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Forming Plural Nouns

FoundationHigherAQA

Practise Forming Plural Nouns for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Most nouns add -s, nouns ending in -eau or -eu add -x, and nouns already ending in -s or -x do not change.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

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Higher

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Topic overview

Most French nouns form their plural by adding -s, exactly as in English, and the article changes to les or des.

So le livre becomes les livres, and une voiture becomes des voitures. The crucial difference from English is that this final -s is not pronounced. Le livre and les livres sound identical apart from the article, which means the article is the only clue in speech.

Several groups behave differently. Nouns already ending in -s, -x or -z do not change: le fils becomes les fils. Nouns ending in -al usually become -aux, so le journal becomes les journaux. Nouns ending in -eau add -x rather than -s, giving le bureau and les bureaux.

Revision notes

The basic rule

Add -s and change the article to les or des.

Le livre becomes les livres. Une voiture becomes des voitures. The plural -s is silent, so the article carries the information in speech.

Nouns that do not change

Nouns already ending in -s, -x or -z stay the same.

Le fils becomes les fils; le prix becomes les prix; le nez becomes les nez. Only the article changes, which again is the only audible difference.

Irregular plural endings

-al usually becomes -aux: le journal, les journaux; le cheval, les chevaux.

-eau adds -x: le bureau, les bureaux; le gâteau, les gâteaux. -eu also adds -x: le jeu, les jeux. These are common in exam texts and worth learning as groups.

Key points

  • Most plurals add -s.
  • The article changes to les or des.
  • The plural -s is not pronounced.
  • Nouns ending in -s, -x or -z do not change.
  • -al usually becomes -aux.
  • -eau adds -x rather than -s.

Worked examples

Example 1

Give the plural of le journal. [2 marks]

Working

les journauxchange the -al ending to -aux
The article changes from le to leschange the article to match

Example 2

Give the plural of le gâteau. [2 marks]

Working

les gâteauxadd -x to the -eau ending
The article changes from le to leschange the article to match

Example 3

Explain why the article matters when listening for a plural. [2 marks]

Working

The plural -s at the end of a noun is not pronouncedstate the problem
so le or les is the only way to hear whether the noun is singular or pluralexplain what to listen for

Common mistakes

  • Adding -s to nouns ending in -al.

    They usually take -aux instead.

  • Adding -s to -eau words.

    They add -x: les bureaux, not les bureaus.

  • Changing nouns that already end in -s.

    Le fils stays les fils.

  • Forgetting to change the article.

    The article is what makes the plural audible.

Exam tips

  • Always change the article as well.
  • Learn -al/-aux and -eau/-x as patterns.
  • Listen to the article, not the noun ending.
  • Check whether the noun already ends in -s, -x or -z.

Key terms

Plural
The form used for more than one.
Silent -s
The unpronounced plural ending.
Les
The plural definite article.
Des
The plural indefinite article.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.