Plurals: friends, buses, babies

One thing is singular: a cat. Two or more things are plural: two cats. For most words you just add -s. A few patterns change that, and a short list of words do their own thing. The colour shows the plural part.

One and more than one: add -s

This is the big rule. Most words just add -s.

• I have one brother and two sisters. (more than one sister)
• Ben has three cats. (three, so -s)

12

1. 1one apple
2. 2three apples

One apple. More than one: add -s.

Use the plural after any number more than one, and after many and some:

• many books (a lot of them)
• some apples (a few, not one)

A word for one thing usually needs a or an: a book. A plural does not: books (not a books).

Add -es after s, x, ch and sh

These words end in a hissing sound. Only -s is hard to say, so we add -es. It makes a new beat: bus, bus-es.

• Two buses go to the city. (bus-es: two beats)

Some words in -o add -es too: potatoes, tomatoes. But many add only -s: photos, radios. There is no rule here: learn them one by one.

Consonant + y becomes -ies

Look at the letter before the y. A consonant (b, d, t and so on)? Take away the y and add -ies.

A vowel (a, e, i, o, u) before the y? Just add -s.

• She has two boys. (o before y: just -s)
• We went to three parties. (t before y: -ies)

Two boies is a common spelling mistake with plurals.