Sentence Agreement

Read & Contrast

Plural Noun Markers  -s

-s after most words		-es  after -s, -z, -sh, -zj, -ch, -j
apple (æ-pul)	apples (æ-pulz)	box (baks)	boxes  (baks-iz)
		pass	passes (pas-iz)
		wish	wishes (wish-iz)
		watch	watches (wach-iz)
		buzz	buzzes (buz-iz)
		garage	garages (ga-razj-iz)
		judge	judges (juj-iz)

Plural Noun Markers after -o

-es   after words ending in -o		but not in words of foreign origin or shortened words
tomato (to-ma-to)	tomatoes (to-ma-toz)	pianos	pianos
echo	echoes (ek-owz)	ghetto	ghettos
potato	potatoes (po-tey-toz)	kilo (kilogram)	kilos
hero	heoes (hi-roz)	video	videos
zero*	zeroes* (zi-roz)  * also zeros	soprano	sopranos
		solo	solos
		auto (automobile)	autos
		photo (photograph)	photos

Plural Noun Markers  after -y  and -f
 

-ies     after consonant + y		-ves     after - f or - fe
baby	babies (ba-biyz)	leaf	leaves (bey-biyz)
		half	halves (hævz)
fry	fries (traiz)	life	lives (layvz)
supply	supplies (sup-plaiz)	self	selves (selvz)
fly	flies(flaiz)	thief	thieves (theevz)
ally	allies (ael-laiz)	scarf	scarves (skarvz)
		calf	calves (kævz)
but not after a vowel + y		knife	knives (nayvz)
plays		loaf	loaves (lowvz)
toys		shelf	shelves (shelvz)
employs		wolf	wolves (wolvz)
destroys
		but not in these words
		cliff	cliffs   (klifs)
		roof	roofs    (roofs)
		belief	beliefs (bi-liyfs)
		chief	chiefs   (tshiyfs)

Practice

Write the plural form of the noun in the blank.  Then, check your answer. 

#	IMAGE	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
eg		The plural form of butterfly is:
1.		The plural form of chimney is:
2.		The plural form of watch is:
3.		The plural form of wolf is:
4.		The plural form of roof is:
5.	0000	The plural form of zero is:
6.		The plural from of wrench is:
7.		The plural form of mosquito is:
8.		The plural form of cherry is:
9.		The plural form of peach is:
10.		The plural form of witch is:
11.		The plural form of judge is:
12.		The plural form of auto is:
13.		The plural form of cliff is:
14.		The plural form of video is:
15.		The plural form of potato is:
16.		The plural form of knife is:
17.		The plural form of loaf is:
18.		The plural form of hero is:
19.		The plural form of wish is:
20.		The plural form of fry is:

 

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Julie Sevastopoulos - ESL Department - College of San Mateo - San Mateo, CA 94402 USA