3. The formation of plurals
d. Nouns ending in f or fe
e. Nouns ending in o
d. Nouns ending in 'F' or 'Fe'
| Singular | Plural |
| calf | calves |
| elf | elves |
| half | halves |
| leaf | leaves |
| loaf | loaves |
| self | selves |
| sheaf | sheaves |
| shelf | shelves |
| thief | thieves |
| wolf | wolves |
In addition, the following nouns ending in fe form the plural by changing the f to v and adding s:
| Singular | Plural |
| knife | knives |
| life | lives |
| wife | wives |
There are also a few nouns ending in f which can form the plural in two different ways. For example:
| Singular | Plural |
| hoof | hoofs or hooves |
| scarf | scarfs or scarves |
| staff | staffs or staves |
| wharf | wharfs or wharves |
Most other nouns ending in f or fe form the plural simply by adding s.
Exercise 5
5. For each of the following sentences, change the subject of the verb to the plural, and change the verb so that it agrees with its subject. For example:
The knife has been sharpened.
The knives have been sharpened.
The reef attracts tourists.
The reefs attract tourists.
The thief will be caught.
The thieves will be caught.
1. The leaf has turned red.
2. The fife had the solo.
3. The calf is hungry.
4. The scarf kept him warm.
5. The knife will be useful.
6. The giraffe was eating leaves.
7. The cliff is being explored by geologists.
8. The wolf howls every night.
9. The loaf is rising.
10. The chief will decide.
11. The shelf is being used.
12. The proof is convincing.
d. Nouns ending in 'O'
Some English nouns ending in o form the plural by adding s, some form the plural by adding es, and some can form the plural by adding either s or es. The following fairly commonly used nouns form the plural by adding es:
| Singular | Plural |
| archipelago | archipelagoes |
| cargo | cargoes |
| echo | echoes |
| hero | heroes |
| innuendo | innuendoes |
| mosquito | mosquitoes |
| potato | potatoes |
| tomato | tomatoes |
| tornado | tornadoes |
| torpedo | torpedoes |
| veto | vetoes |
| volcano | volcanoes |
Most other nouns ending in o, particularly those of Spanish or Italian origin, can form the plural simply by adding s; however a good dictionary should be consulted in cases of doubt. For example:
| Singular | Plural |
| albino | albinos |
| alto | altos |
| casino | casinos |
| piano | pianos |
| radio | radios |
| ratio | ratios |
| silo | silos |
| solo | solos |
| sombrero | sombreros |
| soprano | sopranos |
| studio | studios |
Exercise 6
6. For each of the following sentences, change the subject of the verb to the plural, and change the verb so that it agrees with its subject. For example:
The hero was enthusiastically welcomed.
The heroes were enthusiastically welcomed.
The studio is used by many artists.
The studios are used by many artists.
1. The radio is broadcasting news every hour.
2. The tomato was being baked.
3. The mosquito woke us up.
4. The soprano performed with the orchestra.
5. The solo was played by the violinist.
6. The archipelago lies off the coast of South America.
7. The silo is used for storing corn.
8. The potato has been boiled.
9. The volcano is not active.
10. The casino was open until one o'clock in the morning.
11. The innuendo should be ignored.
12. The ratio has been favorable.
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