2.9.2

Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals

Test yourself

Recap: Irregular Plurals

Irregular plurals do not end in 's' or 'es' like regular plurals. Let's look at a few examples of irregular plurals, just incase you have forgotten what they look like...

Using Apostrophes with Irregular 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 2 examples of how you add an apostrophe to irregular plural nouns...

Illustrative background for 1) Make a sentence using possessionIllustrative background for 1) Make a sentence using possession ?? "content

1) Make a sentence using possession

  • The sheeps pen was very crowded.
    • Sheep is an irregular plural noun. It is the same as the singular noun 'sheep'.
    • There is an 's' at the end of sheep because the pen belongs to the sheep. This means there is possession in this sentence.
Illustrative background for 2) Add an apostrophe <b>before</b> the sIllustrative background for 2) Add an apostrophe <b>before</b> the s ?? "content

2) Add an apostrophe before the s

  • The sheep's pen was very crowded.
    • With regular plural nouns that end in 's', the apostrophe comes after the 's'.
    • But here, we have added the apostrophe before the 's' because sheep is an irregular plural.
Illustrative background for 1) Make a sentence using possessionIllustrative background for 1) Make a sentence using possession ?? "content

1) Make a sentence using possession

  • The childrens coats were wet.
    • Children is an irregular plural noun. The singular noun is 'child'.
    • There is an 's' at the end of children because the coats belong to the children. This means there is possession in this sentence.
Illustrative background for 2) Add an apostrophe <b>before</b> the sIllustrative background for 2) Add an apostrophe <b>before</b> the s ?? "content

2) Add an apostrophe before the s

  • The children's coats were wet.
    • With regular plural nouns that end in 's', the apostrophe comes after the 's'.
    • But here, we have added the apostrophe before the 's' because children is an irregular plural.

Jump to other topics

1Reading

1.1Root Words

1.1.1Understanding New Words

1.1.2Exception Words

1.2Prefixes

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 - Root Words & Prefixes

1.3Suffixes

1.3.1Vowel Suffixes

1.3.2Suffixes: '-ous'

1.3.3Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'

1.3.4Testing - Rules for Suffixes

1.3.5Suffixes: '-ly'

1.3.6Suffixes: '-ation'

1.3.7Rules for Suffixes: '-ation'

1.3.8Spelling: '-tion' Endings

1.3.9Spelling: '-sion' Endings

1.3.10Spelling: '-ssion' Endings

1.3.11Spelling: '-cian' Endings

1.3.12End of Topic Test - Suffixes

2Writing

2.1Composition

2.1.1Effective Writing

2.1.2Planning

2.1.3Drafting

2.1.4Editing

2.1.5End of Topic Test - Writing Composition

2.2Conjunctions

2.2.1Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences

2.2.2Complex Sentences

2.2.3Coordinating Conjunctions

2.2.4Subordinating Conjunctions

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Conjunctions

2.3Present Perfect Tense

2.3.1Present Perfect Tense

2.3.2Uses of the Present Perfect Tense

2.4Nouns

2.4.1Using Nouns & Pronouns Properly

2.4.2End of Topic Test - Present Perfect & Nouns

2.5Fronted Adverbials

2.5.1Saying Where, When & How Often

2.5.2Saying How & Why

2.5.3Using Commas

2.6Direct Speech

2.6.1Direct Speech

2.6.2End of Topic Test - Fronted Adverbials & Speech

2.7Homophones

2.7.1Accept & Except

2.7.2Affect & Effect

2.7.3Ball & Bawl

2.7.4Berry & Bury

2.7.5Brake & Break

2.7.6Fair & Fare

2.7.7Grate & Great

2.7.8Groan & Grown

2.7.9Hear & Here

2.7.10Heal, Heel & He'll

2.7.11Knot & Not

2.7.12Mail & Male

2.7.13Main & Mane

2.7.14Meat & Meet

2.7.15Medal & Meddle

2.7.16Missed & Mist

2.7.17Peace & Piece

2.7.18Plain & Plane

2.7.19Rain & Reign & Rein

2.7.20Scene & Seen

2.7.21Weather & Whether

2.7.22Whose & Who's

2.7.23End of Topic Test - Homophones

2.8Spelling Rules

2.8.1Hard 'U' & 'I' Sounds

2.8.2Words Ending in '-Sure', '-Mure' & '-Sion'

2.8.3'Ei', 'Eigh' & 'Ey' Spellings

2.8.4Words Ending in 'G' & 'K' Sounds

2.8.5Spelling Words with 'Ch' & 'Sc'

2.8.6Silent Letters

2.8.7End of Topic Test - Spelling Rules

2.9Using Apostrophes

2.9.1Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals

2.9.2Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals

2.10Using a Dictionary

2.10.1Using a Dictionary

2.10.2End of Topic Test - Apostrophes & Dictionaries

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Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals

Using a Dictionary