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Primary English · Year 4Chapter 4 · Plurals and possession
Year 4 English · Plurals and possession · Lesson 4.2

Year 4 English: Plurals of nouns ending in y, f, fe and o

Part of the Year 4 English plurals and possession chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

4.2

Plurals of nouns ending in y, f, fe and o

Year 4
Change the y to i and add es after a consonant and y, and add s after a vowel and y, Change f or fe to ves, and learn the nouns that just add s, Learn which nouns that end in o add es, and which add s
Story. Ravi's class plans a school fair. The teacher writes a list on the board: the stalls, the keys to the cupboard and the toys for the younger children. Every plural on the list must be right, because the parents will read it.

The ending of the word for one tells you how to make the plural.

If a consonant comes before the final y, change the y to i and add es: one baby, two babies. If a vowel comes before the final y, keep the y and add s: one day, two days.

Many words that end in f or fe change that ending to ves: one wolf, two wolves; one knife, two knives. A few just add s, such as chief, chiefs.

Many words that end in o add es, such as potatoes and heroes. Some just add s, such as photos. There is no rule that works for every -o word, so learn each one.

baby→babiesday→dayswolf→wolvespotato→potatoes
The yellow letters are the ending that changes or is added.
Word for oneWhat changesWord for more than one
babyy to i, then esbabies
dayy stays, add sdays
wolff changes to veswolves
chiefadd s onlychiefs
potatoadd espotatoes
photoadd sphotos
Some endings and the plurals they make.

Key ideas

  • A consonant and y: change the y to i, then add es: baby, babies.
  • A vowel and y: keep the y, then add s: day, days.
  • Most f and fe words change to ves: wolf, wolves; knife, knives. Chief just adds s.
  • Many -o words add es: potatoes, heroes. Some add s: photos, pianos. Learn each one.
Worked example 4.2.1
Write the plural of city.

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

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

Check. cities is more than one city. ✓

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

Worked example 4.2.2
Write the plural of monkey.

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

  1. Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.
    monkey
  2. Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in a vowel and y just adds s. The y stays.
    monkey + s = monkeys
  3. Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.
    monkeys
  4. Write the answer.
    monkeys

Check. monkeys is more than one monkey. ✓

Watch out. Keep the y when a vowel comes before it: days, not daies.

Worked example 4.2.3
Write the plural of hero.

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

  1. Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.
    hero
  2. Find the rule for the ending. Many nouns that end in o add es. Each one has to be learned.
    hero + es = heroes
  3. Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.
    heroes
  4. Write the answer.
    heroes

Check. heroes is more than one hero. ✓

Watch out. Learn each -o word: potatoes, not potatos.

Watch out

Watch out: do not write babys, daies or wolfs. Check the letter before the y, and check the ending of the f word. A consonant before y means a change to i; a vowel before y means the y stays.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Write the word for one, then ask: what is the letter before the last letter? Is it a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or a consonant? Then write the plural and say the rule out loud.

Exercise 4B  Practice: plurals of y, f and o words

1
FWrite the plural of each word.
(a)Write the plural of baby.
(b)Write the plural of party.
(c)Write the plural of monkey.
(d)Write the plural of shelf.
(e)Write the plural of potato.
(f)Write the plural of photo.
2
FWrite the missing plural in each sentence.
(a)Write the missing plural: Our class learned the names of five  .
(b)Write the missing plural: We go to the library on two   each week.
(c)Write the missing plural: Ben tidied his   into the box.
(d)Write the missing plural: Chef Ruby kept two sharp   in the drawer.
(e)Write the missing plural: Mum sliced two   for the salad.
3
PSEach word below is spelt wrongly. Write it correctly.
(a)Ali writes storys. Write it correctly.
(b)Mia writes keies. Write it correctly.
(c)Sam writes wolfs. Write it correctly.
(d)Ben writes chieves. Write it correctly.
(e)Ella writes heros. Write it correctly.
4
FWrite the plural of donkey.
5
FWrite the plural of leaf.
6
FWrite the plural of calf.
7
PSWrite the plural of echo.
8
PSWrite the plural of piano.
9
FWrite the plural of zoo.
10
RExplain why parties changes its y to i, but donkeys keeps its y.
11
RSome -o words add s and some add es. Give one example of each, and explain why these words have to be learned. Accept any correct pair, for example: photos (adds s) and potatoes (adds es), with an answer that says there is no simple rule.

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