Which of the following is an example of an irregular plural noun?

Which of the following is an example of an irregular plural noun?

• A. Dogs
• B. Cats
• C. Children
• D. Houses

Answer: (C)

The choice of "children" as an example of an irregular plural noun is accurate because "children" does not follow the standard pattern for forming plurals in English, which typically involves simply adding an "s" or "es" to the end of a word. Instead, "child" changes to "children," demonstrating a change in the root word itself when forming the plural. This alteration is characteristic of irregular plural nouns, which often do not conform to conventional pluralization rules. In contrast, "dogs," "cats," and "houses" are all regular plural nouns, as each simply takes an "s" or "es" to indicate more than one: "dog" becomes "dogs," "cat" becomes "cats," and "house" becomes "houses." Thus, "children" stands out as an exceptional case in plural formation.

The choice of "children" as an example of an irregular plural noun is accurate because "children" does not follow the standard pattern for forming plurals in English, which typically involves simply adding an "s" or "es" to the end of a word. Instead, "child" changes to "children," demonstrating a change in the root word itself when forming the plural. This alteration is characteristic of irregular plural nouns, which often do not conform to conventional pluralization rules.

In contrast, "dogs," "cats," and "houses" are all regular plural nouns, as each simply takes an "s" or "es" to indicate more than one: "dog" becomes "dogs," "cat" becomes "cats," and "house" becomes "houses." Thus, "children" stands out as an exceptional case in plural formation.