ESL Helpful Handouts Page 1 of 5

Nouns
A Review Of Plural Spelling Changes

To make the plural form of

most nouns, add s to the
end of the word.

cup = cups

snake = snakes

.
ski = skis
(I am taking my new
skis pair of skis to the
to the mountains next
weekend.)

Add es to the end of a noun

that ends in s, x, z, ch, sh.

box = boxes

waltz = waltzes

match = matches

brush = brushes

This page has been downloaded from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S. Watson.

All Images: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.com. Image Acknowledgments: See page 5.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 2 of 5

Nouns
A Review Of Plural Spelling Changes

When a noun ends in a consonant and

y, drop the y and add ies.

city = cities

Add s to some nouns that

end in o .
kangaroo = kangaroos

Add es to some words

that end in o.
tomato = tomatoes

Some words that end in o form the plural by

adding either s or es to the end of the word.
• Ato
tornado = tornados
tornado = tornadoes

This page has been downloaded from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S. Watson.

All Images: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.com. Image Acknowledgments: See page 5.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 3 of 5

Nouns
A Review Of Plural Spelling Changes

Some nouns that end Some nouns that end

in f or fe, drop f or fe in f add s to form the
and add ves. plural.

loaf = loaves belief = beliefs

thief = thieves cliff = cliffs

Some nouns have irregular plural

forms without s.

man - men woman - women

child - children

goose - geese louse - lice

mouse - mice ox - oxen

This page has been downloaded from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S. Watson.

All Images: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.com. Image Acknowledgments: See page 5.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 4 of 5

Nouns
A Review Of Plural Spelling Changes

one shrimp two shrimp

Some nouns have the same
singular and plural form.
one series two series

Nouns borrowed
from other
languages such as
Latin or Greek,
have foreign plural
forms.
cactus = cacti
datum = data
index = indices
medium = media
stimulus = stimuli

This page has been downloaded from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S. Watson.

All Images: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.com. Image Acknowledgments: See page 5.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 5 of 5

Nouns
A Review Of Plural Spelling Changes
Write the plural noun in the blank.

1. (cup) Over half the adults in the United states drink at least two _______________ of coffee a day.

2. (kangaroo) _______________ are native to Australia.

3. (snake) The first time that I ever saw rattle _______________ was in Florida.

4. (thief) People who steal are called _______________.

5. (ski) Mike is taking his new ________________ to Colorado next month.

6. (series) A series is a group of similar things. Several groups are also called _______________.

7. (tornado) Some storms, including _______________ , cannot be forecast accurately.

8. (belief) Those politicians held different ________________ on the subject of the economy.

9. (box) Ellen received four _______________ of chocolate on Valentine’s Day.

10. (cliff) The bay is surrounded by towering _______________.

11. (child) This project encourages school ______________ to study science.

12. (waltz) I had hoped that she would save the last ________________ for me.

13. (louse) You can buy a lotion at the pharmacy that treat head _______________.

14. (match) ________________ catch fire by friction.

15. (brush) My grandfather liked to lather his beard with shaving _______________.

16. (city) I have visited all of the capitol ________________ of the countries in the European Union.

17. (tomato) Chop the _______________ into bite size pieces before you add them to the salad.

18. (loaf) How many _______________ of bread did you buy?

19. (stimulus) The optical illusions showed how the brain reacts to visual ________________.

20. (shrimp) The jumbo shrimp platter comes with 12 fried _______________ and 2 vegetables.

Image Acknowledgements: Salvatore Vuono, Karen Shaw, Tony Dowson, Adam Hickmot, Suat Eman, Mark Truman,
Felixo, Inc., Meiklejohn, Pixomar, George Stojkovie, Simon Howden, m-bartocsh.

This page has been downloaded from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S. Watson.

All Images: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.com. Image Acknowledgments: See page 5.