In this article we are going to know about plural suffix. Let us know what plural suffix, when, where and how it is used.
Plural suffix is actually an inflectional suffix, where the meaning of the word remains unchanged when the suffix is added to the word. A suffix is nothing but a group of letters which is added at the end of a word. Plural suffix is a grammatical suffix, where letters are added at the end of the word (countable noun) to change the number of the word from singular to many (plural).
Do go through the following examples of plural suffix for better understanding.
- 1. My daughter has so many toys to play with.
- 2. There are two boxes on the table.
- 3. There are so many colorful butterflies in the garden.
- 4. I asked my father to buy two loaves of bread while coming home.
- 5. In market, we saw almost five varieties of mangoes.
- 6. The oxen were roaming in the street causing trouble to those passing by.
- 7. The ladies were waiting in the queue to fetch water.
- 8. Since it is a hilly region, there are very few houses here.
- 9. The math formulas (formulae) are quite difficult to remember.
- 10. This city has some of the best colleges in the entire country.
Plural Suffix Examples With Detailed Explanations
Now let us look into each sentence to identify the plural suffix added to the words.
1. My daughter has so many toys to play with.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the noun ‘toy’ to make it plural as the daughter has more than one toy.
2. There are two boxes on the table.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-es’ is added to the word ‘box’ to change it from singular to plural as the number two is mentioned.
3. There are so many colorful butterflies in the garden.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-ies’ is added to the word ‘butterfly’ to make it plural as there are more than one butterfly in the garden.
4. I asked my father to buy two loaves of bread while coming home.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-ves’ is added to the word ‘loaf’ in order to change it into plural as the number two is mentioned.
5. In market, we saw almost five varieties of mangoes.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-ies’ and ‘-es’ is added to the words ‘variety’ and ‘mango’ respectively as there are more than one variety of mango in the market.
6. The oxen were roaming in the street causing trouble to those passing by.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-en’ is added to the noun ‘ox’ to make it plural.
7. The ladies were waiting in the queue to fetch water.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-ies’ is added to the noun ‘lady’ as there are more than one lady waiting in the queue.
8. Since it is a hilly region, there are very few houses here.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word ‘house’ to make it plural as the word ‘few’ is used.
9. The math formulas (formulae) are quite difficult to remember.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ or ‘-e’ can be added to the word ‘formula’ to make it plural.
10. This city has some of the best colleges in the entire country.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word ‘college’ to make it plural as there are more than one best college in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
When to use plural suffix?
Plural suffix is added to a word when the word has to be changed from singular to plural. When the number of the word is more than one, then plural suffix must be added to denote it.
Example: Sujith has two dogs in his house.
In this sentence, the number is mentioned as two and hence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word ‘dog’ to denote plural form of the word.
Why to use plural suffix?
Plural suffix is used so that one can get to know whether an object, person, place or an animal is mentioned in terms of singular or plural. When a plural suffix is used, the readers or listeners get to understand that more than one of a person, place, object or an animal is referred to.
Example: The entire fruit market was filled with bright red colored strawberries.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-ies’ is used to the word ‘strawberry’ to denote that there was no one strawberry but there were many strawberries in the market.
How to use plural suffix?
1. When the word ends with a sibilant sound, then the plural suffix added is ‘-s’ if the word is ending with ‘e’ or ‘-es’.
Example: There are so many unread messages in the inbox.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word ‘message’ as the word ends with ‘e’.
Example: My mother has prepared delicious dishes for dinner.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-es’ is added to the word ‘dish’ to denote the many number of dishes.
2. When the word ends with a voiceless consonant other than the sibilant sounds, then the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word.
Example: The antique shops have so many old antique clocks.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the words shop and clock as they end with voiceless consonants.
3. When the word ends with ‘o’ and is preceded by a consonant, then the plural suffix ‘-es’ is added to the word.
Example: The movie has two famous heroes in it.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-es’ is added to the word ‘hero’ as the word hero ends with ‘o’ and is preceded by the consonant ‘r’.
But however, there are a few exceptions where the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the words that end with ‘o’ and is preceded by consonant.
Example: I do have many photos of my childhood.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word ‘photo’, though it ends in ‘o’ and is preceded by the consonant ‘t’.
4. When the word ends with ‘y’ preceded by a consonant, then the letter ‘y’ is removed and the plural suffix ‘-ies’ is added the word to make it plural.
Example: My sister decorated the cake with cherries.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-ies’ is added to the word ‘cherry’ by removing the letter ‘y’ to make it plural.
5. When the word ends with the letter ‘f’, then the letter ‘f’ is removed and the plural suffix ‘-ves’ is added to make it plural.
Example: The pavement is covered with dried leaves.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-ves’ is added to the word ‘leaf’ by removing the letter ‘f’.
However, in some cases, where the word ends in ‘f’ then the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word to make it plural.
Example: You should give enough proofs to substantiate your points.
In this sentence, the plural suffix ‘-s’ is added to the word ‘proof’ to make it plural.
Where to use plural suffix?
Plural suffix is added at the end of the word that has to be changed from singular to plural. The nouns are the words that will have the plural forms. So, the plural suffix is added at the end of the nouns to make it plural.
Examples:
- Boy – Boys (-s)
- Potato – Potatoes (-es)
- Shelf – Shelves (-ves)
- Lady – Ladies (-ies)
All the above words are nouns and they are changed from singular to plural by adding the plural suffix at the end of the word.
Read More: Diminutive Suffix
Hi… I am Sowndharya Jagadeeswaran, a university rank holder in M.A. English Literature. I have also done my master’s in Business Administration. Inquisitive as I am, my interest in action-oriented research helped me publish research papers in reputed journals. Now, as a career, I am an instructor where I teach young and adorable students the intricate technicalities of Public Speaking and Creative Writing. I also enjoy writing articles on topics I specialize and research in.
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