Regular plurals · Learn the idea
Regular plurals
Singular means one. Plural means more than one.
For many nouns, add -s: cat becomes cats. Often add -es after s, x, sh or ch: bus becomes buses; box becomes boxes.
After a consonant and y, change y to ies: baby becomes babies. After a vowel and y, just add s: toy becomes toys. The vowel letters are a, e, i, o and u.
one cat → two cats
Add s to cat. Do not add an apostrophe to make this plural.
one brush → three brushes
Brush ends in sh. Add es.
one baby → two babies; one toy → two toys
B before the y is a consonant; o before the y is a vowel. Check that letter before changing y.
Remember: Check the ending. Many nouns use -s or -es; consonant + y changes to -ies.
Grown-up guide
Answers for later: cups, brushes, puppies, keys. This starter covers common s/es/ies patterns, not every spelling exception. Teach other endings in small groups after these are secure.
Allow about 10 minutes, with breaks as needed. Listen to the explanation and look at the child’s own sentences. Correct choices alone do not show mastery. Writing is reviewed together, not automatically marked.
A useful starting point: nouns.
No account or saved answers. Reloading starts this lesson again. Read aloud uses your device’s voice and does not read your typed writing.