Singular and plural

A The plural of a noun is usually - s:

singular (= one) → plural (= two or more)

a flower → some flowers

a week → two weeks

a nice place → many nice places

this shop → these shops

spelling:

-s/ -sh/ -ch/ -x → -es bus → buses dish → dishes

church → churches box → boxes

also potato → potatoes tomato → tomatoes

-y → -ies baby → babies dictionary → dictionaries

party → parties

but -ay/ -ey/ -oy → -ys day → days monkey → monkeys boy → boys

-f/ -fe/ → -ves shelf → shelves knife → knives wife → wives

B These things are plural in English:

scissors glasses trousers jeans shorts tights pyjamas

• Do you wear glasses?

• Where are the scissors? I need them.

You can also say a pair of scissors / a pair of trousers / a pair of pyjamas etc.:

• I need a new pair of jeans. or I need some new jeans. (not ‘a new jeans’)

C Some plurals do not end in - s:

this man → these men one foot → two feet that sheep → those sheep

a woman → some women a tooth → all my teeth a fish → a lot of fish

a child → many children a mouse → some mice

also: a person → two people/ some people/ a lot of people etc.:

• She’s a nice person.

but • They are nice people. (not ‘nice persons’)

DPeople is plural (= they), so we say people are/ people have etc.:

• A lot of people speak English. (not ‘speaks’)

• I like the people here. They are very friendly.

Police is plural:

• “The police are here.” “Why? What do they want?”

Exercises.

1. Write the plural.

1) flower _________ 5) umbrella __________ 9) family _________

2) boat ___________ 6) address ___________ 10) foot ____________

3) woman _________ 7) knife ______________ 11) holiday __________

4) city ____________ 8) sandwich ____________ 12) potato ___________

2. Use the plural from the list and finish the sentences.

person, tooth, sheep, leaf, child, fish

1) There are a lot of _______ in the field.

2) George is cleaning his _______

3) There are three __________ at the bus stop.

4) Jill has got two ____________

5) There are a lot of _________ in the river.

6) The __________ are falling from the tree.

3. Some of these sentences are right but some are wrong. Correct the sentences that are wrong.

1) I’m going to buy some flowers. OK

2) I need a new jeans. I need a new pair of jeans. or I need some new jeans.

3) It’s a lovely park with a lot of beautiful tree. ________________________

4) There was a woman in the car with two mens. _______________________

5) Sheep eat grass. _______________________________________________

6) David is married and has three childs. ______________________________

7) Most of my friend are student. ____________________________________

8) He put on his pyjama and went to bed. _____________________________

9) We went fishing but we didn’t catch many fish. _______________________

10) Do you know many persons in this town? ____________________________

11) I like your trouser. Where did you get it? _____________________________

12) The town centre is usually full of tourist. _____________________________

13) I don’t like mice. I’m afraid of them. ________________________________

14) This scissor isn’t very sharp. _______________________________________

4. Which is right? Complete the sentences.

1) It’s a nice place. Many people _____ there for a holiday. (go or goes?)

2) Some people _____ always late. (is or are?)

3) The president is not popular. The people _____ like him. (don’t or doesn’t?)

4) A lot of people _____ television every day. (watch or watches?)

5) Three people _____ injured in the accident. (was or were?)

6) How many people _____ in that house? (live or lives?)

7) _____ the police carry guns in your country? (Do or Does?)

8) The police _____ looking for the stolen car. (is or are?)

9) I need my glasses but I can’t find _____ (it or them?)

10) I’m going to buy _____ new jeans today. (a or some?)

A car/ some money

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