English count nouns have singular and plural forms. Typically, these nouns are formed by adding –s or –es. Words that end in –ch, –sh, or –s usually require the addition of –es to form the plural. Atypical plurals are formed in various ways, such as those shown in the following table.
|
Singular Nouns |
Plural Nouns |
|
dog |
dogs (-s added) |
|
table |
tables (-s added) |
|
peach |
peaches (-es added) |
|
wish |
wishes (-es added) |
|
kiss |
kisses (-es added) |
|
man |
men (atypical) |
|
sheep |
sheep (atypical) |
|
tooth |
teeth (atypical) |
|
child |
children (atypical) |
|
alumnus |
alumni (atypical) |
|
leaf |
leaves (atypical) |
Proper nouns are typically either singular or plural. Plural proper nouns usually have no singular form, and singular proper nouns usually have no plural form.
|
Singular Proper Nouns |
Plural Proper Nouns |
|
Kentucky |
Sawtooth Mountains |
|
Alex |
The Everglades |
Noncount nouns typically have only one form that is basically a singular form. To quantify them, you can add a preceding phrase.
|
Noncount Nouns |
Sentences with Noncount Nouns and Quantifying Phrases |
|
gas |
We put twelve gallons of gas in the car this morning. |
|
anguish |
After years of anguish, he finally found happiness. |
Adapted from Appendix A, “Writing for Nonnative English Speakers” in Writer’s Handbook v 1.0 used according to Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0