Irregular Plural Nouns Worksheets for 3rd Grade
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Skill: Writing irregular plural nouns, including f to ves and nouns that stay the same
Teaching tips and what to try next
Suited to third graders who already use -s, -es and -ies plurals correctly in their writing. Spoken practice works well here, since many of these plurals are familiar by ear even when spelling is shaky. Review the regular endings in Plural Nouns With -s, -es, and -ies, and another group of rule-breaking words is in Irregular Past Tense Verbs.
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About this worksheet
Most nouns become plural by adding -s or -es, but some follow their own rules. One leaf becomes two leaves, one woman becomes two women, and one sheep is still two sheep. Third graders are expected to form and use regular and irregular plural nouns, and this third grade worksheet gathers the tricky ones into three clear groups.
The page has sixteen nouns in three parts. Part A has nouns that end in f or fe, such as wolf and knife, where the f changes to v before adding -es. Part B has nouns that change in a special way, such as person, tooth, ox and cactus. Part C has nouns that stay exactly the same, such as deer and fish. Each item reads "one leaf, two," and children write the plural on the line. Grouping the words by pattern helps children notice the rule in Part A and remember the odd ones in Parts B and C.
How to use it: read each part's heading out loud and do the first word together. For Part B, try saying the words in short sentences, such as "Two people are waiting," since the right plural often sounds familiar once it is spoken. Keep a short list of the words your child missed and use them in sentences during the week.
The answer key shows every plural. For the regular -s, -es and -ies endings, try our Plural Nouns With -s, -es, and -ies worksheet. For another set of words that break the usual rules, try our Irregular Past Tense Verbs worksheet.