Effective Writing

The incorrect use and formation of plural nouns is one of the most common mistakes people make in their writing. Its one of the simpler grammatical rules, so you’d think it would have the least margin of error. However, it is often the simplest elements that trip people up. And you don’t have to be a grammophobe to understand or remember them; all it takes is a little time and a review every so often.
Remember:

1. A common noun is a person, place or thing;
2. A proper noun is easy to recognize because it is always capitalized.

Now on to plurals we go:

The plural of most words is formed by adding –s to the singular form of the noun:

• lake, lakes; sell, sells; crawl, crawls; shade, shades; the Browns; the Andersons; the Rothmans.

For common nouns ending in y and preceded by a vowel, add an –s:

• Sashay, sashays; bay, bays; cay, cays; day, days

For proper nouns ending in y, the plural is formed with the regular –s:

• the two Pattys; the two Scullys; the two Kansas Citys.

For common nouns ending in ch (soft), s, sh, x, and z, add –es:

• ch: churches, coaches, perches;

• s: glasses, masses, grasses;

• sh: pushes, lushes, crushes;

• x: hoaxes, boxes, foxes;

• z: buzzes, snoozes, quizzes.

For proper nouns like those above, also add –es:

• Charles, Charleses; Beech, Beeches; Cox, Coxes.

For common nouns ending in ch (hard) add only an s:

• monarch, monarchs; patriarch, patriarchs; epoch, epochs.

For common nouns ending in y and preceded by a consonant or qu, y changes to i and –es is added:

• army, armies; city, cities; heavy, heavies; levy, levies; soliloquy, soliloquies.

Proper names are the exception to the above rule:

• Kennedys, Murphys, McCreadys.

• exceptions to the proper name rule are well-known terms, like: the Rockies, the Alleghenies, and the Ptolemies.

For common nouns ending in y and preceded by a vowel, add an –s:

• Sashay, sashays; bay, bays; cay, cays; day, days

For proper nouns ending in y, the plural is formed with the regular –s:

• the two Pattys; the two Scullys; the two Kansas Citys.

For common nouns ending in -o, there are a couple different rules:

If a vowel comes before an –o ending, a plural is formed by adding –s to the singular version of the noun:

• zoo, zoos; loo, loos; moo, moos; studio, studios; duo, duos.

If a consonant comes before an –o ending, a plural is formed by adding –es to the singular version of the noun:

• tomato, tomatoes; potato, potatoes; zero, zeroes; hero, heroes.

For common nouns ending in –f, a plural is usually formed by replacing –f with –v and adding es:

• leaf, leaves; self, selves; elf, elves;

• exceptions: reef, reefs; cliff, cliffs; cuff, cuffs

For numerical figures, add an s, no apostrophe:

• 1700s, 1820s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

For endings of commonly used Latin words:
Words ending in –a, add es:

• alumna; alumnae

• exceptions: formula, formulas

Words ending in –us, change to i

• alumnus, alumni

Words ending in –um, add s:

• dictum, dictums; podium, podiums; stadium, stadiums;

• exceptions to this rule usually keep the original Latin plural ending(a): agendum, agenda; curriculum, curricula; medium, media.

Words ending in –i, add s:

• alibi; alibis.

Ifs or if’s?
Just as numerical figures add an –s without an apostrophe, so too do words used to convey a general number:

• if, ifs; but, buts; and, ands.

For accepted abbreviations and multiple letters:

• IOU, IOUs; IQ, IQs; VIP, VIPs.

These nouns change form to indicate the plural:

• man, men; woman, women; foot, feet; mouse, mice; goose, geese; louse, lice; child, children; tooth, teeth.

These nouns stay the same in the singular and the plural:

• sheep; moose; deer; steer; chassis.

Don’t confuse these singular nouns as plurals:

• news; measles; grits; scissors; pliers.

Grammar is always a bit overwhelming, even for writers, and can be boring to boot. Hopefully this layout makes reading a bit easier for you. Also, check the excellent book Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss. It is what a grammar book should be: easy to read, wittily presented, and not at all boring.