Lesson 1: Common Noun Plurals
Word Formation & Morphology (A2)
Welcome to our new series on Word Formation and Morphology1! This is the study of how words change. The first and most important change to learn is how to talk about more than one thing. When you have one book, it is singular2. When you have two or more books, it is plural3. Let's learn the rules4 for making nouns5 plural.
Rule 1: The Basic Rule - Add "-s"
For most nouns in English, you simply add an -s to the end of the word.
- one book ➞ two books
- one pen ➞ five pens
- one dog ➞ many dogs
Rule 2: For Words Ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z - Add "-es"
If a noun ends with a hissing or buzzing sound, we add -es to make it easier to pronounce.
- one bus ➞ two buses
- one dish ➞ three dishes
- one watch ➞ four watches
- one box ➞ five boxes
Rule 3: For Words Ending in Consonant + y - Change "y" to "-ies"
If the letter before the -y is a consonant (not a, e, i, o, u), change the -y to -ies.
- one baby ➞ two babies
- one city ➞ many cities
- one story ➞ three stories
(But if it ends in vowel + y, just add -s: one boy ➞ two boys)
Usage Note: Important Irregular Plurals
Some very common words do not follow these rules! You must memorize these irregular6 plurals.
- one man ➞ two men
- one woman ➞ two women (pronounced 'wim-in')
- one child ➞ two children
- one person ➞ two people
- one foot ➞ two feet
- one tooth ➞ two teeth
In Conversation
Srey and Bora are preparing for a party.
Srey: Bora, can you help me count the things for the party?
Bora: Sure. How many people are coming?
Srey: There will be ten men and twelve women. And three children!
Bora: Okay. We need more dishes and glasses. We only have fifteen of each.
Srey: And what about the babies? We need two high chairs for them.
Bora: Right. And two boys are bringing their own toys. They have many boxes of them!
Srey: It's going to be a big party!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. What is the correct plural form of 'watch'?
- a) watchs
- b) watches
- c) watchies
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) watches
2. What is the correct plural form of 'city'?
- a) citys
- b) cityes
- c) cities
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) cities
3. One man, two ______.
- a) mans
- b) mens
- c) men
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) men
edit Your Mission
- My Plurals: Look around your room. Find five different objects. Write the singular and plural form for each. (e.g., "one chair / two chairs").
- Rule Practice: Write one sentence for each of the main plural rules. (e.g., Rule 2: "I washed the dishes." Rule 3: "There are two big cities in my country.")
- Speak: Your mission is to describe a group of things to a friend. (e.g., "I see three dogs." or "I have five books.")
book Lesson Glossary
- Morphology (noun) - Khmer: សរីរវិទ្យា - The study of how words are formed and how their forms change. ↩
- Singular (adjective) - Khmer: ឯកវចនៈ - Meaning only one. ↩
- Plural (adjective) - Khmer: ពហុវចនៈ - Meaning more than one. ↩
- Rule (noun) - Khmer: វិធាន - An instruction that says how something must be done. ↩
- Noun (noun) - Khmer: នាម - A word that is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea. ↩
- Irregular (adjective) - Khmer: មិនទៀងទាត់ - Not following the usual rules. ↩