Modified In-School Off-School Approach Modules (MISOSA)

Distance Education for Elementary Schools

SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

E
N
G
L
I
FORMING PLURAL OF NOUNS
S USING EXPRESSIONS DENOTING
QUANTITY/IDENTIFYING MAIN
H IDEA

4 Department of Education
BUREAU OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
2nd Floor Bonifacio Building
DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue
Pasig City
 Revised 2010
by the Learning Resource Management and Development System (LRMDS),
DepEd - Division of Negros Occidental
under the Strengthening the Implementation of Basic Education
in Selected Provinces in the Visayas (STRIVE).

Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 49 provides:

“No copyright shall subsist in any work of the

Government of the Republic of the Philippines. However,
prior approval of the government agency or office wherein
the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of
such work for profit.”

This material was originally produced by the Bureau of Elementary

Education of the Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines.

This edition has been revised with permission for online distribution
through the Learning Resource Management Development System (LRMDS) Portal
(http://lrmds.deped.gov.ph/) under Project STRIVE for BESRA, a project supported
by AusAID.
 GRADE IV

FORMING PLURAL OF NOUNS USING EXPRESSIONS

DENOTING QUANTITY/IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEA

Welcome to this module !

You have already learned about singular and plural

nouns, haven’t you?

In this module, you will learn to do the following:

• form the plural of nouns using expressions denoting

quantity

• identify main idea which is directly stated in a

paragraph.

Start reading now.

Good luck !

1
 GRADE IV

REVIEW TIME

In the previous lessons you have learned how nouns form their plural form.

Below are names of animals. Can you make these nouns plural?

whale frog

fox goose squid

dolphin monkey cow

crab lobster wolf

mouse crocodile

snake

Where do these animals live?

Copy the chart below and write down the plural form of the names of the animals
under the proper heading.

Live on Land Live in Water Live Bothe on Land & Water

2
 GRADE IV

STUDY TIME

Most nouns form their plural by adding –s or –es. Other words formed their plural
in a different way.

Read the conversation.

Carla : How many cans of milk market.

Ana : I will buy one can of condensed milk and two boxes of powdered milk. How
about you? What will you buy?

Carla : I will buy two kilos of brown sugar and one kilo of white sugar. White sugar is
for my baby brother.

Ana : I saw a lot of fresh fruits.

Carla : I bought some oranges and papaya for Mother. Shall we go home now?

Ana : I will buy first two bars of soap and a bottle of cooking oil. How much did you
spend?

Answer these questions orally.

1. How many cans of milk will Ana buy?

2. How much sugar will Carla buy?
3. How many bars of soap will Ana buy?

Note the use of the words many and much in the questions. These words show
quantity and also known as quantifiers. When is many used? much?

There are other words that show quantity.

Read these sentences.

1. Mother cooked a lot of rice cakes during Grandmother’s birthday.

2. She mixed the flour with some milk and sugar. Then she added a little salt and a
few slices of cheese.

3
 GRADE IV

The expressions a lot of some, some, a few, a little, many and much are used
to denote quantity and tell a definite or indefinite amount of number.

Many and little are used with mass nouns. Mass nouns cannot be counted by
piece. Number words are placed before them. e.g. two apples.

Much and little are used with mass nouns. Mass nouns cannot be counted by
piece. There are words used for making mass nouns plural in form. These are
called counters.

e.g. a glass of juice

Counter can be made plural.

Study the following sentences carefully. Which mass nouns use much or a little
and which nouns use many or a few? What expressions go with there is and which
expressions go there are?

Count Nouns
1. There are many people in the Mass nouns
bank. 1. There is much money in the
2. There are many children in bank.
school 2. There is much water in the dam.
3. There are many books in the 3. There is much information in
bookcase. books
4. There are a few bottles. 4. There is a little ink in the bottle.
5. There are a few boxes. 5. There is little candy in the box.
6. There are a few things on the 6. There is little food on the table.
table

There are is used with many and a few with plural form of count nouns.

