Plural nouns: one box, two boxes – plural nouns exercises for A1 students
About this lesson
This A1 drill lesson gives plural nouns exercises on the spelling rules, from cats and boxes to cities and knives, and on irregular plurals like children and feet.
- Grammar
- One + singular, two or more + plural, with the spelling rules (boxes, cities, knives), irregular men, children and feet, unchanged sheep, and are after plurals.
- Topic
- Back-to-school shopping at Happy Pencil, an invented store in Houston: its receipt, a sale sign, a class supply list and a boy's message to his grandma.
- Activities
- Plurals to sort, choose, type and drag, an anagram, a memory game, a table of irregular nouns, a chat with a neighbor at the store and a final test.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
Chapter 2-s or -es?
- Sort the nouns: + s or + es?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right spelling: -s or -esChoose the optionTry it
- Write the plural: -s or -es?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Unscramble the pluralsAnagramUnlock
- Drag the plurals into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the note on the fridge and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3-y → -ies, -f → -ves
- Sort the nouns: + s, -ies or -ves?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right spelling: -s, -ies or -vesChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the plural: -s, -ies or -ves?Fill in the gapsTry it
- Find the matching pairs: one and two or moreMemory gameUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: one or two?Drag and dropUnlock
- Read about fall on Maple Street and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 4Irregular plurals
- Fill in the table: one and two or moreFill in the tableTry it
- Choose the right plural: irregular nounsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose is or areChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: noun + is / areFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Read about the farm trip and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Back-to-school shopping
- Read the receiptReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the receipt again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the store sign and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read the school supply list and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the message from Nico and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Carmen texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right plural: at homeChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the plural: at the zooFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the plurals: how do we make them?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Unscramble the plurals: one → two or moreAnagramUnlock
- Choose this or these, is or areChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the sentences: one and two or moreMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: singular and pluralFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: plural sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: one or more?Drag and dropUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Write the singularFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: singular and pluralMemory gameUnlock
- Read the postcard from Felix and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the ad and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read the birthday post and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Grammar: plural nouns: spelling rules and irregular plurals
A plural noun names two or more things: one cat, two cats. Most nouns just add -s, but the end of the noun decides the spelling: buses, cities, knives. A short list of everyday nouns changes completely or stays the same, and any plural subject takes are: The children are happy.
Plural nouns: one box, two boxes
One thing: singular (one book). Two or more: plural (two books). Most nouns add -s; some change.
One + singular, two or more + plural
After one, the noun stays singular; after two, three or many, it takes the plural: one bus, three buses, many children. The number and the noun must agree, so two dog and one cats are both wrong.
two / three / manynoun + -s / -es
one cat → two cats
one bus → three buses
one child → many children
Spelling: -s, -es, -ies or -ves
Most nouns add -s; nouns ending in s, ss, sh, ch, x or z add -es: dishes, watches. A consonant + y becomes -ies (baby → babies), but a vowel + y only adds -s (day → days). The scheme's f and fe nouns take -ves: leaves, knives.
| The noun ends in | Plural | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| most nouns | + s | cat → cats, car → cars, shoe → shoes |
| s, ss, sh, ch, x, z | + es | bus → buses, glass → glasses, dish → dishes, watch → watches, box → boxes |
| consonant + y | y → ies | city → cities, baby → babies, party → parties |
| vowel + y (ay, ey, oy) | + s | day → days, key → keys, boy → boys, toy → toys |
| f / fe | f / fe → ves | knife → knives, leaf → leaves, shelf → shelves, wife → wives, half → halves |
| o | + s · tomato, potato: + es | photos, pianos, radios, videos · but tomatoes, potatoes |
Irregular plurals: men, children, feet
Some nouns change inside the word: man → men, foot → feet, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice. Children and people are plural already, so never childrens or peoples. Fish, sheep and deer stay the same: one sheep, ten sheep.
Irregular plurals: learn them!
| One | Two or more | Not |
|---|---|---|
| man | men | mans |
| woman | women | womans |
| child | children | childs, childrens |
| person | people | peoples |
| foot | feet | foots |
| tooth | teeth | tooths |
| mouse | mice | mouses |
| fish | fish (the same) | fishs |
| sheep | sheep (the same) | sheeps |
| deer | deer (the same) | deers |
people, children, fish, sheep
People and children are plural: the people are, the children are (not: peoples, childrens). Fish, sheep and deer stay the same: one sheep, ten sheep (not: sheeps). Plural nouns go with are, these and those: Those bags are heavy.
