Lesson 4: Plural Nouns - Adding '-es'
Hello again! In the last lesson, we learned to add '-s' to make nouns plural. Today, we will learn a special1 rule for nouns with a hissing or buzzing sound2 at the end.
The '-es' Rule
When a singular noun has an ending3 with one of these letters or sounds, we add -es to make it plural.
- -s
- -sh
- -ch
- -x
- -z
| Singular (ends in...) | Plural (add -es) |
|---|---|
| one bus4 (-s) | two buses |
| a glass (-s) | three glasses |
| a dish5 (-sh) | many dishes |
| a watch6 (-ch) | four watches |
| the old church7 (-ch) | two churches |
| a box8 (-x) | some boxes |
Pronunciation Tip: The '-es' ending adds a new syllable9 to the word. It sounds like "iz". For example, "bus" has one syllable. "Buses" (bus-iz) has two syllables. This makes the words easier to say!
🧠 Practice Quiz: Make it Plural
Change the singular noun into a plural noun by adding '-es'. Click on the word to see the answer.
wish → ?
Answer: wishes
box → ?
Answer: boxes
match → ?
Answer: matches
glass → ?
Answer: glasses
📝 Homework: Choose the Correct Word
Read the sentences. Choose the correct plural noun to complete each one. This will test the rules from Lesson 3 (-s) and Lesson 4 (-es)!
- I put the pepper into two _____. (box / boxes)
- There are many _____ on the river. (boat / boats)
- My teacher gives us many _____. (quiz / quizzes)
- She washes the ____ after dinner. (dish / dishes)
- I can see three _____ from my window. (tree / trees)
Vocabulary Glossary
- Special: (Adjective) - ពិសេស - Different from what is usual; not common. ↩
- Sound: (Noun) - សំឡេង - Something that you can hear. ↩
- Ending: (Noun) - អក្សរចុងក្រោយ - The last part or last letter of a word. ↩
- Bus: (Noun) - ឡានក្រុង - A large vehicle that carries many people on roads. ↩
- Dish: (Noun) - ម្ហូប - Food prepared as part of a meal. ↩
- Watch: (Noun) - នាឡិកាដៃ - A small clock that you wear on your wrist. ↩
- Church: (Noun) - ព្រះវិហារ - A building for public Christian worship. ↩
- Box: (Noun) - ប្រអប់ - A container with a flat base and sides. ↩
- Syllable: (Noun) - ព្យាង្គ - A single unit of speech or a part of a word. ↩