2.1.5

Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals

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Recap: Regular Plurals

When there is more than one of a noun, the noun becomes a plural. We make regular plurals by adding 's' or 'es' to the end of singular nouns. Let's look at a few examples of regular plurals...

Girl &rightarrow; <b>girls

Girl → girls

Boy &rightarrow; <b>boys

Boy → boys

Dog &rightarrow; <b>dogs

Dog → dogs

Pig &rightarrow; <b>pigs

Pig → pigs

Using Apostrophes with Regular Plural Nouns

We sometimes need to show possession in a sentence, which is when something belongs to someone or something. We do this using an apostrophe ('). Let's walk through an example of how you add an apostrophe to a regular plural noun...

1) Make a sentence using possession

1) Make a sentence using possession

The birds cage was very small.
- 'Birds' is a regular plural. The plural form 'birds' is the singular 'bird' + 's'.
- There is possession in the sentence because the cage belongs to the birds.

2) Put an <b>apostrophe</b> after the 's'

2) Put an apostrophe after the 's'

The birds' cage was very small.

1

Spelling

1.1

Spelling

1.1.1Hard 'U' & 'I' Sounds 1.1.2Words Ending in '-sure', & '-mure'1.1.3Words Ending in '-sion'1.1.4'Ei', 'Eigh' & 'Ey' Spellings 1.1.5Spelling Words with 'Ch'1.1.6Spelling Words with 'Sc'1.1.7Silent Letters 1.1.8i Before e Rule 1.1.9Hard & Soft 'c' Sounds 1.1.10End of Topic Test - Spelling

1.2

Prefixes

1.2.1'Anti-' & 'Auto-'1.2.2Not & 'Inter-'1.2.3'Mis-', 'Dis-' & 'Re-'1.2.4'Sub-' & 'Super-'1.2.5End of Topic Test - Prefixes

1.3

Suffixes

1.3.1Vowel Suffixes 1.3.2Short Vowel Suffixes 1.3.3Suffixes: '-ous'1.3.4Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'1.3.5Rules for Suffixes: '-ous' 2 1.3.6Suffixes: '-ly'1.3.7Suffixes: '-ation'1.3.8Suffixes: '-ation' 2 1.3.9Spelling: '-tion' Endings 1.3.10Spelling: '-sion' Endings 1.3.11Spelling: '-ssion' Endings 1.3.12Spelling: '-cian' Endings 1.3.13End of Topic Test - Suffixes 1.3.14End of Topic Test - Spelling

1.4

Making Words Plural

1.4.1Plurals 1.4.2End of Topic Test - Plurals

1.5

Homophones

1.6

Word Meanings

1.6.1Homonyms 1.6.2End of Topic Test - Homonyms

2

Punctuation

3

Grammar

3.1

Word Classes

3.1.1Nouns 3.1.2Pronouns 3.1.3Verbs 3.1.4Adjectives & Adverbs 3.1.5Qualifiers & Quantifiers 3.1.6Determiners 3.1.7Prepositions 3.1.8Synonyms & Antonyms 3.1.9End of Topic Test - Word Classes

3.2

Conjunctions

3.2.1Coordinating Conjunctions 3.2.2Subordinating Conjunctions 3.2.3End of Topic Test - Conjunctions

3.3

Writing Coherently

3.3.1Building Cohesion in Writing 3.3.2Avoiding Ambiguity in Writing 3.3.3End of Topic Test - Cohesion

3.4

Verbs

3.4.1Subject-verb Agreement 3.4.2End of Topic Test - Subject-verb

3.5

Modal Verbs

3.5.1Modal Verbs 3.5.2Can & Could 3.5.3May & Might 3.5.4Should & Shall 3.5.5Will & Would 3.5.6Must & Have To 3.5.7End of Topic Test - Modals

3.6

Phrasal Verbs

3.6.1Phrasal Verbs 3.6.2End of Topic Test - Phrasal Verbs

3.7

Subjunctive Verbs

3.7.1Subjunctive Verbs 3.7.2End of Topic Test - Verbs

3.8

Sentences

3.8.1Subject of a Sentence 3.8.2Object of a Sentence 3.8.3Main & Subordinate Clauses 3.8.4Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences 3.8.5Complex Sentences 3.8.6Relative Clauses 3.8.7Relative Clauses Without Relative Pronouns 3.8.8Participle Clauses 3.8.9Run-on Sentences 3.8.10Sentence Functions 3.8.11End of Topic Test - Sentences

