Year 4 English Plurals and possession: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Find the rule for the ending of lady, then make the plural.

1. Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.
   lady
2. Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in a consonant and y changes the y to i, then adds es.
   lady: y to i, + es = ladies
3. Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.
   ladies
4. Write the answer.
   ladies

Check. ladies is more than one lady. ✓

Watch out. Change the y to i before es: babies, not babys.

Method. Find the rule for the ending of loaf, then make the plural.

1. Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.
   loaf
2. Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in f or fe changes that ending to ves.
   loaf: ending to ves = loaves
3. Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.
   loaves
4. Write the answer.
   loaves

Check. loaves is more than one loaf. ✓

Watch out. Change the ending to ves: wolves, not wolfs.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

1. Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
   the girl has the bag
2. Count the owners. There is one owner, so add an apostrophe and s after the owner.
   one owner: add 's
3. Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
   the girl's
4. Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
   the girl's bag
5. Write the answer.
   the girl's bag

Check. Read it back: the bag belongs to the girl. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe shows that one owner has the thing. It does not make a plural.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

1. Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
   the farmers has the fields
2. Count the owners. There is more than one owner, and the owner word ends in s. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added.
   more than one owner ending in s: add ' after the s
3. Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
   the farmers'
4. Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
   the farmers' fields
5. Write the answer.
   the farmers' fields

Check. Read it back: the fields belongs to the farmers. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added. Do not write the farmers fields.

Method. Decide what the word means in the sentence, then choose its, it's, their or they're.

1. Read the sentence. Decide whether a thing belongs to someone, or whether two words are joined.
   ___ time for lunch.
2. Choose the word. It's is short for it is, so the apostrophe is needed.
   It's
3. Put it in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   It's time for lunch.
4. Write the answer.
   It's

Check. Read the whole sentence with It's in it. ✓

Watch out. Its and their have no apostrophe. It's means it is, and they're means they are.

Method. Look at the word for one and for more than one.

1. Look at sheep. Sheep is the same for one and for more than one.
   sheep = sheep
2. Write the answer.
   sheep

Check. Sheep does not change. ✓

Watch out. Sheep is the same for one and for more than one.

Method. Check the irregular plural.

1. Look at tooth. Tooth is an irregular noun, so its plural does not add s.
   tooth
2. Look at tooths. Tooths is not right. The plural is teeth.
   teeth
3. Write the answer.
   No. Tooth is an irregular plural. Its plural is teeth.

Check. Teeth is the plural. ✓

Watch out. Learn the irregular plurals.

Method. Choose one owner, then choose a plural owner.

1. Choose a singular owner. One cat has the bowl, so add apostrophe and s.
   the cat's bowl
2. Choose a plural owner that ends in s. More than one cat, and the owner ends in s, so the apostrophe goes after the s.
   the cats' bowls
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any correct pair, for example: the cat's bowl and the cats' bowls.

Check. The apostrophes are in the right places. ✓

Watch out. Count the owners first.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

1. Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
   the bird has the wing
2. Count the owners. There is one owner, so add an apostrophe and s after the owner.
   one owner: add 's
3. Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
   the bird's
4. Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
   the bird's wing
5. Write the answer.
   the bird's wing

Check. Read it back: the wing belongs to the bird. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe shows that one owner has the thing. It does not make a plural.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

1. Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
   the owl has the nest
2. Count the owners. There is one owner, so add an apostrophe and s after the owner.
   one owner: add 's
3. Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
   the owl's
4. Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
   the owl's nest
5. Write the answer.
   the owl's nest

Check. Read it back: the nest belongs to the owl. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe shows that one owner has the thing. It does not make a plural. Do not write the owls nest.

Method. Find the owner of the nest.

1. Look at it's nest. It's means it is, which does not fit the sentence.
   it's = it is: does not fit
2. Look at the owl. One owl has the nest, so the possessive its has no apostrophe.
   its nest
3. Write the answer.
   The owl flew into its nest.

Check. Its shows the nest belongs to the owl. ✓

Watch out. Its and their have no apostrophe. It's means it is, and they're means they are.

Method. Look at the letter before the y.

