Plurals: -s, -es and -ies · Year 2
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.
Answer: buses
Example 2
Write the plural of story.
Answer: stories
Example 3
Write the plural of key.
Answer: keys