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A1~3 min read

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실용적인 예문으로 어휘를 늘리세요

To talk about more than one thing, most English nouns simply add -s: one book → two books, one car → three cars.

The -s can sound like /s/ (books), /z/ (cars) or /ɪz/ after hissing sounds — but the spelling is just +s. This is the default, so reach for it first.

예문

  • I have many books at home.

    book → books, the regular +s plural.

  • She has two cats.

    A number bigger than one needs the plural.

  • There are five cars in the street.

    car → cars.

books

/bʊks/

I have many books at home.

cats

/kæts/

She has two cats.

cars

/kɑːrz/

There are five cars in the street.

rooms

/ruːmz/

The house has four rooms.

friends

/frendz/

I met my friends yesterday.

Choose the correct plural: She has two ___.

Make it plural: I have many ___ at home. (book)

When a noun ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x or -o, we add -es (not just -s). This adds an extra /ɪz/ sound that makes the word easier to say: box → boxes, watch → watches.

The -o rule has exceptions (photos, pianos), but common everyday words like tomatoes and potatoes take -es.

예문

  • The boxes are heavy.

    Ends in -x → add -es: box → boxes.

  • He sells watches in his shop.

    Ends in -ch → watch → watches.

  • I bought fresh tomatoes.

    Ends in -o → tomato → tomatoes.

boxes

/ˈbɒksɪz/

The boxes are heavy.

watches

/ˈwɒtʃɪz/

He sells watches in his shop.

buses

/ˈbʌsɪz/

Two buses pass here every hour.

dishes

/ˈdɪʃɪz/

Please wash the dishes.

tomatoes

/təˈmɑːtoʊz/

I bought fresh tomatoes.

Choose the correct plural: Please wash the ___.

Make it plural: The ___ are heavy. (box)

When a noun ends in a consonant + y, change the y to i and add -es: city → cities, baby → babies.

But if a vowel comes before the y (boy, day, key), just add -s: boys, days, keys. The trick is to check the letter right before the y.

예문

  • Many cities have good public transport.

    Consonant + y → city → cities.

  • The babies are sleeping.

    baby → babies.

  • Both families live nearby.

    family → families.

cities

/ˈsɪtiz/

Many cities have good public transport.

babies

/ˈbeɪbiz/

The babies are sleeping.

stories

/ˈstɔːriz/

Grandma tells us old stories.

families

/ˈfæməliz/

Both families live nearby.

Choose the correct plural: Grandma tells us old ___.

Make it plural: Many ___ have good transport. (city)

Some very common nouns don't follow any rule — you simply have to learn them: man → men, woman → women, child → children, foot → feet, person → people.

These are old English words that kept their old plural forms. Because they're so frequent, it's worth memorising them early.

예문

  • Three men are waiting outside.

    man → men (vowel change).

  • The children are playing in the park.

    child → children (special ending).

  • Many people live in this building.

    person → people.

men

/men/

Three men are waiting outside.

women

/ˈwɪmɪn/

The women are talking together.

children

/ˈtʃɪldrən/

The children are playing in the park.

feet

/fiːt/

My feet hurt after the long walk.

people

/ˈpiːpəl/

Many people live in this building.

Choose the correct plural: The ___ are playing in the park.

Plural of 'person': Many ___ live in this building.

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다음

A1

소유격: my / 's

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