There is is used with much and little and mass noun with no counters.

Answer these questions orally using much and many.

Example: How many children are in the room?

There are many children in the room.

1. How many stars are there in the sky?

2. How much sand is there on the seashore?

4
 GRADE IV

3. How much water in the canal during the dry season?

4. How many beds are there in the hospital?

5. How much rice is left after everybody has eaten?

Here are some words that can be used as counters for mass nouns.

a glass of juice glasses of juice

a box of candy boxes of candy
a jar of jelly jars of jelly
a loaf of bread loaves of bread
a piece of paper pieces of paper
a kilo of rice kilos of rice
a sack of flour sacks of flour

Look at the tags of the following items:

vinegar - P 8.00/bottle
sugar - P 27.00/kilo
meat - P 120.00/kilo
banana - P 25.00/kilo
rice - P 1,100.00/sack
soap - P 16.00/bar

Answer these questions orally.

If you have P 100.00, how many kilos of banana can you buy?
If you buy a kilo of meat, how much change will you get from P 150.00?
How many bottles of vinegar can you buy for P 25.00?

How many bars of soap can you buy for 50.00?

KEEP IN MIND

Quantities are expressions that show quantity. They are found before that nouns.
Nouns that can be counted are called count nouns.
Nouns that cannot be counted are called mass nouns.

5
 GRADE IV

PRACTICE TIME

A. The words below are nouns. Copy them in your notebook and opposite each.
Word write noun or count noun.

1. mango 6. air 11. mango juice

2. oil 7. bread 12. vinegar
3. orange 8. leaf 13. salt
4. gasoline 9. seawater 14. banana
5. milk 10. corn 15. rice

B. What counter can you use for each noun? Write a sentence using an appropriate
singular or plural counter before each noun. Write your sentences in your notebook.

Example: A sack of mongo was brought to the market.

Several sacks of mongo were brought to the market.

1. mongo 6. coffee
2. tea 7. sugar
3. ink 8. laundry soap
4. cough syrup 9. toothpaste
5. margarine 10. fish

C. Choose the expression in the parenthesis which correctly which completes the
sentences. Write your answer in your notebook.

1. How (much, many7) water is in the container?

2. There were (a little, several) girls in the clinic having their tooth extracted?
3. The baker needs (many, much) flour to bake bread.
4. My aunt bakes (a lot, a little of) cookies to be sold to our neighbors
5. Ana buys (a little of, some) fishballs.
6. She will buy (much , a few) young coconuts for buko salad.
7. How (much, many) kilos of mangoes are you going to buy?
8. Mother buys (a little, some) fruits from the fruit vendor.
9. Don’t put too (much, many) salt in your food. It is not good for your health.
10. How (many, much) tomatoes do you need for your recipe?

D. Answer the following questions. Write your answer in your notebook.

1. What are needed to wash all the clothes used in your home during the week?
Tell how much or how many are needed.
2. What is your Mother’s favorite? What are the ingredients needed to prepare it?
Tell how much or how many of each ingredients are needed.
3. The following are used in every home: soap, rice, sugar, coffee, milk and salt.
Tell how much of these things do you use in a day or a week.

6
 GRADE IV

E. Write sentence on what you see in this picture. Use the quantifiers how much,
how many, there is much/little or these are many/a few.

Example: There are many fresh fruits.

There is a lot of fruits and vegetables.

7
 GRADE IV

F. Copy the paragraph and fill in the blanks with the word or expression denoting
quantity. Do this in your notebook.

a lot of many a few

some much a little

LM Supermart is filled with grocery items. There is milk and fruit juices.
Two shelves contain bottles of vinegar, soy sauce, jam and peanut butter,
and boxes of candies. In one corner of the store, there are bars of
laundry soap, bath soap and sugar and rice.

Read your paragraph orally.

What is the paragraph about?

The paragraph is about the grocery items in LM Supermart.

The idea that tells what the paragraph is about is clearly stated in the
paragraph.

