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PluralsYear 7 Spelling Starters

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Contents

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Adding -s and -es

Adding -ies and y + s

Words ending in o

Words ending in f and fe

Unusual plurals

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Plurals – Adding –s and -es

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Adding -s and -es

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To make plurals, often we just add -s.

book books

car cars

sweet sweets

Plurals like this are simple.

Can you think of any other ways to make plurals?

For example:

Adding -s

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Adding -s and -es

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-s, -x, -ch, -sh, -ss, -zz

We add -es to words with these endings:

For example: foxes, coaches, dishes

Adding -es

When do we add -es rather than -s?

Adding an extra syllable makes the plural forms of these words easier to say.

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Plurals – Adding –ies and y + s

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Adding -ies and y + s

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Activity

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Rules

consonant + y → consonant + ies

puppy → puppies

consonant + y → consonant + ies

Here are the rules for making plurals with words ending in y:

vowel + y → vowel + y + s

toy → toys

vowel + y → vowel + y + s

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medals

goals

trophies

penalties

footballs

injuries

Activity

Can you make the following words plural?

medal

goal

trophy

penalty

football

injury

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Plurals – Words ending in o

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Words ending in o

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Activity

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Plurals ending in o

What do you notice about the patterns of the words?

pianossolospiccoloscellosbanjosconcertosdiscos

Most plurals ending in o just add s, especially musicalwords. The words in the right hand column above are irregular, you need to learn them separately.

potatoesdominoesvolcanoesmangoesheroestomatoes

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Plurals – Words ending in f and fe

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Words ending in f and fe

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Some words ending in f just take an s:

chief chiefs

roof roofs

belief beliefs

Words ending in ff just add s:

cliff cliffs

sniff sniffs

Words ending in f and fe

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These words form the plural by changing the f to v and adding -es.

half halves

calf calves

shelf shelves

knife knives

Look what happens with these words:

Some words can use either spelling:E.g. hoof hoofs or hooves; dwarf dwarfs or dwarves.

Words ending in f and fe

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Activity

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Plurals – Unusual plurals

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Unusual plurals

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Unusual plurals

These words have kept the original plural form from Latin.

These animals all have unusual plurals.

For these words the singular is the same as the plural.

antenna antennaeformula formulaelarva larvae

goose geeselouse licemouse mice

deer deersheep sheep

The words below all have unusual plurals:

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Unusual plurals

crises

emphases

theses

cacti

nuclei

hippopotami or hippopotamuses

The words below have more unusual plurals:

crisis

emphasis

thesis

cactus

nucleus

hippopotamus

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Unusual plurals

What do you note about the words below? Clue: Think about the singular form.

scissors pyjamas knickers

trousers shorts trousers

binoculars tights jeans

They do not have a singular form.

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Activity