Lecture Extras:The Final 'S'

Following on from today's class, here are some general rules from factmonster.com for spelling plural nouns.

For most words in the English language, all you have to do to make a plural is to add an 's' to the end of the word. So:

a table one cake a planet

becomes becomes becomes

two tables three cakes many planets

If the word has a consonant before the final 'y' then the plural ends with 'ies':

bully pony canary

becomes becomes becomes

bullies ponies canaries

If the word has a vowel before the final y then you just add an 's':

day delay survey

becomes becomes becomes

days delays surveys

That said, factmonster.com notes:

• that certain English nouns change a vowel sound when they become plural. [eg. goose, geese; man, men; mouse, mice; and tooth, teeth].
  
• some nouns don't change at all when they become plural [eg. deer, fish, sheep, and species]; and,
  
• A few nouns have plural forms that are left from Old English. e.g. child, children and ox, oxen].

Find below links to some information on the spelling of plural nouns from factmonster.com and spelling.hemscott.net; and some quizzes from grammar-quizzes.com and usingenglish.com.

Links:
1. Spelling Plural Nouns [factmonster.com]
2. The Spelling of Plural Words [spelling.hemscott.net]
3. Editing Nouns and Verbs for Final -S / -ES [grammar-quizzes.com]
4. Spelling Plural Nouns [usingenglish.com]