This document discusses types of plurals in English and the different ways nouns form their plural forms. It outlines the main rules for regular plurals formed by adding -s, -es, or -ies. It also discusses irregular plurals that are formed in other ways, such as changing the internal vowel or ending of the word. Some nouns are also pluralia tantum, meaning they have the same form for both singular and plural. The document provides many examples for each rule to illustrate how different nouns follow the various patterns for forming their plural forms in English.

1. By: Roshan Lal Kumawat

2. TYPE
1. Singular: the number which denotes one
person or thing
2. Plural: the number which denotes more than
one person or things
1. Regular Plural
2. Irregular Plural

3. Ways of forming plural
Regular Plural
1. The majority of Nouns, form plural by
addition of -s
Table Tables
Chair Chairs
Boy Boys
Girl Girls
Desk Desks
Book Books

4. Contd…
2. Noun ending in -s, -sh, -ch(soft), -x or -z, by the
addition of -es
Gas Gases
Dish Dishes
Branch Branches
Bush Bushes
Church Churches
Monarch
Monarches
Stomach( Ch isn't soft here) Stomachs

5. Contd…
3. Noun ending in -y, preceded by a consonant form
plurals by changing -y into -ies.
Story Stories
City Cities
Lily Lilies
If -y is preceded by a vowel then it is usual to add -s to
singular
Valley
Valleys
Key Keys
Boy Boys

6. Contd…
4. Noun ending in -o preceded by a consonant,
generally form the plural verb by addition of -es.
Tomato Tomatoes
Potato Potatoes
Hero Heroes
Some scientific or technical words borrowed from Latin
have only -s added to them:
Dynamo Dynamos
Memento Mementos

7. Contd…
5. Noun ending with -O, preceded by vowel,
form the plural by addition of -s:
Radio Radios
Studio Studios
Folio Folios
Bamboo Bamboos
Zoo Zoos

8. Irregular Number
6. Noun ending with -f, -fe form p;lural by
changing -f or -fe into -ves:
Calf Calves
Leaf Leaves
Half Halves
Knife Knives
Life Lives
Wife Wives

9. Exception:
1. Safe, Fife, Strife and Cafe form the plural by
adding -s:
Safe Safes
Fife Fifes
Cafe Cafes

10. Contd…
2. Noun ending with -ff, -rf, -oof, -eef and some noun
ending with -f and -ief generally forms plural by adding
-s:
Proof Proofs
Roof Roofs
Cliff Cliffs
Dwarf Dwarfs
Scarf Scarfs or scarves
Staff Staffs or Staves
Wharf Wharfs or Wharves

11. Contd…
3. Few noun form their plural by changing their
internal vowel:
Mouse Mice
Man Men
Foot Feet
Tooth Teeth

12. Contd…
4. Compound noun form plural by using plural
of the principal word:
Brother-in-law Brothers-in-law
Passer-by Passers-by
Man-of-war Men-of-war
There are few compound noun which takes
double plural:
Man-servant Men-servants
Woman-student Women-students

13. Zero Plural
The noun which has same singular and plural:
We caught only a few fish(plural)
The Bengalis eat fish(singular)
The fishes of the river are very large