Pluralizing Nouns

Making

Singular Nouns Plural

Language Arts:

Grammar and Spelling

Grades 5 and 6

Monday, August 28, 2023

Slidehood.com

In this lesson we will:

● State what singular and

plural nouns are

● Discuss the rules for

pluralizing nouns

● Apply rules to correctly

spell plural nouns

Slidehood.com

Objectives

What are common

nouns?

What are proper nouns?

Slidehood.com

What are singular

nouns?

What are plural nouns?

Slidehood.com

“In English and many other languages, nouns
have number.

When a noun refers to a single person, thing or
idea, we say it is singular in number.

When a noun refers to more than one person,
thing or idea, we say it is plural in number.”

Source: New Junior English Revised

Slidehood.com

In English most nouns form their plurals
by adding -s or -es. There are rules to
apply so that we can spell all plural nouns
correctly. Today, we will study six of these
pluralization rules.

Slidehood.com

​Let's watch a video which presents rules for pluralizing nouns.

Slidehood.com

Let’s examine

each pluralization

rule.

Slidehood.com

Add -s to the singular

Examples:

● girl - girls
● table - tables
● mongoose - mongooses
● flower - flowers
● school - schools

Slidehood.com

Rule # 1

Add -es to nouns ending with -s,
-ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z

Examples:

● bus - buses
● success - successes
● brush - brushes
● stitch - stitches
● box - boxes

Slidehood.com

Rule # 2

For nouns ending with -y, if
there is a consonant before
the -y, change the y to i then
add -es

Examples:

● berry - berries
● company - companies
● city - cities
● family - families
● mystery - mysteries

Slidehood.com

Rule # 3

It’s time to practice!

To complete each sentence below, choose the correctly spelled plural noun.

Slidehood.com

Multiple Choice

There are lovely, ripe _________ on the tree.

• cherrys

• cherries

• cherryes

Multiple Choice

Mom purchased two _________ for my twin sister because they fussed too much about the one they shared.

• brushies

• brushes

• brushs

Multiple Choice

At the zoo, I admired the ________ as they lazed on the hillside.

• foxies

• foxs

• foxes

Multiple Choice

There were so many beautiful _______ at the store, my sister could not decide which one she should get.

• dresses

• dressies

• dresiess

Multiple Choice

The three sewing _________ were damaged in the flood.

• machinies

• machineses

• machines

Multiple Choice

Ten _________ in the community lost their homes in the hurricane.

• familys

• families

• familyes

​Let's look at three more rules!

Add -s to nouns ending with -y,
if there is a vowel before the -y.

Examples:

● key - keys
● kidney - kidneys
● donkey - donkeys
● holiday - holidays
● journey - journeys

Slidehood.com

Rule # 4

For some nouns ending with -f,
change the f to v, then add -es

Examples:

● leaf - leaves
● thief - thieves
● shelf - shelves
● calf - calves
● half - halves

There are a few nouns ending with
-f that do not follow this rule. For
such nouns, just add -s. chiefs and
hoofs are examples.

Slidehood.com

Rule # 5

For

nouns

ending

with

-fe,

change the fe to v, then add -es

Examples:

● wife- wives
● knife - knives
● life - lives

Slidehood.com

Rule # 6

It’s time to practice!

Choose the correctly spelled plural noun to complete each sentence below.

Slidehood.com

Multiple Choice

We saw a herd of __________ galloping across the fields.

• donkeys

• donkeyes

• donkies

Multiple Choice

The women made over a thousand ________ of bread for the church's community service outreach program.

• loafes

• loafs

• loaves

Multiple Choice

Two ___________ merged and bought the land to construct a clothing factory.

• companies

• companyes

• companys

Multiple Choice

Three _________ were installed in the cupboard which stores our Bibles and Hymnals.

• shelfs

• shelves

• shelfes

Multiple Choice

On the Cross, Jesus was hung between two ___________.

• thiefs

• thiefes

• thieves

Multiple Choice

The cow had two _________, and dad was happy that his cattle herd was growing.

• calves

• calfs

• calfes

​Did you understand all the pluralization rules? If there is a rule or rules you still do not understand? Please explain what you need your teacher to clarify.

Open Ended

Which rule do you want your teacher to explain some more?