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Year 2 English — Plural rules

Make the plural of a noun using the -s, -es, -ies and -ves rules, and know the words that follow none of them.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Pair each noun with its plural.

    • leaf
    • knife
    • wolf
    • shelf
    • loaf
    • leaves
    • knives
    • wolves
    • loaves
    • shelves

  2. 2.Sort each noun by what happens to the y at its end.

    Groups: y becomes ies · y stays and -s is added

    • story
    • boy
    • city
    • day
    • baby
    • key

  3. 3.Write the plural of "bench".

  4. 4.Write the plural of "thief".

  5. 5.Write the plural of "glass".

  6. 6.Write the plural of "potato".

  7. 7.Which sentence is correct?

    • a) Three child were waiting.
    • b) Three childs were waiting.
    • c) Three childrens were waiting.
    • d) Three children were waiting.

  8. 8.Which nouns need -es rather than just -s?

    • a) ones ending in a vowel
    • b) ones with two syllables
    • c) ones ending in s, x, ch, sh or z
    • d) ones ending in a consonant

Answer key — Year 2 English — Plural rules

  1. 1. leaf → leaves; knife → knives; wolf → wolves; shelf → shelves; loaf → loaves
  2. 2. baby → y becomes ies; day → y stays and -s is added; city → y becomes ies; key → y stays and -s is added; story → y becomes ies; boy → y stays and -s is added
  3. 3. benches
  4. 4. thieves
  5. 5. glasses
  6. 6. potatoes
  7. 7. d) Three children were waiting.
  8. 8. c) ones ending in s, x, ch, sh or z