The plural of nouns

In the English language nouns are divided into countables and uncountables according to whether they can be counted or not.


                              Countables :                                      Uncountables :
                                
                                   student                                               butter
                                    dog                                                    love
                                    book                                                  sugar
                                    pancil                                                 bread

Picture 1: Countables and uncountables nouns

As  a rule the indefinite article a/an precedes only countables in the singular.

Examples :

A women wants to see you.
Father gave me an apple.

Numbers are used only before countables.

Examples :

There are five chairs in the room.

Countabeles may be preceded by :many,few, a few, a large number of, a small number of, etc; while the uncountables may be preceded by: much, little, a piece of, an item of,etc.

Examples :

There are many boys and girls running in the park.
She has a few friends.
I have much work to do today.
Mary has three pieces of luggage.

 1.The plural of nouns is formed by adding -s or -es to the noun in the singular.Most nouns form their plural by adding -s :

Examples :

street- streets                          name-names
boy- boys                                 cup-cups

2. Nouns ending in -s, -ss,-ch, -(t)ch,-x,-z, add -es in the plural.

Examples :

bus-busses             glass-glasses             beach- beaches       watch-watches            box-boxes


3.Nouns ending in  -y preceded by a consonant change the -y into i and add -es in the plural.


Examples:

country-countries             story-stories                  city-cities                reply-replies

 *Note : 

But :  Mary- Marys,  Molly-Mollys,  Betty-Bettys

4.Nouns ending in -y preceded by 1 vowel form their plural by adding -s.

               day-days             play-plays                boy-boys                   tray-trays


5.  13 nouns ending in -f or -fe change -f into -v and add -es in the plural

knife-knives      life-lives       wife-wives    leaf-leaves     half-halves      shelf-shelves    loaf-loaves
thief-thieves     self-selves   wolf-wolves  calf-calves      elf-elves         sheaf-sheaves 


*Note :
All other nouns ending in -f take only -s in the plural :
roof-roofs     proof-proofs       cliff-cliffs


Double forms :

 scarf-scarfs-scarves                      hoof-hoofs-hooves                wharm-wharfs-wharves