eight key rules for forming plurals in English grammar
Standard Rule: Add -s to most nouns.– Example: cat → cats, book → books
Nouns ending in -s, -x, -z, -ch, or -sh: Add -es.– Example: bus → buses, box → boxes, church → churches
Nouns ending in a consonant + y: Change the y to i and add -es.– Example: baby → babies, city → cities
Nouns ending in a vowel + y: Simply add -s.– Example: boy → boys, day → days
Nouns ending in -f or -fe: Change the f to v and add -es.– Example: leaf → leaves, wife → wives– Note: Some exceptions simply add -s: roof → roofs, belief → beliefs
Irregular nouns: These nouns have unique plural forms.– Example: child → children, man → men, mouse → mice
Nouns ending in -o: Add -es for some nouns and -s for others.– Example: potato → potatoes, hero → heroes (add -es)– Example: photo → photos, piano → pianos (add -s)
Compound nouns: Pluralize the principal word.– Example: mother-in-law → mothers-in-law, passerby → passersby