Most common nouns other than
qualities or ideas have both singular and plural forms. Therefore, it is
important to learn how to convert a singular noun to a plural noun. The
following are the rules to change singular nouns to plural nouns.
A.
Add “s” to a singular noun for all nouns except as noted below. For
example: desk → desks.
B.
Add “es” to a singular noun when the noun ends in -s, -sh, -ch, -o or
-x. For example:
class → classes
brush → brushes
match → matches
potato → potatoes
tax → taxes
C.
Remove the “y” and add “ies” to a singular noun ending in -y where the
-y is preceded by a consonant. For example:
baby → babies
story → stories
However, when the -y is preceded by a vowel, only add -s. For example:
toy → toys
valley → valleys
D.
Some nouns look plural but are singular. For example: physics, news,
politics, tongs.
E.
Some nouns are irregular. They do not follow any of the rules above.
Irregular nouns can be made plural by changing or adding one or a few letters
to them. For example:
man → men
child → children
Some irregular nouns are exactly the same as singular and plural. For example:
moose → moose
fish → fish