Words That End in -o and -y Can Be Plural Too!

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Because we live in a world with plurals, we need to know how to show that in our writing.

We show plurals through changes in our spelling. Some words, like those that end in -o and -y, follow special rules.

Before we get into those rules, you should remember that:

• singular means there is one item
• plural means there is more than one item
• nouns (people, places, things) can be singular or plural

You will also need to identify vowels and consonants in words in order to follow these plural rules. Refresh your memory with this quick quiz!

Now, let's look at the way we can change a word from singular to plural if the word ends in -o.

When there is a vowel before the last -o, just add an -s.

When there is a consonant before the last -o, add -es.

Here are some examples:

There are some exceptions to this rule, however, such as:

Next, let's see how we can change a word from singular to plural if the word ends in -y.

For nouns that end in a consonant and then -y, change the -y to -ies.

For nouns that end in a vowel and then -y, keep the -y and add an -s after.

Here are some examples:

You just learned a lot of different rules! If you want to review them, you may watch the videos below:

When you are ready, keep going with the Got It? section.