1. Look at puppy. The letter before the y is p, a consonant.
   puppy: p + y
2. Change the ending. Change the y to i, then add es.
   puppies
3. Write the answer.
   puppies

Check. Puppies is more than one puppy. ✓

Watch out. Change the y to i before es.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

1. Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
   the mouse has the house
2. Count the owners. There is one owner, so add an apostrophe and s after the owner.
   one owner: add 's
3. Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
   the mouse's
4. Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
   the mouse's house
5. Write the answer.
   the mouse's house

Check. Read it back: the house belongs to the mouse. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe shows that one owner has the thing. It does not make a plural.

Method. Decide whether the nest belongs to the bird.

1. Read the sentence. The nest belongs to the bird, so the word shows possession.
   the bird's nest
2. Choose the word. Its shows that the nest belongs to it, with no apostrophe.
   its
3. Write the answer.
   its

Check. The nest belongs to the bird. ✓

Watch out. Its and their have no apostrophe. It's means it is, and they're means they are.

Method. Look at the letter before the y.

1. Look at day. The letter before the y is a, a vowel.
   day: a + y
2. Make the plural. A vowel before y keeps the y, so only s is added.
   days
3. Write the answer.
   days. I add s, because day ends in a vowel and y.

Check. Days is the plural of day. ✓

Watch out. Keep the y when a vowel comes before it.

Method. Use the irregular plurals.

1. Look at child. The irregular plural of child is children.
   children
2. Look at man. The irregular plural of man is men.
   men
3. Write the answer.
   children; men

Check. Both are irregular plurals. ✓

Watch out. Learn the irregular plurals.

Method. Find the owner, count the owners, then add the apostrophe.

1. Find the owner and the thing. The owner has the thing, so say the owner first.
   the farmers has the wagons
2. Count the owners. There is more than one owner, and the owner word ends in s. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added.
   more than one owner ending in s: add ' after the s
3. Add the apostrophe. Put the apostrophe where the rule says.
   the farmers'
4. Write the phrase. Put the thing after the owner.
   the farmers' wagons
5. Write the answer.
   the farmers' wagons

Check. Read it back: the wagons belongs to the farmers. ✓

Watch out. The apostrophe goes after the s, and no extra s is added.

Method. Find the plural of glass.

1. Look at glass's. Glasses is the plural, so the apostrophe is not needed.
   glass's: wrong
2. Make the plural. Glass ends in s, so es is added.
   glass + es = glasses
3. Write the answer.
   The glasses were on the shelf.

Check. Glasses is the plural of glass. ✓

Watch out. A plural has no apostrophe.

Method. Think about the usual rule for f words, then check chief.

1. Look at the usual rule. Many f words change to ves, such as wolf and wolves.
   wolf -> wolves
2. Look at chief. Chief is one of the few f words that just add s.
   chief + s = chiefs
3. Write the answer.
   No. Chief is one of the few f words that just add s, so the plural is chiefs.

Check. The plural of chief is chiefs. ✓

Watch out. Learn the few f words that just add s.

Method. Check each of the two words, and the owner of the coats.

1. Look at Its cold. It is cold, so the short form needs an apostrophe.
   It's = it is
2. Look at its time. It is time for play, so the short form needs an apostrophe.
   it's = it is
3. Look at the children's coats. More than one child owns the coats, and children does not end in s.
   children's coats
4. Write the answer.
   It's cold, and the children's coats are on the hooks; it's time for play.

Check. Both short forms have an apostrophe. ✓

Watch out. Its and their have no apostrophe. It's means it is, and they're means they are.

Method. Look at the plural and the owner in the sentence.

1. Look at foxs. Fox ends in x, so it adds es: foxes.
   fox + es = foxes
2. Look at dens. More than one fox owns the dens, and foxes ends in s, so the apostrophe goes after the s.
   foxes' dens
3. Write the answer.
   The three foxes' dens are near the river. Foxs becomes foxes, because fox adds es; the apostrophe goes after the s, because the owners are more than one fox.

Check. Foxes is plural, and the apostrophe is after the s. ✓

Watch out. Foxes ends in es, so no extra s is added.