3.9

Tenses

3.9.1Present Tense 3.9.2Past Tense 3.9.3Past Tense Using Have 3.9.4Future Tense 3.9.5Present vs Past vs Future 3.9.6Continuity of Tenses 3.9.7End of Topic Test - Tenses

3.10

Adverbials

3.10.1Adverbial 3.10.2Saying Where & When 3.10.3Saying How Often 3.10.4Saying How & Why 3.10.5Using Commas for Fronted Adverbials 3.10.6End of Topic Test - Adverbials

3.11

Language Techniques

3.11.1Figurative & Emotive Language 3.11.2Active & Passive Voice 3.11.3Idiomatic Expressions 3.11.4End of Topic Test - Language Techniques

4

Decoding Words

4.1

Common Word Roots

4.1.1Saving 4.1.2Certainty & Clarity 4.1.3New & Alone 4.1.4Believing & Thinking 4.1.5Carrying & Leading 4.1.6Shape & Place 4.1.7Doing & Making 4.1.8Climbing & Going 4.1.9End of Topic Test - Common Root Words 4.1.10End of Topic Test - Common Root Words 2

4.2

Common Prefixes

4.2.1For & Against 4.2.2All & Same 4.2.3Away & Far 4.2.4Colour & Shape 4.2.5Back & Down 4.2.6Numbers 4.2.7Across & Through 4.2.8Life & Earth 4.2.9Empty & Broken 4.2.10Great & Greater 4.2.11Hearing & Speaking 4.2.12Apart & Together 4.2.13Over & Under 4.2.14In 4.2.15Less & Smaller 4.2.16Before & After 4.2.17End of Topic Test - Common Prefixes 2 4.2.18End of Topic Test - Common Prefixes

4.3

Common Suffixes

4.3.1Characterised By 4.3.2Disease 4.3.3Lover & Lacking 4.3.4Belief & Study 4.3.5People 4.3.6State & Quality 4.3.7Sound & Colour 4.3.8Capable & Relating 4.3.9End of Topic Test - Common Suffixes 4.3.10End of Topic Test - Common Suffixes 2

5

Reading & Writing

Jump to other topics

1

Spelling

1.1

Spelling

1.1.1Hard 'U' & 'I' Sounds 1.1.2Words Ending in '-sure', & '-mure'1.1.3Words Ending in '-sion'1.1.4'Ei', 'Eigh' & 'Ey' Spellings 1.1.5Spelling Words with 'Ch'1.1.6Spelling Words with 'Sc'1.1.7Silent Letters 1.1.8i Before e Rule 1.1.9Hard & Soft 'c' Sounds 1.1.10End of Topic Test - Spelling

1.2

Prefixes

1.2.1'Anti-' & 'Auto-'1.2.2Not & 'Inter-'1.2.3'Mis-', 'Dis-' & 'Re-'1.2.4'Sub-' & 'Super-'1.2.5End of Topic Test - Prefixes

1.3

Suffixes

1.3.1Vowel Suffixes 1.3.2Short Vowel Suffixes 1.3.3Suffixes: '-ous'1.3.4Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'1.3.5Rules for Suffixes: '-ous' 2 1.3.6Suffixes: '-ly'1.3.7Suffixes: '-ation'1.3.8Suffixes: '-ation' 2 1.3.9Spelling: '-tion' Endings 1.3.10Spelling: '-sion' Endings 1.3.11Spelling: '-ssion' Endings 1.3.12Spelling: '-cian' Endings 1.3.13End of Topic Test - Suffixes 1.3.14End of Topic Test - Spelling

1.4

Making Words Plural

1.4.1Plurals 1.4.2End of Topic Test - Plurals

1.5

Homophones

1.6

Word Meanings

1.6.1Homonyms 1.6.2End of Topic Test - Homonyms

2

Punctuation

3

Grammar

3.1

Word Classes

3.1.1Nouns 3.1.2Pronouns 3.1.3Verbs 3.1.4Adjectives & Adverbs 3.1.5Qualifiers & Quantifiers 3.1.6Determiners 3.1.7Prepositions 3.1.8Synonyms & Antonyms 3.1.9End of Topic Test - Word Classes

