Year 4 English: Regular plurals: adding s and es
Part of the Year 4 English plurals and possession chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Regular plurals: adding s and es
A plural is the word for more than one. Most nouns add s: one cat, two cats.
Some nouns end in s, x, ch or sh. These add es: one box, two boxes; one watch, two watches.
A plural never needs an apostrophe. Cat's with an apostrophe means that one cat owns something. It is not the plural of cat.
Key ideas
- Most nouns add s: cat, cats; dog, dogs; book, books.
- A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es: box, boxes; watch, watches; glass, glasses.
- Check the last letters of the word for one before you choose the ending.
- A plural never has an apostrophe.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of cat, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.cat
- Find the rule for the ending. Most nouns add s to make the plural.cat + s = cats
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.cats
- Write the answer. cats
Check. cats is more than one cat. ✓
Watch out. Do not put an apostrophe in a plural: cats, not cat's.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of box, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.box
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.box + es = boxes
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.boxes
- Write the answer. boxes
Check. boxes is more than one box. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of watch, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.watch
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.watch + es = watches
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.watches
- Write the answer. watches
Check. watches is more than one watch. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Watch out
Watch out: cat's is not the plural of cat. Cats is the plural. The apostrophe is for one owner, or for a short form. Do not add an apostrophe just because there is more than one of something.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to count out three things, such as three cups or three boxes. Then ask: what are the last letters of the word? If it ends in s, x, ch or sh, the plural ends in es. Otherwise, add s.
Exercise 4A Practice: regular plurals
Method. Find the rule for the ending of cat, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.cat
- Find the rule for the ending. Most nouns add s to make the plural.cat + s = cats
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.cats
- Write the answer. cats
Check. cats is more than one cat. ✓
Watch out. Do not put an apostrophe in a plural: cats, not cat's.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of tree, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.tree
- Find the rule for the ending. Most nouns add s to make the plural.tree + s = trees
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.trees
- Write the answer. trees
Check. trees is more than one tree. ✓
Watch out. Do not put an apostrophe in a plural: cats, not cat's.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of box, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.box
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.box + es = boxes
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.boxes
- Write the answer. boxes
Check. boxes is more than one box. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of watch, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.watch
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.watch + es = watches
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.watches
- Write the answer. watches
Check. watches is more than one watch. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Read the sentence, then choose the plural that fits the gap.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Decide whether the gap needs one or more than one.Two ___ ran across the park.
- Find the plural that fits. Most nouns add s to make the plural.dog + s = dogs
- Put the plural in the gap. Read the whole sentence again. It makes sense.Two dogs ran across the park.
- Write the answer. dogs
Check. Read the whole sentence with dogs in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not put an apostrophe in a plural: cats, not cat's.
Method. Read the sentence, then choose the plural that fits the gap.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Decide whether the gap needs one or more than one.There are ten ___ in the pot.
- Find the plural that fits. Most nouns add s to make the plural.pen + s = pens
- Put the plural in the gap. Read the whole sentence again. It makes sense.There are ten pens in the pot.
- Write the answer. pens
Check. Read the whole sentence with pens in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not put an apostrophe in a plural: cats, not cat's.
Method. Read the sentence, then choose the plural that fits the gap.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Decide whether the gap needs one or more than one.Two ___ crossed the field at dusk.
- Find the plural that fits. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.fox + es = foxes
- Put the plural in the gap. Read the whole sentence again. It makes sense.Two foxes crossed the field at dusk.
- Write the answer. foxes
Check. Read the whole sentence with foxes in it. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Read the sentence, then choose the plural that fits the gap.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Decide whether the gap needs one or more than one.Amira put the ___ on the tray.
- Find the plural that fits. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.glass + es = glasses
- Put the plural in the gap. Read the whole sentence again. It makes sense.Amira put the glasses on the tray.
- Write the answer. glasses
Check. Read the whole sentence with glasses in it. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the rule for the ending.
- Look at book's. Compare it with the plural of book.book's is not right
- Find the rule. Most nouns add s to make the plural.book + s = books
- Write it correctly. Check every letter.books
- Write the answer. books
Check. Read books and check every letter. ✓
Watch out. Do not put an apostrophe in a plural: cats, not cat's.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the rule for the ending.
- Look at hat's. Compare it with the plural of hat.hat's is not right
- Find the rule. Most nouns add s to make the plural.hat + s = hats
- Write it correctly. Check every letter.hats
- Write the answer. hats
Check. Read hats and check every letter. ✓
Watch out. Do not put an apostrophe in a plural: cats, not cat's.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the rule for the ending.
- Look at dishs. Compare it with the plural of dish.dishs is not right
- Find the rule. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.dish + es = dishes
- Write it correctly. Check every letter.dishes
- Write the answer. dishes
Check. Read dishes and check every letter. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the rule for the ending.
- Look at churchs. Compare it with the plural of church.churchs is not right
- Find the rule. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.church + es = churches
- Write it correctly. Check every letter.churches
- Write the answer. churches
Check. Read churches and check every letter. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of bench, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.bench
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.bench + es = benches
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.benches
- Write the answer. benches
Check. benches is more than one bench. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of dress, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.dress
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.dress + es = dresses
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.dresses
- Write the answer. dresses
Check. dresses is more than one dress. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of match, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.match
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.match + es = matches
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.matches
- Write the answer. matches
Check. matches is more than one match. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Find the rule for the ending of brush, then make the plural.
- Look at the word for one. Say what the word means, and look at its last letters.brush
- Find the rule for the ending. A noun that ends in s, x, ch or sh adds es.brush + es = brushes
- Make the plural. Write the new word and check every letter.brushes
- Write the answer. brushes
Check. brushes is more than one brush. ✓
Watch out. Add es after s, x, ch or sh: boxes, not boxs.
Method. Look at the last letters of each word.
- Look at fox, class and dish. Each word ends in x, ss or sh, so es is added.fox + es; class + es; dish + es
- Look at tree and hat. Tree and hat do not end in s, x, ch or sh, so only s is added.tree + s; hat + s
- Write the answer. Add s: tree, hat. Add es: fox, class, dish.
Check. Each word is in the right group. ✓
Watch out. Check the last letters of each word.
Method. Compare the apostrophe with the meaning of the words.
- Look at cat's. The apostrophe shows that one cat owns something.cat's = one owner
- Look at three cats. Three is more than one, so the plural cats has no apostrophe.three cats
- Write the answer. Three cats. Cat's has an apostrophe, but a plural never needs an apostrophe.
Check. The plural of cat is cats. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe is never used for a plural.
Method. Look at the last letters of each word for one.
- Look at watch. Watch ends in ch.watch + es
- Look at walk. Walk ends in k, which is not in the list of endings that add es.walk + s
- Write the answer. Watch ends in ch, so es is added: watches. Walk ends in k, which is not s, x, ch or sh, so only s is added: walks.
Check. The ending decides the plural. ✓
Watch out. Look at the letters at the end, not at the middle of the word.
Method. Find the plural of each word from its ending.
- Look at pen. Pen ends in n, so it adds s: pens.pen + s
- Look at hat. Hat ends in t, so it adds s: hats.hat + s
- Write the answer. No. Hat ends in t, so it adds s: hats. Hates is a different word.
Check. Hats is the plural of hat. ✓
Watch out. Hates is a different word, the verb hate.