A/an, plurals: Singular and plural forms

A/an, plurals – Grammar chart

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A/an

We use a/an with singular nouns.

• This is a table. 
• It’s an orange. 

We use a with nouns beginning with a consonant, and we use an with nouns beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).

• Give me an apple. 
• There is an elephant in the zoo. 
• It’s an amazing experience. 

We also use an with nouns beginning with h if the h is not pronounced. But we use a if the h is pronounced.

• Give me an hour. (The h is not pronounced in hour.)
• I want to buy a hat. (The h is pronounced in hat.)

We use a and NOT an with nouns beginning with u when it is pronounced /ju:/, like university. 

• Is there a university in this city? 
• I wear a uniform. 

Plurals in English

Do not use a + plural

We do NOT use a/an with plural nouns.

• These are tables.
• These are a tables.

Regular plurals

We add -s to make plural nouns in English. Sometimes we need to add -es, -ies or –ves. Check the spelling in the grammar chart above.

Irregular plurals

Some words have irregular plurals and do NOT add -s to make their plural form.