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11 Rules for Using Plurals

RULE 1: *If a word ends in -y,


a. Form plurals of regular a. regular first change the -y to -
nouns by adding -s or -es: schools, colleges, cars, foxes, candies, i, then add -es.

*universityuniversities, boyboys Do not change –y to


b.Form the plurals of -ies if the y is
irregular nouns in ways b. irregular: preceded by a vowel.
other than adding -s or -s: children, women, deer, geese
RULE 2: Don’t forget that your
Remember that non-count × The equipments are expensive. verb should always
nouns are always singular:  The equipment is expensive. agree with the subject!

RULE 3:
Use plural nouns × Most student like computers.
immediately after adjectives  Most students like computers.
such as a few, many, most,
and some, and after pronouns × These tree provide no shade.
such as these and those:  These trees provide no shade.

RULE 4:
Use plural nouns after × Felix takes pride in being one of the most humble member of
adjective phrases beginning the Egotists Club.
with one of the:  Felix takes pride in being one of the most humble members of
the Egotists Club.

RULE 5:
Use many and many of with Plural count noun
plural count nouns. × Much of the refugees came from Rwanda.
 Many of the refugees came from Rwanda.

Singular, non-count noun


Use much and much of with × Many sufferings comes with war.
non-count nouns, which are  Much suffering comes with war.
singular × Jim uses too much sugars in his coffee.
 Jim uses too much sugar in his coffee.

RULE 6:
Use a few with plural count Plural count noun:
nouns; use a little with non-  They read a few poems.
count nouns, which are
singular Singular, non-count noun:
 Try writing a little poetry.

©Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College 2013 www.georgebrown.ca/tlc


11 Rules for Using Plurals
RULE 7: Plural Nouns
Use all, a lot of, most of, and  All citizens should vote.
more with both plural count  A lot of students were absent.
nouns and with non-count  Most of the men wore black.
nouns, which are singular  More doctors are needed.

Singular, Non-count Nouns


 All racism is evil.
 They accumulated a lot of wealth.
 She gets most of her warmth from her mother.
 Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote more poetry than we know.

Any can be used with Singular:


singular and plural nouns  Any student can check out books.
Plural:
 We don't need any rules.
RULE 8:
Use the pronouns this and × This printers are not working.
that with singular nouns; use
these and those with plural  This printer is not working.
nouns:  These printers are not working.

RULE 9: × The bests wines had already been


Do not make adjectives drunk.
plural even when they  The best wines had already been
describe plural nouns, drunk.
whether they come before or
after the nouns: × The children were ills.
 The children were ill.
This rule applies even
× She worked in shoes factories. when a noun acts as an
 She worked in shoe factories. adjective

RULE 10:
 Sigmund preaches about a type of vegetarianism.
Use singular, not plural,
 Her home contains a style of furniture popular in the 1930s.
nouns after phrases such as a
kind of, a type of, a sort of,
and a style of:
 I dislike the types of words he uses.
RULE 11:
 What sorts of people do you think we
Use plural nouns after
are? Non-count nouns are
phrases such as kinds of,
types of, sorts of, and styles × The store had all sorts of furnitures. always singular.
of:  I like his style of journalism.
 They studied three kinds of art.

©Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College 2013 www.georgebrown.ca/tlc

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