Is or are, this or these
One thing goes with is, this and that; two or more go with are, these and those: This book is new. These books are new. An irregular plural still takes are: The children are happy. Two fish are blue.
One or more: is or are?
One → is
- one + singular: one book · this book · that book
- This book is new.
- The child is happy.
Two or more → are
- two, three, many + plural: two books · these books · those books
- These books are new.
- The children are happy.
Examples
- Two buses are at the bus stop.bus → buses
- The cities are big and busy.city → cities
- My keys are in my bag.key → keys
- The knives are in the drawer.knife → knives
- These children are my cousins.child → children
- One fish is orange, and two fish are blue.fish → fish
Common mistakes
Four slips come up most: two dog, one cats, The childrens is here and spellings like boxs, citys and knifes. The third breaks two rules at once: children takes no -s, and a plural subject takes are.
two dog
two dogs
two, three, many + plural
one cats
one cat
one + singular
The childrens is here.
The children are here.
children is plural: no -s, and use are
boxs · citys · knifes
boxes · cities · knives
check the spelling rules
More lessons on this grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns lessons and exercises
Try the plural nouns exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 38 auto-checked exercises
- 6 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- add -s or -es by the noun's last letters: cars, dresses, lunches, boxes, and tomatoes but photos
- spell nouns ending in y, f and fe: city → cities but key → keys, shelf → shelves, life → lives
- use irregular plurals and nouns that stay the same: two women, three children, 32 teeth, ten sheep, six fish
- match a plural with are and these or those: Those people are from Mexico. These knives are new.
Plural nouns: one box, two boxes is lesson 5 of the 24 in English Grammar Practice · A1, and its grammar page is the countable and uncountable nouns page. Lesson 4, This, that, these, those: what's this?, comes before it, and lesson 6, A, an, the: a new apartment, follows. Like the rest of the series, it adds no new words, so a class can use it for extra practice beside any course book.
The first chapter, The rule, shows a picture and the scheme, then four drills, from a true or false check to plurals to write. Three drill chapters follow, -s or -es?, -y → -ies, -f → -ves and Irregular plurals, each closing with a short text: a note on the fridge, fall on Maple Street, a class trip to a farm. In Real life: Back-to-school shopping, students read a receipt from Happy Pencil, a sale sign, a supply list and Nico's message to his grandma, then answer Carmen's texts from the store and take a twelve-question test.
The homework uses new sentences, and every task checks itself: plurals at home and at the zoo, a sort by spelling rule, an anagram, this or these, a match, a table, word order, a drag-and-drop, a quiz, singulars to write and a memory game, then a postcard from a ranch in Montana, a pet shop ad and a birthday post.
- Grammar:
- plural nouns · -s / -es · -ies and -ves · irregular plurals
- Topic:
- grammar practice · school supplies · back to school · shopping
Teaching tips
- Let students find the rules first: write twelve plurals on the board, from buses and babies to days and knives, and ask them to group the words by spelling before they open the scheme.
- Drill irregular pairs aloud: you say one mouse, a student answers two mice, and so on through man, foot, tooth and child. Save sheep, fish and deer for the end, as a trap.
- Read the receipt line by line before the true or false items: students say each line with its number, two backpacks, three notebooks, one dictionary, and then its price: The notebooks are $1.25 each.
- Ask why each wrong chat reply is wrong: in Carmen's chat, every wrong option has a plural slip, such as childrens, backpackes or dictionarys, and students name the rule it breaks.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A1
English Grammar Practice · A1 has 24 drill lessons for adult beginners, one grammar point each, from the verb to be and the present simple to can, was and were and telling the time. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words, so it works next to any course.See the course
- 1To be: I am, you are, she is
- 2To be negatives and questions: is it your bag?
- 3Subject pronouns and possessive adjectives: I, my, she, her
- 4This, that, these, those: what's this?
- 5Plural nouns: one box, two boxes
- 6A, an, the: a new apartment
- 7There is, there are: what's in the hotel?
- 8Have and has: she has a dog
- 9Present simple: she works, they work
- 10Present simple: don't, doesn't, do you…?
- 11Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, never
- 12In, on, at: times, days and months
- 13Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to
- 14Can and can't: I can swim
- 15Imperatives: open, don't run, let's go
- 16Object pronouns: me, him, her, them
- 17Possessive 's: whose bag is this?
- 18Present continuous: what's happening now?
- 19Present simple or present continuous: every day or now?
- 20Like, love, hate + -ing: I love dancing
- 21Wh- questions: what, where, when, why?
- 22Countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, how much?
- 23Was and were: where were you yesterday?
- 24Telling the time and dates: what time is it?