English is notorious for having many exceptions to its grammar rules. Changing nouns to their plural forms is an example of this, due to the hundreds of irregular nouns in the language. This post will cover the different types of irregular nouns, show their plural forms, and give even more exceptions along the way.
Exception: Most words ending in -ff, -ief, -oof, and -eef follow standard plural rules and add -s.
Exceptions:
● Words ending in -io (just add an -s)
● Words ending in vowel + consonant + o (just add an -s)
● Some words adopted from other languages
Examples:
Words ending in -y are irregular, and there are also exceptions.
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Exception: If the last two letters of the noun are a vowel + y, then it does not use -ies.
We use collective nouns when we need to talk about a group of these animals. For example:
Some exceptions:
Uncountable nouns are concepts of things that imply a vague amount. For example:
Some uncountable nouns use quantifiers if you need to specify an amount. For example:
Ultimately, memorizing these irregular nouns and their plural forms is the only way to learn them. However, some patterns (as shown above) can help. If you need help with grammar rules or irregular nouns in your writing, check out our common writing errors guide. Or if you’d like help from an expert, we’ll happily proofread a sample of your work for free!
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