Hi dear students of 9th grade!

I am Lapha Charles, your English teacher.

I assign this lesson to you in order to let you be familiar to some

important points in your program, as you are preparing for the state
examination.

This assignment consists of 2 parts:

1. The reading assignment

2. The questions based on the assignment to answer.

Nouns

A noun is a word that names a person, place, or thing (object, animal, idea, action,
quality, feeling, or event). The term "noun" means "name."

All people have names. You have a family name, a given name, and probably a middle
name. What are your names? Write them down. Each of your names is a noun.

You also have other names. You are a student, a teacher, a worker, a boy, girl, man, or
woman. You are a brother, sister, son, daughter, mother, or father. These words are
nouns. They are names given to people.

SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS

Look around you. Describe what you see. Are there two or more of the same item? If
so, you will have to use plural nouns to describe them. Examples: books, lamps,
desks, chairs, pencils, pens, boxes, pictures, clocks, waste baskets. Sentence: "There
are three chairs and one desk in my office."

A singular noun is a noun that names only one person, place, or thing.

A plural noun is a noun that names more than one person, place, or thing.
Singular Nouns Plural Nouns

woman women

tree trees

truth truths

fear fears

party parties

How do you make a noun plural?

Most nouns can be made plural by simply adding "s."

Examples: bird--birds; flower-- flowers; tree--trees.

However, nouns that end with "s," "sh," "ch," "x," or "z" are made plural by adding "es."
Examples: glass--glasses; wish--wishes; church--churches; fox--foxes.

Also, nouns that end with an "o" preceded by a consonant are made plural by adding
"es."
Examples: mosquito--mosquitoes; potato--potatoes; hero--heroes. Sentence: "Idaho is
famous for its potatoes."

Nouns that end with a consonant followed by a "y" are made plural by changing the "y"
to "i" and adding "es."
Examples: library--libraries; secretary--secretaries; baby--babies; city-- cities. Sentence:
"Most cities have several good libraries."

However, when a noun ends with a vowel followed by a "y", it is made plural by simply
adding "s."
Examples: journey--journeys; key--keys; toy--toys. Sentence: "He has nine keys in his
pocket."

Most nouns that end with "f" or "fe" are made plural by changing the ending to "ves."
Example: knife--knives; leaf--leaves; wife--wives. Sentence: "She has twenty-three
knives in her kitchen."
Singular Nouns Plural Nouns

bird birds

fox foxes

hero heroes

baby babies

toy toys

wife wives

IRREGULAR NOUN FORMS

Some nouns are spelled the same whether they are singular or plural.

Singular Nouns Plural Nouns

antelope antelope

deer deer

fish fish

sheep Sheep

Example: "My brother caught six fish."