Here are some more paragraphs for you to study.

Soils contains air. Water also contains air. Air is found in bodies of plants
and animals. There is air inside our bodies. Air is all around us. We also find air
above and below the clouds.

Is it already stated in the paragraph?

The paragraph is about air that is all around us. It is clearly stated in the
paragraph.

KEEP IN MIND

A paragraph is composed of several sentences. All the sentences are related

to the main idea of the paragraph. The main idea is clearly stated in the paragraph

8
 GRADE IV

A. Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow orally.

Our earth is constantly in motion. It is never still. It is always spinning in the sky.
Round and round it goes like a top. If takes the earth twenty-four hours to make one full
spin. In that time, we have day and night. As the earth spins, it also goes around the
sun. It takes 365 days for the earth to go around the sun.

1. The paragraph is about

a. the shape of the earth

b. the speed of the earth
c. the movement of the earth

2. Complete this sentence that gives the main idea.

The earth is always .

Feeding birds during the rainy season is an act of kindness. The cold rain often
numbs their food sense. Flooded grounds prevent their digging for insects. Bare trees
and bushes offer them little by way of meals. Crumbs on the ground or roof are
welcomed by the hungry birds.

1. The paragraph is about

a. the rainy season

b. bare trees and bushes
c. feeding birds during rainy season

2. Complete this sentence that gives the main idea.

3. We should especially when it rains.

The carabao is a useful animal. It gives us milk and meat. Carabao horns are made
into buttons and other decorations. The carabao helps the farmer plow his field. It also
pulls the farmer’s carts and sleds.

1. The paragraph is about

a. farmer’s work
b. a useful animal
c. meat and milk

9
 GRADE IV

B. Read this story. Write in your notebook the main idea for each paragraph.

Our Filipino Traits

Filipinos are helpful. They are ready to help one another especially in times of
need. The help one another in activities such as planting and harvest farm crops,
building a house. The help their neighbors whenever they have something to do.
Filipinos love and respect the members of their families. They kiss the hands of
their elders to show respect for them. They take good care of the elderly members of
their families. They hold family reunions on special days like Christmas and New
Year’s Day. They visit the tombs of their dead relatives. They light candles and
flowers there.
Christian Filipinos pray to God and thank Him for His blessings. They hold fiestas
and processions in honor of their patron saints. Muslim Filipinos go to their mosque
and pray to Allah. They observe special holidays like Ramadan. We Filipinos show a
deep reverence to God.

10
 GRADE IV
Filipinos love to sing and dance. We have many folk dances and folk songs. We
love to play games and hold contests. These activities show that the Filipinos are a
happy people.

C. Read the paragraph below. Choose the sentence that tells what the main idea
of the paragraph is. Write only the letter of the correct answer.

1. There are many kinds of animals in a pond. There are tiny fish and tadpoles
swimming in the water. There are frogs and turtles lying down on small rocks
under the heat of the sun. Mosquitoes buzz around. Dragonflies fly just above the
water.
The paragraph is about

a. the frogs and toads staying under the heat of the sun
b. the different kinds of animals in a pond
c. the mosquitoes and the dragonflies

2. You can find many kinds of plants in and around a small pond. Ponds have both
large and small plants. Water lilies float on top of the water. There are ferns near
the edge of the pond. Sometimes kangkong and gabi plants grow the pond.

The paragraph tells about

a. the plants that are found around the pond

b. the water lilies that float on top of the water
c. the large and small plants in the pond

3. Much damage is caused by floods during heavy rains. The rivers overflow their
banks and wash away houses. Carabaos, sheep and goats are carried away and
drowned in the deep waters. Streams and brooks that were once source of food
and drinking water are now unsafe for use.

The paragraph tells about

a. the damage caused by floods heavy rains

b. the unsafe water for drinking
c. carabaos, goats and sheep carried away in deep waters

4. Clouds make the sunrise and sunset beautiful. Sometimes they look like white
sheep, mountains, flowers, and rains that sail across the sky. Dark clouds foretell
the coming of a rainy or stormy day. Then the strong wind blows the dark clouds
away leaving a sky of blue to make us happy. Clouds make the sky look
interesting.

