Which strategy best helps students understand that the plural ending -s attaches to different base forms, making plural forms consistent across words?

• A. Memorize irregular plural forms
• B. Study how the ending -s marks plurals across base words
• C. Practice rhyming words that end with -s
• D. Use a dictionary to find singular forms

Answer: (B)

Understanding that a single ending -s acts as a plural marker that can attach to many different base words helps students see a consistent pattern rather than memorize each plural form. By studying how -s marks plurals across base words, students learn that most nouns form plurals by adding -s, so they can predict the plural of new words they encounter. This builds flexible word-form knowledge and helps them apply the rule broadly. It’s useful to note there are exceptions—some words need -es (buses, boxes) and a few have irregular plurals that don’t use -s at all (children, feet)—but focusing on the regular pattern gives a solid framework for understanding plurals across many words.