Year 1 English: Making plurals with -s and -es
Part of the Year 1 English adding endings chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Making plurals with -s and -es
A plural means more than one. Most words just need an -s at the end: one cat, two cats.
Some words need -es. Look at the end of the word first. If it ends in s, x, sh or ch, add -es: one box, two boxes. One dish, two dishes.
Key ideas
- A plural word means more than one.
- Most words: add -s. cat → cats.
- Words ending in s, x, sh or ch: add -es. box → boxes.
- Take the ending off to check the word for one.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word cat, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one cat
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.cat does not end in s, x, sh or ch
- Add -s to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.cat + s = cats
- Write the answer. cats
Check. Take the ending off to check: cats becomes cat. ✓
Watch out. Do not add -es to cat. Only words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word box, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one box
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.box ends in “x”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.box + es = boxes
- Write the answer. boxes
Check. Take the ending off to check: boxes becomes box. ✓
Watch out. Do not write boxs. A word that ends in x needs -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word bus, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one bus
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.bus ends in “s”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.bus + es = buses
- Write the answer. buses
Check. Take the ending off to check: buses becomes bus. ✓
Watch out. Do not write buss. A word that ends in s needs -es.
Watch out
Watch out: do not write boxs or foxs. A word that ends in x, s, sh or ch needs -es.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Lay out real things at home, such as cups, pens or socks. Ask: “One cup. Two…?” Then ask your child to look at the end of the word before adding the ending.
Exercise 5A Plurals with -s and -es
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word cat, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one cat
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.cat does not end in s, x, sh or ch
- Add -s to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.cat + s = cats
- Write the answer. cats
Check. Take the ending off to check: cats becomes cat. ✓
Watch out. Do not add -es to cat. Only words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word hat, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one hat
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.hat does not end in s, x, sh or ch
- Add -s to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.hat + s = hats
- Write the answer. hats
Check. Take the ending off to check: hats becomes hat. ✓
Watch out. Do not add -es to hat. Only words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word box, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one box
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.box ends in “x”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.box + es = boxes
- Write the answer. boxes
Check. Take the ending off to check: boxes becomes box. ✓
Watch out. Do not write boxs. A word that ends in x needs -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word fox, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one fox
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.fox ends in “x”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.fox + es = foxes
- Write the answer. foxes
Check. Take the ending off to check: foxes becomes fox. ✓
Watch out. Do not write foxs. A word that ends in x needs -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word cup, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one cup
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.cup does not end in s, x, sh or ch
- Add -s to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.cup + s = cups
- Write the answer. cups
Check. Take the ending off to check: cups becomes cup. ✓
Watch out. Do not add -es to cup. Only words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word bus, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one bus
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.bus ends in “s”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.bus + es = buses
- Write the answer. buses
Check. Take the ending off to check: buses becomes bus. ✓
Watch out. Do not write buss. A word that ends in s needs -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word dish, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one dish
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.dish ends in “sh”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.dish + es = dishes
- Write the answer. dishes
Check. Take the ending off to check: dishes becomes dish. ✓
Watch out. Do not write dishs. A word that ends in sh needs -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word glass, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one glass
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.glass ends in “s”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.glass + es = glasses
- Write the answer. glasses
Check. Take the ending off to check: glasses becomes glass. ✓
Watch out. Do not write glasss. A word that ends in s needs -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word bag, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one bag
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.bag does not end in s, x, sh or ch
- Add -s to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.bag + s = bags
- Write the answer. bags
Check. Take the ending off to check: bags becomes bag. ✓
Watch out. Do not add -es to bag. Only words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word match, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one match
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.match ends in “ch”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.match + es = matches
- Write the answer. matches
Check. Take the ending off to check: matches becomes match. ✓
Watch out. Do not write matchs. A word that ends in ch needs -es.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word brush, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one brush
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.brush ends in “sh”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.brush + es = brushes
- Write the answer. brushes
Check. Take the ending off to check: brushes becomes brush. ✓
Watch out. Do not write brushs. A word that ends in sh needs -es.
Method. Look at the end of box. It ends in x, so we need -es.
- Look at the word for one. Read the word for one thing.box
- Look at the last letter. x is on the list: s, x, sh and ch need -es.box ends in x
- Write the plural with -es. Add -es to make two boxes.box + es = boxes
- Write the answer. two boxes
Check. Take -es off boxes: box. That is the word for one. ✓
Watch out. Two boxs is wrong. Write boxes.
Key words. A plural means more than one. One cat, two cats.
Method. Look at the end of the word dish, then add the right ending for two or more.
- Say the word for one. Start with the word for one thing.one dish
- Look at the last letters. Words ending in s, x, sh or ch need -es. Other words need -s.dish ends in “sh”
- Add -es to make the plural. Two or more things need the plural word.dish + es = dishes
- Write the answer. dishes
Check. Take the ending off to check: dishes becomes dish. ✓
Watch out. Do not write dishs. A word that ends in sh needs -es.
Method. Look at the end of the word fox. Decide if it needs -s or -es.
- Look at the word for one. Read the word for one thing.fox
- Look at the last letter. Fox ends in x, so it is on the list that needs -es.fox ends in x
- Decide if Ella is right. The plural with -es is foxes, not foxs.foxs is wrong; foxes is right
- Write the answer. No. The plural is foxes, because fox ends in x.
Check. Read foxes back: fox + es = foxes. ✓
Watch out. Look at the end of the word before you choose -s or -es.