11
 GRADE IV
The paragraph tells about

a. the strong winds that blown the dark clouds away.

b. the clouds that look like white sheep.
c. the clouds that make the sunrise and sunset beautiful.

5. Different groups of people have lived in the Philippines. The Negritos were the
first group. Next came the Indonesians. They were followed by the Malays. The
Spaniards came in 1521. After more than three hundred years most of the
Spaniards left. Then the Americans came.

The paragraph tells about

a. the first group of people who lived in the Philippines

b. the different groups of people who lived in the Philippines
c. the different groups of people who lived in the Philippines
d. the Spaniards who lived for almost 300 years

TEST YOURSELF

A. Read the following paragraphs. Write down the main idea each paragraph. Write
your answer in your notebook.

1. Ants eat different kinds of food. Some ants eat seeds. Other ants gather the
juices from the flowers and stems of plants. Still others eat dead insects. one
kind of ant eats mushrooms that grow on the pieces of leaf it brings to its nest.

2. Fruits and vegetables come from plants. Flour, sugar and cooking oil come from
plants. Butter, milk and meat come from cows and carabaos.

3. The most colorful celebration in Cebu is the Sinulog festival. This week-long
celebration is held in January evey year. The image of the Santo Niño dressed
un red velvet and crowned with germs is carried in a procession around the town.
Men and women dance in the streets. They do this to honor and thank the Santo
Niño for favors received during the year.

4. There are two kinds of animals – animals that eat meat and animals that eat
vegetables or plants. The lion and the tiger eat meat. The cow and carabao eat
only plants. A dog however, is both a meat – eating and plant-eating animal.

12
 GRADE IV
5. The monkey-eating eagle or Philippine eagle is found only in our country. It lives
in the thick forests of Luzon and Mindanao. About one meter long in size, the
Philippine eagle is considered the King of the Sky. Its strong wings are two times
as long as its body. These wings help the bird fly long distances very fast.

B. Nature is all around us. It is in the fresh air we breathe, the green grass spread
under our feet and the blue sky above. It is in the flowers that bloom today and
die tomorrow. Nature speaks to us in the rain and in the sunshine. Nature tells us
that it is good to be alive. Nature speaks to us in the eternal stars twinkling in a
midnight sky.

Answer these questions. Write only the letter.

1. What is the paragraph about?

a. flowers that bloom
b. the sun and rain
c. stars twinkling at midnight
d. nature that is around us

2. Which sentence gives the main idea?

a. Nature speaks to us in the rain and sunshine.
b. It is in the flowers that bloom today and die tomorrow.
c. Nature speaks to us in the eternal stars twinkling in a midnight sky.
d. Nature is all around us.

3. Where is the main idea found in the paragraph?

a. at the beginning
b. at the middle
c. at the end
d. in the second sentence

4. What does nature tell us?

a. about the rain and sunshine
b. about flowers that bloom and die
c. that is good to be alive
d. about stars twinkling in the sky

13
 GRADE IV

C. Choose the word in the parenthesis which correctly completes the sentence.
Write your answer in your notebook.

1. The farmers in Benguet harvested (a lot, a little of) strawberries in their farm.
2. There are (many, much) baskets of strawberries sold in the market.
3. (Several, Much) bottles of strawberry jam are sold in Baguio.
4. Strawberry jam is applied to (a few, little) slices of bread.
5. (Several, A little) girls bought strawberry jam in the canteen.
6. There is (a little, many) sugar added in the preparation of the jam.
7. A mixture of fresh strawberries with (some, many) milk is delicious.
8. Mother usually buys (many, much) bottles of strawberry jam when she goes to
Baguio.
9. Aside from strawberry, she buys also (a lot of, much) fresh vegetables.
10. There are (a lot of, little) tourists in Baguio during summer.

14