Rule #5: Plurals
Plurals have many forms. Six sections follow, which deal with the main kinds of plural forms: A) about s and es; B) about specialchanges; C) about no changes, D) about special endings, E) about combined words, and F) about letters, numbers, and abbreviations.

A) About s and es:

1. Usually plurals are made by adding s:

   reporter = reporters
   beat = beats

2. Add es to words ending in ch, sh, ss, x, z:

   church = churches
   dish = dishes
   press = presses
   fox = foxes
   topaz = topazes

3. When a word ends in y and the y follows a consonant, change the y to iand add es:

   fly = flies
   country = countries

4. When a word ends in y and the y follows a vowel, add s:

   day = days
   turkey = turkeys

5. When a word ends in o and the o comes after a vowel, usually add an s:

   radio = radios
   duo = duos

6. When a word ends in o and the o comes after a consonant, add es:

   potato = potatoes
   tomato = tomatoes

7. Some words ending in f or fe change f to v before adding s or es:

   elf = elves
   knife = knives
   half = halves
   wife = wives

8. Some words ending in f or fe keep the f in the plural form

   belief = beliefs

B) Special Changes to Plurals Some words change considerably to form plurals (consult a dictionary):

C) No Changes

1. Some words remain the same in both singular and plural forms:
         sheep        deer        series
2. Some words are always plural
          people        cattle        rice

D) Special Endings
Some words (especially those transferred from foreign languages) form plurals in unusual ways:

E) Combined Words
Adds s to the base word to form plurals of combination words:
           mother-in-law = mothers-in-law
           editor-in-chief = editors-in-chief

F) Letters, Numbers, and Abbreviations
Add 's to show the plural of a letter, number, or abbreviation:
           Embarrass has two r's and two s's.
           Don't use etc.'s in your writing.
           All the 5's were mistyped as 8's.
           P.O.W.'s

Rule #6: Homophones (Sound Alikes)
Sometimes we are fooled by homophones — words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings:

To cope with homophones, (1) learn to pronounce these words carefully to allow for slight nuances of difference in spelling, and (2) study them — learning the differences among them to eliminate all errors in use.

Indicate whether all of the words in each of the following sentences are spelled correctly.
(a) Yes. (b) No.

1			"Salisbury State University sent 6,300 bicyclists peddling to the state's Eastern Shore this month."
			A)	Yes.
			B)	No.
2			"The principal behind the decision was to cut down on cheating." — North Carolina student newspaper.
			A)	Yes.
			B)	No.
3			"Students who are physically unable to attend classes due to illness or accident may, at the desecration of the President, and his/her nominee, receive up to a 75 percent refund." — Genesee Community College Forum
			A)	Yes.
			B)	No.
4			"When your best player is out, and a lot of teams are effected that way now...." — San Francisco Examiner
			A)	Yes.
			B)	No.
5			"Despite the bazaar delay, the 'Brigadoon' was the first boat to pass the finish line." — The Beaufort (S.C.) Gazette
			A)	Yes.
			B)	No.