I'd like someone to clarify the rules for scrabble.?

Question

Can you build on a word vertically and horizontally? For example, if the word on the board is exam, and you add an "s" can you place both exams and add to the "s" in exams the word shape?

Answer 1

Yes, you can certainly do that, because what you are actually doing is making the word "shape" in one direction, either vertically or horizontally, and in doing so you also make "exams".  You total the points for both words.

Answer 2

Yes. You can add an S or other letters as long as it makes a word and then build off of that letter in the same play.

Answer 3

You can make as many new words at a time as possible, but you can only lay tiles down in one direction, either vertically or horizontally, and the tiles you lay down must form one word and the tiles that touch other tiles must form words.  For example, if the word LOOT was on the board horizontally already, you could play the word PASSAGE below it to form the vertical words LA, OS, OS, and TA.  You would get credit for making PASSAGE as well as LA, OS, OS, and TA: 5 words' worth of points even though you only laid your tiles down in one direction. (By the way those are all legal scrabble words.)  

Adding an S to a word is called hooking.  Many words can take hooks, some can take them in the front of the word (LOT can become PLOT or SLOT or BLOT or CLOT) and some can take them in the back (CAN can become CANE or CANT or CANS).  So you can make a word that hooks another word and get points for both words, as long as you're only laying down tiles in one direction.

Finding hooks is an effective way to maximize your points, especially if you have a lot of low point value tiles.  Good scrabble players memorize all the legal 2 letter words, especially those using premium tiles (X, J, Q, Z).

Answer 4

You can only build a word vertically and horizontally.Yes you can add a letter "S" to make the word plural.