You have one pencil. Your friend has three pencils. One pencil is singular. Three pencils is plural.
Singular means one. Plural means more than one. When we talk about more than one thing, the word changes a little. Let us find out how!
Singular means only one: one book, one girl, one mango.
Plural means more than one: two books, three girls, five mangoes.
When we change a word from singular to plural, we usually change its ending.
For most words, we simply add -s at the end to make them plural.
| Singular (One) | Plural (Many) |
|---|---|
| book | books |
| pen | pens |
| cat | cats |
| ball | balls |
| tree | trees |
| flower | flowers |
When a word ends in s, sh, ch, x, or o, we add -es to make it plural.
| Ending | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| -s | bus | buses |
| -s | glass | glasses |
| -sh | brush | brushes |
| -sh | dish | dishes |
| -ch | bench | benches |
| -ch | watch | watches |
| -x | box | boxes |
| -o | mango | mangoes |
| -o | potato | potatoes |
Some words do not follow the -s or -es rule. They change in a special way. We call these irregular plurals. You need to remember them.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| man | men |
| woman | women |
| child | children |
| tooth | teeth |
| foot | feet |
| mouse | mice |
| goose | geese |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Singular | A word that means only one |
| Plural | A word that means more than one |
| Irregular plural | A plural that does not follow the -s or -es rule |
Singular-Plural Match: Write the plural form of each word and the rule you used (add -s, add -es, or irregular).
| Singular | Plural | Rule Used |
|---|---|---|
| pen | ||
| watch | ||
| woman | ||
| potato | ||
| tooth | ||
| ball | ||
| fox |
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You have one pencil. Your friend has three pencils. One pencil is singular. Three pencils is plural.
Singular means one. Plural means more than one. When we talk about more than one thing, the word changes a little. Let us find out how!
Singular means only one: one book, one girl, one mango.
Plural means more than one: two books, three girls, five mangoes.
When we change a word from singular to plural, we usually change its ending.
Think about it: Look at your hands. You have one hand -- that is singular. You have two hands -- that is plural!
For most words, we simply add -s at the end to make them plural.
| Singular (One) | Plural (Many) |
|---|---|
| book | books |
| pen | pens |
| cat | cats |
| ball | balls |
| tree | trees |
| flower | flowers |
When a word ends in s, sh, ch, x, or o, we add -es to make it plural.
| Ending | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| -s | bus | buses |
| -s | glass | glasses |
| -sh | brush | brushes |
| -sh | dish | dishes |
| -ch | bench | benches |
| -ch | watch | watches |
| -x | box | boxes |
| -o | mango | mangoes |
| -o | potato | potatoes |
Easy trick: Try saying "boxs" or "bushs." It sounds odd! That is why we add -es. It makes the word easier to say.
Some words do not follow the -s or -es rule. They change in a special way. We call these irregular plurals. You need to remember them.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| man | men |
| woman | women |
| child | children |
| tooth | teeth |
| foot | feet |
| mouse | mice |
| goose | geese |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Singular | A word that means only one |
| Plural | A word that means more than one |
| Irregular plural | A plural that does not follow the -s or -es rule |
Mother has one dish. She washes five dishes. (dish ends in -sh, so we add -es.)
There is one bench in the corner. There are ten benches in the classroom. (bench ends in -ch, so we add -es.)
One child is playing. Many children are playing in the park. (child does not become "childs" -- it becomes children.)
A. Write the Plural
B. Multiple Choice Questions
C. Short Answer Questions
Singular-Plural Match: Write the plural form of each word and the rule you used (add -s, add -es, or irregular).
| Singular | Plural | Rule Used |
|---|---|---|
| pen | ||
| watch | ||
| woman | ||
| potato | ||
| tooth | ||
| ball | ||
| fox |