Adding -s - Learning English

We add -s to words for two reasons:

1. to make plural nouns (boy > boys)
2. to form the 3rd person singular of the present simple tense (I work > you work > he works)

Spelling Rule
Just add -s to the end of the word, for example:

• dog > dogs
• play > plays
• demand > demands

Exceptions

If the word ends in:	do this:	and add:	For example:
-ch -s -sh -x -z	nothing	-es	church > churches mass > masses brush > brushes fax > faxes box > boxes chintz > chintzes
-f -fe	remove the -f or -fe	-ves	wife > wives calf > calves except: beliefs, cliffs, chiefs, dwarfs, griefs, gulfs, proofs, roofs
consonant + -y	remove the -y	-ies	spy > spies baby > babies
Note: words that end in -o normally just add s, except: buffalo > buffaloes cargoes (or cargos) domino > dominoes echo > echoes go > goes grotto > grottoes halo > haloes hero > heroes mango > mangoes mosquito > mosquitoes motto > mottoes (or mottos) potato > potatoes tomato > tomatoes tornado > tornadoes torpedo > torpedoes veto > vetoes volcano > volcanoes