One and Many (Singular and Plural)
Learning Objectives
- Students will understand the meaning of singular (one) and plural (more than one).
- Students will learn to add -s and -es to make plurals.
- Students will learn some special plural words (irregular plurals).
- Students will use singular and plural words in sentences.
Let Us Begin!
Ravi has one book. Meena has three books. One book — that is singular. Three books — that is plural. When we talk about one thing, we use the singular form. When we talk about more than one thing, we use the plural form. Let us learn how to change singular words to plural words!
Singular and Plural
Singular means ONE. Example: one cat, one book, one mango.
Plural means MORE THAN ONE. Example: two cats, many books, five mangoes.
Rule 1: Add -s
For most words, we just add -s to make the plural.
| Singular (one) | Plural (many) |
|---|---|
| book | books |
| ball | balls |
| cat | cats |
| pen | pens |
| tree | trees |
| dog | dogs |
| chair | chairs |
| bird | birds |
Rule 2: Add -es
For words ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o, we add -es.
| Singular (one) | Plural (many) |
|---|---|
| bus | buses |
| dish | dishes |
| bench | benches |
| box | boxes |
| mango | mangoes |
| potato | potatoes |
| tomato | tomatoes |
| glass | glasses |
Rule 3: Words ending in -y
If a word ends in a consonant + y, change the y to i and add -es.
| Singular (one) | Plural (many) |
|---|---|
| baby | babies |
| story | stories |
| fly | flies |
| lady | ladies |
| city | cities |
But if the word ends in a vowel + y, just add -s: boy → boys, toy → toys, key → keys.
Special Plurals (Irregular)
Some words change completely in the plural form. We must learn these by heart!
| Singular (one) | Plural (many) |
|---|---|
| child | children |
| mouse | mice |
| tooth | teeth |
| foot | feet |
| man | men |
| woman | women |
| goose | geese |
| ox | oxen |
Singular and Plural in Sentences
Singular: "Ravi has one pen." → Plural: "Meena has five pens."
Singular: "There is one bus." → Plural: "There are many buses."
Singular: "One child is playing." → Plural: "Many children are playing."
Singular: "I have one tooth missing." → Plural: "I brush my teeth every day."
Key Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Singular | One — only one person, place, animal, or thing |
| Plural | More than one |
| -s rule | Add -s to most words to make them plural |
| -es rule | Add -es to words ending in s, sh, ch, x, o |
| Irregular plural | A plural that does not follow the normal rules |
- Singular means one. Plural means more than one.
- Add -s to most words: book → books, cat → cats.
- Add -es to words ending in s, sh, ch, x, o: bus → buses, box → boxes.
- Words ending in consonant + y: change y to i and add -es: baby → babies.
- Words ending in vowel + y: just add -s: boy → boys.
- Some words change completely: child → children, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice.
- Always check the ending of the word before adding -s or -es.
Finished learning? Now test what you know!