Adding the suffixes s, es, ies, ed, ied, ing

Lesson

Adding s or es to nouns makes them plurals

Rules

Adding s

One pen, two or more pens

One dog, two or more dogs

Adding es

Where the singular forms [base words] end in s or ss, ch, x, sh or z; add es Bench--benches, glass --glasses, bush -- bushes, box -- boxes, quiz -- quizzes, exception: where ch says k add s as in stomach - -stomachs

Adding s or es

Words ending in o; do we add s or es?

Where a word ends in o preceded by a vowel, it is usual to add s.

Examples/Word List

radio -- radios, video -- videos, stereo -- stereos

Where a word ends in o preceded by a consonant add s or es (rule not constant; note the difference and remember the difference or check the dictionary)

Examples/Word List

photo -- photos, piano -- pianos zero -- zeroes, studio -- studios silo -- siloes tomato -- tomatoes, potato -- potatoes, volcano -- volcanoes, mosquito -- mosquitoes

Adding ies or s to words that end in y

Where a word ends in y preceded by a consonant, change the final y to ies.

Examples/Word List

baby -- babies, lady --ladies, bakery -- bakeries, battery -- batteries

Adding s to a word where y is preceded by a vowel. Add s without changing y.

Examples/Word List

monkey -- monkeys, key -- keys, boy -- boys

Adding es to words ending in f or fe

Where a word ends in f or fe, change the f or fe to ves (that is f to v + es and fe to ve +s)

Examples/Word List

wife -- wives, leaf -- leaves, knife -- knives, shelf -- shelves

Exceptions to the rule: roof -- roofs, safe -- safes, belief -- beliefs, chief -- chiefs

[Positioning the various suffixes]

Select the correct plural of the following words.