Form plurals of nouns ending in f, fe, o, and y

Lesson Introduction: Forming Plurals of Nouns Ending in f, fe, o, and y

Plural nouns tell us that there is more than one person, place, or thing. To make nouns plural, we usually add -s or -es, but some words change their spelling depending on how they end.

1. Nouns Ending in f or fe

Many nouns that end in f or fe change the f or fe to v, then add -es.

Examples:

• leaf → leaves

• knife → knives

• wolf → wolves

2. Nouns Ending in o

Some nouns ending in o add -es.

Examples:

• potato → potatoes

• tomato → tomatoes

• hero → heroes

Other nouns simply add -s.

Examples:

• photo → photos

• piano → pianos

3. Nouns Ending in y

If a noun ends in y with a consonant before it, change the y to i and add -es.

Examples:

• baby → babies

• city → cities

• lady → ladies

If a vowel comes before y, just add -s.

Examples:

• boy → boys

• key → keys

• toy → toys

Learning these spelling rules helps us write plural nouns correctly in our sentences. Today we will practice forming plurals using these patterns.