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Inflections are the way that the ending of a word changes when you use the word in
different ways. For example, you say I read but he reads.
The inflections of some words are irregular, especially the past tense of common
verbs (e.g. buy changes to bought in the past tense).With irregular inflections, you
cannot simply work them out . You just have to learn them. All of these irregular
inflections are shown in the dictionary next to the word that you are looking up.
The two pages here show you what happens with inflections that are not irregular.
There are easy rules for regular inflections and you can use these rules to work out
how a particular word changes.
The following tables show you how nouns, adjectives and verbs change their endings.
Nouns
Most nouns form their plural by adding -s.
chair chairs, plate plates
Nouns which end in -s, -ss, -ch, -x and -z make their plurals by adding es
mass masses, match matches
Nouns which end in a consonant (e.g.m, t, p) + y form their plurals by taking away
the -y and adding -ies
baby babies, university universities
Nouns which end in a vowel (e.g. a, e, o) + y form their plurals by adding -s
tray trays, toy toys
Adjectives
Comparative this is used to show that someone you can either add -er
form of or something has more of a to the end of the adjective,
adjectives particular quality than someone or use the word more
or something else before it (see below)
Superlative this is used to show that someone you can either add -est to
form of or something has more of a the end of the adjective,
adjectives particular quality than anyone or use the word most
or anything else before it (see below)
Two-syllable these adjectives can all form their complex, more complex,
adjectives comparative and superlative with most complex
more and most
SUMMARY :
If a word has irregular inflections these are shown in the dictionary next to
the word.
You can work out all regular inflections by using these pages.
You need to look at the last letters of nouns and verbs to be sure that you have
got the right rules for producing their regular inflections.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition
Cambridge University Press 2008