an irregular plural. 'children', 'feet', 'men', 'women', 'mice' and 'teeth' are already plural, so 'childrens', 'feets', 'mens', 'womens', 'mices' and 'teeths' are wrong.
Uncountable nouns have no plural and take no -s. Write 'some useful advice' and 'some new furniture', never 'advices' or 'furnitures'.
Use 'many' and 'few' with countable nouns (How many books?, a few apples) but 'much' and 'little' with uncountable nouns (much water, little free time).
An apostrophe shows possession, not a plural. 'boy's' is one boy, 'boys'' is more than one boy, and plain 'boys' is just a plural with no ownership.
Rules
- 1Regular plurals add -s, or -es after -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o (boxes, watches); consonant + y becomes -ies (city → cities); many -f/-fe become -ves (leaf → leaves).
- 2Irregular plurals change form: child → children, man → men, woman → women, foot → feet, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice, person → people.
- 3Some nouns are unchanged in the plural: sheep, fish, deer.
- 4Uncountable nouns (information, advice, water, money, furniture) have no plural and take much/little; countable nouns take many/few and a number.
- 5Possessive case: singular adds 's (the boy's book), regular plural adds only ' (the boys' books), irregular plural adds 's (the children's room).
Practice
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