Question

Write the correct plural form of the word given in the bracket:
There are many _____ and wildlife parks in Africa. (zoo)

a) zoo
b) zooes
c) zoos
d) none of the above

Answer 1

Hint: With the addition of the correct suffix, a singular noun can be converted into a plural noun.

Complete answer:

There are two typed of numbered nouns - singular and plural. In order to convert a singular noun into a plural one, we need to know the following things:
1) Most singular nouns are made plural, simply by putting an ‘-s’ at the end.
2) If the singular noun ends in ‘-s’, ‘-ss’, ‘-sh’, ‘-ch’. ‘-x’, or ‘-z’, add the suffix ‘-es’ to the end to make it plural.
3) If the noun ends in ‘-o’, sometimes you just add a simple ‘-s’ at the end.
4) Some nouns don’t change at all when pluralized.

Now, let’s look at our options:

a) zoo - This is the singular form of the given noun. It is not a plural word. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) zooes - The root noun of this word does not end in any of the above endings. Hence, the suffix ‘-es’ is wrong. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) zoos - This is a plural noun which ends in ‘-o’. Hence, this is the plural form of the given singular noun. So, this is the correct option.
d) none of the above - This is an incorrect option as we have already found the correct answer from the given options.

The rules of English grammar are very flexible, and there are always exceptions. The only way to learn these words is to memorize them.

Note: Follow the rules of grammar to add an appropriate suffix to the root word ‘zoo’.