3.2

Conjunctions

3.2.1Coordinating Conjunctions 3.2.2Subordinating Conjunctions 3.2.3End of Topic Test - Conjunctions

3.3

Writing Coherently

3.3.1Building Cohesion in Writing 3.3.2Avoiding Ambiguity in Writing 3.3.3End of Topic Test - Cohesion

3.4

Verbs

3.4.1Subject-verb Agreement 3.4.2End of Topic Test - Subject-verb

3.5

Modal Verbs

3.5.1Modal Verbs 3.5.2Can & Could 3.5.3May & Might 3.5.4Should & Shall 3.5.5Will & Would 3.5.6Must & Have To 3.5.7End of Topic Test - Modals

3.6

Phrasal Verbs

3.6.1Phrasal Verbs 3.6.2End of Topic Test - Phrasal Verbs

3.7

Subjunctive Verbs

3.7.1Subjunctive Verbs 3.7.2End of Topic Test - Verbs

3.8

Sentences

3.8.1Subject of a Sentence 3.8.2Object of a Sentence 3.8.3Main & Subordinate Clauses 3.8.4Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences 3.8.5Complex Sentences 3.8.6Relative Clauses 3.8.7Relative Clauses Without Relative Pronouns 3.8.8Participle Clauses 3.8.9Run-on Sentences 3.8.10Sentence Functions 3.8.11End of Topic Test - Sentences

3.9

Tenses

3.9.1Present Tense 3.9.2Past Tense 3.9.3Past Tense Using Have 3.9.4Future Tense 3.9.5Present vs Past vs Future 3.9.6Continuity of Tenses 3.9.7End of Topic Test - Tenses

3.10

Adverbials

3.10.1Adverbial 3.10.2Saying Where & When 3.10.3Saying How Often 3.10.4Saying How & Why 3.10.5Using Commas for Fronted Adverbials 3.10.6End of Topic Test - Adverbials

3.11

Language Techniques

3.11.1Figurative & Emotive Language 3.11.2Active & Passive Voice 3.11.3Idiomatic Expressions 3.11.4End of Topic Test - Language Techniques

4

Decoding Words

4.1

Common Word Roots

4.1.1Saving 4.1.2Certainty & Clarity 4.1.3New & Alone 4.1.4Believing & Thinking 4.1.5Carrying & Leading 4.1.6Shape & Place 4.1.7Doing & Making 4.1.8Climbing & Going 4.1.9End of Topic Test - Common Root Words 4.1.10End of Topic Test - Common Root Words 2

4.2

Common Prefixes

4.2.1For & Against 4.2.2All & Same 4.2.3Away & Far 4.2.4Colour & Shape 4.2.5Back & Down 4.2.6Numbers 4.2.7Across & Through 4.2.8Life & Earth 4.2.9Empty & Broken 4.2.10Great & Greater 4.2.11Hearing & Speaking 4.2.12Apart & Together 4.2.13Over & Under 4.2.14In 4.2.15Less & Smaller 4.2.16Before & After 4.2.17End of Topic Test - Common Prefixes 2 4.2.18End of Topic Test - Common Prefixes

4.3

Common Suffixes

4.3.1Characterised By 4.3.2Disease 4.3.3Lover & Lacking 4.3.4Belief & Study 4.3.5People 4.3.6State & Quality 4.3.7Sound & Colour 4.3.8Capable & Relating 4.3.9End of Topic Test - Common Suffixes 4.3.10End of Topic Test - Common Suffixes 2

5

Reading & Writing

Practice questions on Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

1
What do we add to the end of singular nouns to make __regular plurals__?Multiple choice
2
Write the plural forms of these singular nouns:Fill in the list
3
What is the plural form of __biscuit__?Multiple choice
4
What is the singular form of __crickets__?Multiple choice
5
Is the noun __nail__ singular or plural?Multiple choice

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Commas 2

Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals