UsingEnglish.com

Simple Irregular and Regular Plurals Presentation

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Easy presentation task for irregular plural nouns and regular plural nouns.

By: Alex Case
Level: All Levels
Theme: General
Study Area: Nouns
      Page: /

Lesson Plan Content:


Simple irregular and regular plurals presentation

On each line below, only one of the nouns has a regular plural (+s/ +es/ -ies) and the other is irregular. Change the one regular one to the plural and also change the irregular one if you can. You can skip the irregular plural if you aren’t sure, but please always change one on each line to the regular plural before you move onto the next line.

Elementary

boy                                                  man

girl                                                   woman

human                              person

child                                               kid

foot                                                  hand

postman                                         teacher

air hostess                                     policewoman

pupil                                               schoolchild

 

Pre-Intermediate

homemaker                                   housewife

tongue                              tooth

mouse                             rat

knife                                                roof

dolphin                             goldfish

 

Intermediate

criminal                            thief

loaf                                                 bread roll

branch                              leaf

death                                              life

deer                                                horse

 

Upper Intermediate

century                             millennium

serial                                              series

material                                          medium

crisis                                              panic

individual                                       yourself

alumnus                                        fellow graduate

axis                                                 line

half                                                  quarter

goat                                                sheep

duck                                                goose

fox                                                   wolf

pony                                               reindeer

factory                              steelworks

means                             way

 

Advanced

innings                                          run

analysis                                         calculation

event                                              phenomenon

dissertation                                    thesis

bacterium                                      virus

hypothesis                                    theory

summary                                        synopsis

combination                                  synthesis                                      

boost                                              stimulus

organism                                        species

basis                                              foundation

flea                                                  louse

spacecraft                                     spaceship

tuna                                               whale

calf                                                 piglet

lake                                                 oasis

brown bear                                    wild boar                         

salmon                                          sardine

clam                                                squid

tadpole                             trout

criterion                                         checklist

diagnosis                                       treatment

biceps                              muscle

pheasant                                        quail

bison                                              cow

moose                              polar bear

faux pas                                        slipup

caterpillar                                       larva

nervous tick                                   neurosis

electron                                          nucleus

cure                                                prognosis

sheaf                                              sheet

layer                                               stratum

conference                                    symposium

spine                                              vertebra

executive summary                      précis

assignation                                    rendezvous

intersection                                    locus

battalion                                         corps

metamorphosis                            transformation

cow                                                 ox

elf                                                   pixie

dwarf                                              troll

pig                                                   swine

hoof                                                proof

carp                                                crab

eel                                                   koi

futon                                              samurai

geek                                              otaku

mussel                             starfish

automaton                                     robot

edit                                                  erratum

 

Try to make generalisations about what kinds of words are irregular above, then use patterns those to fill in some of the other irregular plurals.

Use the hints below to add and check more irregular plurals above.

  • a final “-f” often changes to “-ves”
  • final “-um” in Latin words often changes to “-a”
  • final “-is” sometimes changes to “-es”
  • final “-us” in Latin words often changes to “-i”
  • final “-on” in Latin words sometimes changes to “-a”
  • final “-a” in singular Latin words sometimes changes to “-ae”
  • animals and fish are often the same in the singular and plural (but shellfish tend to have regular plurals)
  • some animals and other words such as some body parts change the vowel in the middle of the word
  • some old (and often outdated) words have very irregular plural forms like “-en”
  • foreign words which still seem foreign tend to be the same in the singular and plural, especially if they only refer to foreign things
  • some singular words ending in “-s” don’t change in the plural (although the pronunciation sometimes changes)
  • final “-s” in French words usually doesn’t change when changing to the plural, but English speakers sometimes pronounce the “-s” only when it is a plural

Check as a class or with the answer key, then test each other in pairs:

  • Read out a pair above and see if your partner can say the regular plural back
  • Read out a pair above and see if your partner can say which one is irregular
  • Read out a word which makes an irregular plural and see if your partner can say the plural
  • Read out a pair above and see if your partner can make both plurals

 

Suggested answers

Elementary

boys                                                men

girls                                                 women

humans                                          people

children                                         kids

feet                                                  hands

postmen                                         teachers

air hostesses                                 policewomen

pupils                                             schoolchildren

 

Pre-Intermediate

homemakers                                 housewives

tongues                                          teeth

mice                                               rats

knives                                             roofs

dolphins                                         goldfish

 

Intermediate

criminals                                        thieves

loaves                              bead rolls

branches                                        leaves

deaths                              lives

deer                                                horses

 

Upper Intermediate

centuries                                        millennia

serials                                            series

materials                                        media

crises                               panics

individuals                                     yourselves

alumni                             fellow graduates

axes                                                lines

halves                                            quarters

goats                                              sheep

ducks                                              geese

foxes                                               wolves

ponies                                            reindeer

factories                                         steelworks

means                             ways

 

Advanced

innings                                          runs

analyses                                        calculations

events                                            phenomena

dissertations                                  theses

bacteria                                         viruses

hypotheses                                   theories

summaries                                     synopses

combinations                                syntheses                                     

boosts                                            stimuli

organisms                                      species

bases                              foundations

fleas                                                lice

spacecraft                                     spaceships

tuna                                               whales

calves                              piglets

lakes                                               oases

brown bears                                  wild boar                         

salmon                                          sardines

clams                                              squid

tadpoles                                         trout

criteria                             checklists

diagnoses                                      treatments

biceps                              muscles

pheasants                                      quail

bison                                              cows

moose                              polar bears

faux pas                                        slipups

caterpillars                                     larvae

nervous ticks                                 neuroses

electrons                                        nuclei

cures                                              prognoses

sheaves                                         sheets

layers                                             strata

conferences                                  symposia

spines                                            vertebrae

executive summaries     précis

assignations                                  rendezvous

intersections                                  loci

battalions                                       corps

metamorphoses                          transformations

cows                                               oxen

elves                                              pixies

dwarves                                         trolls

pigs                                                 swine

hooves                             proofs

carp                                                crabs

eels                                                 koi

futons                              samurai

geeks                              otaku

mussels                                         starfish

automata                                        robot

edits                                                errata

Terms of Use

Lesson plans & worksheets can be used by teachers without any fee in the classroom; however, please ensure you keep all copyright information and references to UsingEnglish.com in place.

You will need Adobe Reader to view these files.

Get Adobe Reader


Trustpilot