Imagine what it would be like if English words had a simple rule like just and an s to form the plural of nouns.
shut up + s = shut up
goose + s = geese
dress + s = dresses
appendix + s = appendices
chassis + s = chassiss
madness + s = madness
Mississippi + s = Mississippis
quiz + s = quizzes
body + s = bodies
axis + s = axis
Perhaps it would have been better to add the number 2 along with the plus sign (+).
bird + 2+ = bird2 + (birds)
22 + 2+ = 222+ (22 or 22 years old)
tutu + 2+ = tutu2 + (tutus)
Maybe the ampersand (&) attached to the end of any word would be a good sign that the word is plural.
crutch + & = crutch & (crutches)
accessory + & = accessory & (accessories)
psychosis + & = psychosis & (psychosis)
Perhaps simply doubling the last letter of the word could be a plural indicator.
teepee + e = teepee (teepees)
tipi + i = tipii (teepees)
pi + i = pii (pi’s)
mall + l = malll (shopping centers)
rally + y = rallyy
x + x = xx (xs or xs)
logo + o = logoo (logos)
zoo + o = zooo (zoos)
What is the best way to form the plural of nouns? Nobody knows what is best, but this is what we have to work with.
Rules for forming plurals of nouns:
1. In most cases, add a s to the noun to form the plural.
bone + s = bones
truck + s = trucks
ammonia + s = ammonia
appointment + s = appointments
2. If the noun ends with -sh, -ch, -s, -z, gold -X, add is to form the plural.
brush + es = brushes
plate + is = plates
church + is = churches
access + is = access
tax + es = taxes
adz + es = adzes (for this preferred spelling)
3. If the noun ends in and preceded by a consonant, change the and for I and add is.
false (change the y) phoni + es = phonies
colony (change the y) coloni + es = colonies
cry (change the y) cry + is = cry
bunny (change the y) + es = bunnies
4. If the noun ends in and preceded by a vocal, just add a s.
honey + s = honeys
turkey + s = turkeys
lawyer + s = lawyers
But, some words don’t follow the rules:
money + s = money or money (drop the hey) + ies = money
colloquium (drop the and) + ies = colloquia
5. Some words that end in s it does not change at all except in pronunciation.
chassis / chassis / becomes chassis / chaseez /
corps / kor / becomes corps / korz /
6. Nouns ending in –F gold –faith change the -F gold -faith for –you see.
the shelf becomes shelves
knife turns into knives
wife becomes wives
half becomes halves
7. Nouns ending in -or preceded by a consonant add -is to form the plural
potato + is = potatoes
tomato + is = tomatoes
no + is + no
But, some words don’t obey the rules:
piano (and other musical terms) just add a s to make pianos (not pianos).
command just add s (commands) or is (commands) [your choice]
8. Nouns ending in -or preceded by a vocal add only one s.
leo + s = leos
study + s = studies
oil + s = oils
adagio + s + adagios
9. Some words just change letters internally to form the plural.
foot becomes feet
the woman becomes a woman
man becomes man
the goose becomes geese (Goal, mongoose becomes mygeese don’t mongeese.)
10. Some nouns don’t change at all.
deer (singular) deer (plural)
series (singular) series (plural)
headquarters (singular) headquarters (plural)
carne de res (singular) carne de res (plural) sometimes Beeves
fish (singular) fish (plural) [one kind]
fish (singular) fish (plural) [different kinds]
Chinese (singular) Chinese (plural)
11. Some words form their plural according to their preferred spelling.
az + es = adzes; goal, adze + s = adzes
12. Some plurals are preserved according to the rules of their original language.
agendum (Latin, singular)
agenda (Latin plural often used as singular in English)
agendas (plural anglicized according to English rules)
focus (Latin, singular)
foci (Latin, plural) or foci (English app)
appendix (Latin, singular)
appendices (Latin, plural) or appendices
former student (Latin, masc. sing.)
alumni (Latin, masc. plural)
alumna (Latin, female song)
alumnae (Latin, fem. plural)
cilium (Latin, neuter, to sing)
cilios (Latin, neuter, plural)
gender (Latin, neuter, sing.)
genres (Latin, neuter, plural)
13. Some words are always plural.
chitterlings or chitlins
semolina (unless you’ve only tried one grain and opted not to try another)
14. The pluralization of compound words has its own method or insanity. Add the s toward hand compound word.
father-in-law (add to the word father) father-in-law
commander-in-chief (add y to commander) commanders-in-chief
15. Pluralization of letters, numbers, symbols and no nouns used as nouns vary. Capital letters without the period may be italicized or underlined, while the s not italicized. Capital letters used as nouns simply add the s.
two two
DC
Ph.D. Ph.D.’s
747 747 or 747
ABC ABC
R Rs (the three Rs)
aa’s
AA‘s
6 6 or 6
16. Some words have different meanings depending on their pluralized form.
handfuls (more than one filling with the same hand)
handful of hands full or handful (more than one hand full)
tablespoons tablespoons (the same spoon filled more than once)
tablespoons full tablespoons or tablespoons (different full spoons)
17. Words used as words become plural by adding a apostrophe + s
All And it is it should be written in the same way.
Plurals are formed with certain conventions that are intended to keep the process simple. Because so many words came from such widespread sources, that goal was too elusive. Therefore, there are dozens of exceptions to the basic operation of adding a -s to a noun to make it plural.