Final answer:
The 's' or 'es' in words like 'cats' or 'busses' are used for pluralization, while suffixes like -ess indicate a feminine noun. Some nouns that end in 's' may look plural but can be singular, such as 'mathematics' or 'news'. Additionally, there are various suffixes and spelling patterns for the sound [s] in English.
Step-by-step explanation:
The examples you've provided represent forms of pluralization and gender-specific suffixes in the English language. The 's' in 'cats,' the 'es' in 'busses,' and irregular plurals like 'sheep' (which remains the same in singular and plural) and 'man' to 'men' are all ways to indicate more than one of something, except in the case of 'sheep' where the form doesn't change. Some nouns ending with -s may look plural but are singular in context, like 'news' or 'mathematics.' Additionally, the -ess suffix in words like 'host' + 'ess' = 'hostess' indicates a feminine version of the noun.
Suffixes like -ous, -us, or -ics in 'courageous,' 'radius,' or 'mathematics,' respectively, include the spelling but are not used for pluralizing. These and suffixes like -less and -ness are used to create different meanings or adjectives.
It is also important to note that words like 'success' have the sound [s] written in different ways, as , , and even , demonstrating the complexity and variability of English spelling.