Singular Number

It refers to the count of only one of a noun or pronoun.

Example: pen, table, aunt, father, goose, etc.

Plural Number
It refers to the count of more than one of a noun or pronoun.

Example: pens, tables, aunts, fathers, geese, etc.

How to change number

Rule 1:
In general “s” is used at the end of a singular noun to make it plural

Example:
Singular Plural

Pencil Pencils

Cow Cows

House Houses

Dog Dogs

Mobile Mobiles

Rule 2:
If there exist s, sh, ch, x and z in the end, “es” gets to be used.
Examples:
Singular Plural

Bus Buses

Dish Dishes

Branch Branches
 Fox Foxes

Fez Fezes

Rule 3:

While pronunciation of ch is like “k”, just “s” is added at the end

Monarch Monarchs

Patriarch Patriarchs

Matriarch Matriarchs

Stomach Stomachs

Hierarch Hierarchs
Part 1: when there’s a “y” in the end and a Consonant before that “y”, “i”
substitutes it and an “es” thereafter.
Example:
Singular Plural

Story Stories

Hobby Hobbies

Army Armies

Fly Flies

Baby Babies
Part 2: but if there’s a vowel ahead of that “y”, no need to change it, only “s” to
add.
Example

Singular Plural

Donkey Donkeys

Toy Toys

Day Days
 Joy Joys

Play Plays

Rule 4:
“v” replaces f or fe and then adds an “es” to finish it.
Example:
Singular Plural

thief Thieves

Wife Wives

Knife Knives

Wolf Wolves

Leaf Leaves
Part 1: “es” to be added if the noun is finished by “o” and a consonant places ahead.
Example:
singular Plural

Hero Heroes

Mango Mangoes

Zero Zeroes

Potato Potatoes

Echo Echoes
Part 2: but when there’s a vowel before that “o”, only “s” is enough.
Example
Singular Plural

Cuckoo Cuckoos

Bamboo Bamboos

Studio Studios

Portfolio Portfolios
 Cameo Cameos
Exception 1: though there’s an “o” and a consonant ahead of it, some nouns use
only “s”.
Example:
Singular Plural

Photo Photos

Piano Pianos

Radio Radios

Canto Cantos

Memo Memos
Exception 2: for some, “s” and “es” both are correct.
Singular Plural

Mosquito Mosquitos/mosquitoes

Commando Commandos/commandoes

Portico Porticos/porticoes

Calico Calicos/calicoes

Memento Mementos/mementoes

Rule 5:
Some require changing the middle-vowel of the word to make it plural.

Example:
Singular Plural

Man Men

Woman Women

Foot Feet

Mouse Mice

Tooth Teeth
Rule 6:
Some require en, ren and ne to add at last.
Example:
Singular plural

Ox Oxen

Child Children

Brother Brethren (brothers also correct)

Cow Kine (cows also correct)

Sister Sistren (sisters also correct)

Fisherman Fishermen

Workman Workmen

Boatman Boatmen

Man-of-war Men-of-war

Salesman salesmen
Part 2: but when “man” is just a part of the word, or it refers to any ethnic group,
race or civilian, there comes “s”.
Singular Plural

Mussalman Mussalmans

Brahman Brahmans

German Germans

Norman Normans

Rule 7:
“s” to be added when there’s a “ful” in the end.
Example:
singular plural

Handful Handfuls

Mouthful mouthfuls

Spoonful Spoonfuls

armful Armfuls

cupful cupfuls
Part 1: If compound noun contains several words, “s” comes to join with the main
part of that noun.
Example:
Singular Plural

Brother-in-law Brothers-in-law

Passers-by Passers-by

Step-brother Step-brothers

Commander-in-chief Commanders-in-chief

Maid-servant Maid-servants
Part 2: in some cases,“s”comes in every part to make it so.
Example:
Singular Plural

Lord-justice Lords-justices

Man-servant Men-servants

Woman-servant Women-servants

Rule 8:
Besides, adding “s” only in the end gets it done for few.

Example:
Singular Plural

Book-shelf Book-shelves
 Book-case Book-cases

Major-general Major-generals

Poet-laurete Poet-lauretes

Forget-me-not Forget-me-nots

Rule 9:
Some singular nouns have no plural form, only used in singular.

Example:
Furniture

Scenery

Issue

Bread

expenditure

Rule 9:
Adversely, some are always used as a plural form.

Example:
Mumps

Scissors

Trousers

Spectacles

Assets

Rule 10:
Though some nouns seem like singular, but actually they are plural.

Example:
Government
 Peasantry

People

Cattle

Mankind

Rule 11:
Similarly, some nouns seem like plural though they are singular.

Example:
Physics

Politics

Ethics

News

Wages

Rule 12:
Some have the same singular and plural form.

Example:
Deer

Sheep

Species

Corps

Canon

Rule 12:
In case of letters, numbers and other symbols, it takes an apostrophe and s to change
it.
Example:
Sam, write your g’s and y’s clearly.
 John, add two 5’s and three 8’s.

Rule 13:
There is no specific rule for changing the number of pronouns. It’s all about
memorizing.

Singular plural singular plural

I We Him/her Them

My Our Your Your

Mine Ours This These

Me Us That Those

You You It They

He/she they His/her their