Plurals: -s, -es and -ies

A plural means more than one. Most nouns just add ⟦-s⟧, but the ending of the word decides: some add ⟦-es⟧, and words ending in a consonant and ⟦y⟧ change the ⟦y⟧ to ⟦ies⟧.

Key facts

  • Most nouns add ⟦-s⟧: ⟦cat → cats⟧, ⟦book → books⟧.
  • Nouns ending in ⟦s⟧, ⟦x⟧, ⟦z⟧, ⟦ch⟧ or ⟦sh⟧ add ⟦-es⟧: ⟦box → boxes⟧, ⟦dish → dishes⟧, ⟦watch → watches⟧. You can hear the extra syllable.
  • A consonant then ⟦y⟧: change ⟦y⟧ to ⟦i⟧ and add ⟦-es⟧: ⟦baby → babies⟧, ⟦city → cities⟧.
  • A vowel then ⟦y⟧: just add ⟦-s⟧: ⟦boy → boys⟧, ⟦day → days⟧.
  • Some nouns ending in ⟦o⟧ add ⟦-es⟧: ⟦tomato → tomatoes⟧, ⟦hero → heroes⟧; others add ⟦-s⟧: ⟦piano → pianos⟧, ⟦photo → photos⟧.

Worked examples

Example 1

Write the plural of ⟦bus⟧.

  1. ⟦Bus⟧ ends in ⟦s⟧.
  2. Words ending in ⟦s⟧, ⟦x⟧, ⟦z⟧, ⟦ch⟧ or ⟦sh⟧ add ⟦-es⟧.
  3. ⟦bus → buses⟧

Answer: ⟦buses⟧

Example 2

Write the plural of ⟦story⟧.

  1. ⟦Story⟧ ends in ⟦y⟧, and the letter before it, ⟦r⟧, is a consonant.
  2. Change ⟦y⟧ to ⟦i⟧ and add ⟦-es⟧.
  3. ⟦story → stories⟧

Answer: ⟦stories⟧

Example 3

Write the plural of ⟦key⟧.

  1. ⟦Key⟧ ends in ⟦y⟧, but the letter before it, ⟦e⟧, is a vowel.
  2. A vowel then ⟦y⟧: just add ⟦-s⟧.
  3. ⟦key → keys⟧

Answer: ⟦keys⟧