Rules for Irregular Plural Formation of Nouns
Variations of the final -s rule:
- Nouns that end with -s, -z, -x, -sh, -ch
Add -es
glass/glasses, buzz/buzzes, box/boxes, bush/bushes,
switch/switches
- Nouns that end in -o
Add -es
potato/potatoes, echo/echoes, hero/heroes
exceptions: studio/studios, piano/pianos, kangaroo/kangaroos,
zoo/zoos
either: buffalo/buffalo(e)s, cargo/cargo(e)s,
motto/motto(e)s,
volcano/volcano(e)s
- Nouns that end in a consonant + -y
Change -y to -i and add -es
baby/babies, spy/spies, poppy/poppies
- Nouns that end in -f, or -fe
Change the -f to -v and
add -es
shelf/shelves, wolf/wolves, knife/knives, wife/wives
Nouns adopted from other languages:
- Singular ends in -is
Plural ends in -es analysis/analyses,
basis/bases
- Singular ends in -um
Plural ends in –a datum/data, curriculum/curricula
- Singular ends in -on
Plural ends in criterion/criteria,
phenomenon/phenomena
- Singular ends in -a
Plural ends in -ae formula/formulae,
antenna/antennae
- Singular ends in -ex or -ix
Plural ends in -ices appendix/appendices,
index/indices
- Singular ends in -us
Plural ends in -i focus/foci,
stimulus/stimuli
- Singular ends in -us
Plural ends in corpus/corpora,
genus/genera
- Singular ends in -eau
Plural ends in -eaux bureau/ bureaux , beau/beaux
Nouns that have only a plural form and
so take a plural verb
- Things that come in pairs
Tools: glasses, scissors, binoculars, forceps,
tongs, tweezers
Clothes: jeans, pants, pajamas, shorts, trousers
- Nouns that end in -s but have no
singular (aggregate nouns)
accommodations, amends, archives, arms (weapons),
bowels, intestines,
brains (intellect), clothes, communications,
congratulations, contents,
stairs, thanks, goods
- Nouns that are plural but do not end in -s
people, police, cattle, people
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