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Nouns (Irregular Plural) 01
'I keep several mice and this is the bravest mouse that I own'. Note that 'mice' is a collective noun for 'mouse'.

Nouns (Irregular Plural) 01

Some nouns don’t add -s or -es to make plurals. This KS3 English quiz explores irregular plurals, including Latin/Greek forms and exceptions you’ll meet in reading and exams.

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Fascinating Fact:

Cactus has two plurals, cacti and cactuses, the shop sold five cacti this morning.

In KS3 English, you’ll learn how irregular plurals work. Some change the vowel (mouse → mice), some change the word (child → children), some keep the same form (sheep → sheep), and some keep classical endings (cactus → cacti/cactuses).

  • Irregular plural: A plural that does not follow the usual -s or -es rule (e.g., man → men).
  • Classical plural: A plural borrowed from Latin or Greek (e.g., cactus → cacti, criterion → criteria).
  • Invariant noun: A noun whose singular and plural look the same (e.g., fish, sheep).
What is an irregular plural in English?

An irregular plural does not simply add -s or -es. Examples include child → children, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice, and sheep → sheep.

Is it correct to say cacti or cactuses?

Both are correct. Cacti follows the Latin pattern; cactuses follows regular English rules. Choose one style and use it consistently in your writing.

How can I spot irregular plurals in KS3 exams?

Look for vowel changes (man → men), different endings (goose → geese), invariant forms (deer), or classical plurals (bacterium → bacteria).

1 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Dormouse
Dormice
Dormices
Dormouses
Dormouse's
Remember that the plural of "mouse" is "mice"
2 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Ox
Oxen
Oxen's
Oxes
Oxs
But the plural of "fox" is "foxes"
3 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Gentleman
Gentlemans
Gentleman's
Gentlemen
Gentlesmen
It's easy to remember this one, because the plural of "man" is "men"
4 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Child
Children
Childrens
Childs
Child's
Not "childs"!
5 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Die (a cube used to play board games)
Dice
Dices
Dice's
Dies
One cube is a "die" although we usually say "dice" anyway
6 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Woman
Womans
Woman's
Women
Women's
"Woman's" means "belonging to a woman"
7 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Tooth
Teeth
Teeths
Tooths
Tooth's
But the plural of "booth" is "booths"
8 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Goose
Geese
Geeses
Gooses
Goose's
But "moose" is the same whether singular or plural
9 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Mouse
Mice
Mices
Mouses
Mouse's
"Mouse's" means "belonging to a mouse"!
10 .
Find the plural for the following word.
Foot
Feet
Feets
Foots
Foot's
Imagine if the plural of "boot" were "beet"! It's "boots", of course!
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What is a noun?

Author:  Sue Daish (English Teacher, Principal Examiner & Published Author)

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