Fun Grammar Lessons

Regular &
Irregular Plural
Nouns
1 Grammar Notes 2

2 Regular Plurals 5

3 Irregular Plurals 6

4 Find the Error 7

5 Multiple-Choice 8

6 Interview Your Partner 9

A Answer Key 10

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. (VERSION 1
1.1)
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

1 Grammar Notes
A. Introduction
A noun is a person, place, or thing.

A singular noun is 1 person, place, or thing.

a book an apple 1 tree

A plural noun is 2 or more people, places, or things.

In English, the plural is usually formed by adding -s to a noun.

books apples 2 trees

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 2
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

1 Grammar Notes cont.

B. Regular Plural Nouns

Let’s take a closer look at how to
form regular plural nouns in
English.

Nouns Rule Singular Plural

• banana • bananas
• flower • flowers
most nouns add -s • toy • toys
• dog • dogs
• table • tables

• candy • candies
nouns ending in change -y to -i
• butterfly • butterflies
consonant + -y and add -es
• puppy • puppies

• kiss • kisses
• waltz • waltzes
nouns ending in
add -es • box • boxes
-s, -z, -x, -ch, -sh
• watch • watches
• dish • dishes

• potato • potatoes
nouns ending in -o add -es
• tomato • tomatoes

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 3
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

1 Grammar Notes cont.

C. Irregular Plural Nouns

Some nouns in English have irregular plural forms.
This means we can’t add -s. Instead, there’s a
change to the ending or middle of a word. Let’s take
a closer look at how to form irregular plural nouns
in English.

Nouns Rule Singular Plural

nouns ending change -f to -v • wolf • wolves

in -f and add -es • leaf • leaves

nouns ending change -fe to -ve • knife • knives

in -fe and add -s • life • lives

nouns ending • cactus • cacti

change -us to -i
in -us • syllabus • syllabi

nouns with • man • men

a middle -
change -a- to -e-
• woman • women Note:
a- Not all nouns with the middle vowels -a-,
carcars
boothbooths
nouns with • tooth • teeth
change -oo- to -ee- househouses
a middle -oo- • foot • feet

nouns with change -ou- to -i- • mouse • mice

a middle -ou- and change -s- to -c- • louse • lice

• child • children
word change
• person • people

• deer • deer
no change
• fish • fish

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 4
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

2 Regular Plurals
Write the regular plural form of each noun in brackets.

Ex My favorite meal is steak and potatoes .

(potato)

1 She got a lot of new for her birthday.

(toy)

2 How many are in that bowl?

(candy)

3 I own 3 .
(watch)

4 How many do we need at the table?

(chair)

5 They have 3 .
(dog)

6 He grows in his garden.

(tomato)

7 There are 4 on the bed.

(pillow)

8 Do you have 2 ?
(sister)

9 We want to buy some .

(T-shirt)

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 5
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

3 Irregular Plurals
Write the irregular plural form of each noun in brackets.

Ex There are 5 women on the bus.

(woman)

1 That man has smelly .

(foot)

2 How many do they have?

(child)

3 Are you scared of ?

(mouse)

4 I spent all afternoon raking the .

(leaf)

5 The in that family all have brown hair.

(man)

6 There are many at the beach today.

(person)

7 Be careful with those . They are very sharp.

(knife)

8 Look at all the in the park!

(deer)

9 She loves the that grow along the desert

highway.
(cactus)

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 6
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

4 Find the Error

Find one error in each sentence.
Rewrite the sentences with the correct plural forms.

1 There are a lot of sheeps in that field.

2 Persons say that this class is difficult.

3 Do you do the dishs every night?

4 There are 6 rose in that bouquet.

5 I have a lot of bookes in my bookshelf.

6 They said they have happy life.

7 She brushes her tooth every morning.

8 We like catching butterflys in the summer.

9 He became friends with a pack of wolfs in that movie.

10 There were many man and women at the concert.

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 7
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

5 Multiple-Choice
Circle the correct plural form.

Ex We have 2 dogs and 5 My cat caught many last year.

3 at our house.
a) mouses c) mouse
a) cat c) cate b) mices d) mice
b) cates d) cats
6 My dad always buys my
1 I packed my old clothes into . mom for her birthday.
a) box c) boxes a) floweres c) flowers
b) boxs d) boxses b) flowere d) flower

2 The police didn’t catch the 2 . 7 Do you like to eat

a) thief c) thieve that are mashed or
b) thiefs d) thieves roasted?
a) potatoe c) potatos
3 She brought 3 of bread to b) potatoes d) potato
make sandwiches for the
picnic. 8 There are a lot of in the park.
a) loaves c) loafs a) goose c) gooses
b) loafes d) loave b) geese d) geeses

4 My grandma gives me a lot 9 My neighbors have

of when she comes to visit. 3 in the driveway.

a) kisess c) kiss a) cars c) cares

b) kises d) kisses b) care d) car

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 8
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

6 Interview Your Partner

Ask your partner these questions, and write his or her
answers on the lines below. Pay attention to plural noun
forms when you answer your partner’s questions.

1 How many people are in your family?

2 What are your hobbies?

3 Do you have any pets?

4 What are 2 of your favorite movies?

5 What are some of your favorite books?

6 Are you afraid of mice?

7 Do you like to eat potatoes? How about tomatoes?

8 Do you brush your teeth twice a day?

9 Do you wash the dishes after dinner?

10 Do you usually get a lot of toys on your birthday?

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 9
 Regular & Irregular Plural
Nouns

A Answer Key
2 Regular Plurals 6 Interview Your Partner
1. toys Answers will vary.
4. chairs 7. pillows
2. candies Monitor your students for correct plural forms.
5. dogs 8. sisters
3. watches
6. tomatoes 9. T-shirts

Spelling Note:
3 Irregular Plurals This lesson shows the American spelling of the words Favorit
the alternate spellings.
1. feet 4. leaves 7. knives
2. children 5. men 8. deer
3. mice 6. people 9. cacti

4 Find the Error

1. There are a lot of sheep in that field.
2. People say that this class is difficult.
3. Do you do the dishes every night? Editor’s Note:
4. There are 6 roses in that bouquet. For more practice with singular and plural nouns, try our oth
Articles: A, An, The
5. I have a lot of books in my bookshelf.
There Is / There Are
6. They said they have happy lives.
7. She brushes her teeth every morning.
8. We like catching butterflies in the summer.
9. He became friends with
a pack of wolves in that movie.
10. There were many men and women at the concert.

5 Multiple-Choice
1. c 3. a 5. d 7. b 9. a
2. d 4. d 6. c 8. b

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. 1