THE FLATMATES Language point: Spelling - plural nouns

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The Flatmates Spelling - plural nouns You can see this language point online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode116/languagepoint.shtml The most common way of making nouns plural is to add 's' or 'es' (book, books, box, boxes). Here some other rules about the spelling of plural nouns. Nouns ending consonant + y baby babies city cities lorry lorries lady ladies butterfly butterflies pony ponies Nouns ending sh, -ch, -s, -x, or z bush bushes church churches bus buses box boxes buzz buzzes There are some nouns ending in o which also fall into this category: tomato tomatoes potato potatoes echo echoes hero heroes volcano volcanoes mosquito mosquitoes But most nouns ending in o don't fall into this category: photo photos piano pianos solo solos Eskimo Eskimos radio radios studio studios Nouns ending f or -fe calf calves half halves wife wives wolf wolves life lives leaf leaves Note: the plural of roof can be roofs or rooves

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Uncountable singular nouns ending s Normally there are no plurals of these nouns: athletics mathematics physics news politics economics Plural nouns These nouns have no singular versions: trousers clothes goods thanks congratulations earnings Other nouns with irregular plurals Normally there are no plurals of these words: mouse mice child children person people tooth teeth woman women goose geese Vocabulary: DIY

Short for do-it-yourself (do tasks around the home or garden rather than pay someone

to do the work for you)

I had the flat to myself

no-one else was in the flat except me

checked with

asked that it's OK or asked permission from someone

give someone the thumbs up

tell someone it's OK to do something, show you approve of something

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Would you like to try an online quiz about this language point? Go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode116/quiz.shtml Or you can download the quiz from: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode116/fm_quiz_071023.pdf

For more information about this language point go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv219.shtml