Adding -s
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, 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