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Th e plural o f a n o u n is usually -s:

singular ( = o n e) —> plura l ( = t w o or m ore)

a flo w er —> so m e f l o w e rs
a train —» tw o t r a i n s
o n e w e e k —> a few w e e ks
a nice place —» so m e nice p l a c es i
this stu d e n t —> th ese st u d e n ts
a flo w er so m e f l o w e rs

S pelling ( —> A p p e n d ix 5):

-s / -sh / -ch / - x -> -es bus —> b uses dish —> d ish es
ch u rch —> c h u rc h es b ox b o x es
also p o t a t o —> p o t a t o es t o m a t o —> t o m a t o es

-y -> -ies b a b y —» b a bies d icti o n a ry —> d ic t i o n a ries p art y —> p ar ties

bu t - a y / - e y / - o y -ys d a y —> d a ys m o n k e y —> m o n k e ys b o y —> b oys

- f / -f e —> - v es sh e lf —> shelves knife - > k nives wif e —> w iv es

Th ese thin gs are plural

BrE

scisso rs g lasses t r o u se rs je a ns sh o r ts t i g h ts p y ja m as
pants AmE
O D o yo u w e ar g lasses? PJs
O W h ere a r e the scisso rs? I ne e d t h e m .

Yo u can also say a p a ir o f scisso rs / a p a ir o f t r o u se rs / a p a ir o f p y ja m as e t c .:

O I nee d a n e w p a ir o f je a ns, or I ne e d so m e n e w je a ns, ( n o t a n e w je ans)

So m e plurals d o not end in -s:

this m a n —> th ese m e n o n e f o o t —> tw o f e e t th a t sh e e p —> th ose sh e e p

a w o m a n —> so m e w o m e n a t o o t h —> all m y t e e t h a fish —» a l o t o f f ish
a c h il d —> m any c h il d r e n a m o u se so m e m ic e

also a p e rso n t w o p e o p l e / so m e p e o p l e / a lo t o f p e o p le e t c .:
O She's a nice p e rso n .
bu t O T h e y are nice p e o p le , ( n o t nice p erso ns)

P e o p le is plural (= th e y), so w e say p e o p l e a r e / p e o p l e h a v e e t c .:

O A lo t o f p e o p le sp e a k English, ( n o t sp eaks)
O I like t h e p e o p le here. T h e y a r e very friendly.

P o lic e is plural:
O T h e p o lic e w a n t to talk to a n yb o d y w h o saw th e accid e n t, ( n o t T h e p o lice w a n ts)

The police take care of the city

Exercises
m W ri t e t h e plural.
1 flo w er flo w e rs 5 u m brella ....... 9 fa m ily
2 b o at 6 ad dress 10 fo o t
3 w om an 7 knife 11 h o lid ay
4 city ..... 8 sa n d w ich ........................................ 12 p o ta to

Lo o k a t t h e p ict u res a n d co m p le t e t h e se n t e nces.

© © L U CY

1 Th ere are a lot o f s h e e p in th e field. 4 Lu cy has t w o .................................

2 G ary is cle anin g h is ................................. 5 Th ere are a lo t o f in th e river.
3 Th ere are t h r e e ................................ at th e bus sto p. 6 T h e ................................ are falling fro m th e tree.

j?P A re t h ese se n t e n ces O K ? C h a n g e t h e se n t e n ces w h e re n ecessary.

1 I'm g oing to b uy so m e flo w ers. OK
2 I nee d a ji e w j e a n s. ..l.naed a.newpajir of je a ns. OR...
................
3 It's a lovely park w ith a lo t o f b eautiful tree. ....................
4 Th ere w as a w o m a n in th e car w ith t w o m e ns..............................
5 Shee p eat grass...................................................................................................
6 D avid is m arrie d an d has thre e childs............................. .....................
7 M ost o f m y frie n d are stu d e nt..................................................................
8 He p u t on his pyja m a an d w e n t to bed..............................................
9 W e w e n t fishing, b ut w e did n't catch m a ny fish...........................
10 D o yo u k n o w m any p erso ns in this to w n? .....................
11 I like y o ur trouser. W h e re did yo u get it? .....................
12 Th e t o w n cen tre is usually full o f to urist. .....................
13 I d o n't like mice. I'm afraid o f th e m . .....................
14 This scissor isn't very sharp. .....................

W h ic h is righ t? C o m p le t e t h e se n t e nces.
1 It's a nice place. M a n y p e o p l e QQ th ere on holiday. go or g o es?
2 So m e p e o p le always late. is or are?
3 Th e n e w city hall is n o t a b eautiful b uildin g. M ost
p e o p l e ...............................like it. d o n 't or d o esn't?
4 A lo t o f p e o p le ................................ T V every day. w a t c h or w a t c h es?
5 Thre e p e o p l e ...............................injure d in th e accid e n t. w as or w ere?
6 H o w m a ny p e o p l e ............................... in th at ho use? liv e or lives? life
7 ................................ th e p olice k n o w th e cause o f th e explosio n? D o or D o es?
8 Th e p o lic e ............................... lo okin g for th e stolen car. is or are?
9 I ne e d m y glasses, b ut I can't f i n d ................................. it or t h e m ?
10 I'm going to b u y ............................... n e w je ans to day. a or so m e?