Page 211 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

singular and plural nouns cat; cats; box, boxes

Countable nouns have different forms for singular and plural.

one car four cars one day ten days one baby four babies one child six children

HOW TO MAKE PLURALS

• most nouns: + -s book —► books home —► homes car —►cars

• -s, -sh, -ch, -x: + -es bus —>■ buses wish — wishes church —>• churches fox —► foxes

fa Write the plurals.

apple / boss/ box brush cat chair church class dress garden gas

glass hotel plane ship table time tree watch wish

+ -S:

bosses

NOUNS ENDING IN -/ * •

• -ay, -ey, -oy, -uy: + -s day —► days monkey —> monkeys toy —► toys
• -by, -dy,-fy, -gy, etc: -y —>■ -ies baby —babies lady —ladies lorry —lorries

fa Write the plurals.

b o y / city / copy country family guy holiday key party way

+ -5: . . t e ....................................................................................................
_y _/pc. crtres

COMMON IRREGULAR PLURALS
mouse —► mice child —► children half halves shelf —shelves
foot feet penny —► pence knife —► knives thief —► thieves
tooth —► teeth person —>■ people leaf —► leaves wife —> wives
man —►men life —► lives

woman —►women potato —► potatoes loaf —► loaves sheep —► sheep
tomato —► tomatoes self selves fish —>■ fish

Simple present verbs have different forms after singular and plural nouns (see page 16).

Th/'s bus runs of weekends. Most of the buses run at weekends.
My brother has a small flat. Both my brothers have good jobs.

^ Put in plural nouns or simple present verbs.

► Their homes ............... in Scotland, (be) 7 M y........................are giving me trouble, (tooth)
1 Our....................... play a lot of football, {child) 8 Those........................cost too much, (watch)

2 Those.......................don't look English. (student) 9 Most........................cry at night, (baby)
3 Some people........................to talk to you. (want) 10 The........................are all wet. (match)
4 Big........................are always dirty, (c/fy) 11 Who are those.......................? (guy)
5 Their..................... are travelling with them, (wife) 12 My parents...................... at home, (work)

6 These knives.......................n't cut very well, (do) 13 How many.......................live here? (person)

196 NOUNS