Singular and Plural Nouns
introduction review
Can we just discuss the following questions first?
• Do you know what nouns are?
• How many types of nouns do you know?
• What criteria do you use to classify nouns?
• What are countable and uncountable nouns?
Countable and Uncountable
• Tell if these nouns can be counted or can’t.
What is Singular or Plural?
singular = 1
plural = more than 1
viewpoints
Countable nouns have plurals, and can be used
with a/an.
Ex. a chair – chairs
a house – houses
a chair
chairs
viewpoints
Uncountable nouns have no plurals, and cannot normally
be used with a/an. (air, sand, snow)
Ex.
She speaks good English.
(NOT…a good English)
viewpoints
Some nouns can be used both uncountably
and countably.
Ex. Wood is made from paper.
≠ I am going to buy a paper.
My mother never drinks wine.
≠ Spain produces some wonderful wines.
How to make a plural noun?
• There are at least 7 rules and two
remarks.
let see
Rule 1
Most nouns become plural by
normally adding “s”.
boy
book
desk
school
boys
books
desks
schools
Rule 2
Nouns that end in “ch”, “sh”, “x”,
add “es”.
bush
bushes
box
boxes
church
churches
Rule 3
Nouns that end in “f” or “fe” often
change to “ves”.
wife
wives
wolves
wolf
thieves
thief
Except
with only these words, you can add “s”
belief
beliefs
dwarf
dwarfs
brief
briefs
grief
griefs
chef
chefs
gulf
gulfs
chief
chiefs
reef
reefs
cliff
cliffs
safe
safes
Rule 4
Some nouns change the inside
spelling.
man
men
goose
geese
mouse
mice
Rule 5
Nouns that end in a consonant
letter and “y”, drop the “y” and add
“ies”.
sky
skies
puppy
puppies
donkey
donkeys
key
keys
Rule 6
Some nouns do not change
when making them plural.
wheat
wheat
deer
deer
fish
fish
corn
corn
Rule 7
Nouns that end in “o” leaded by
consonants add “es” .
tomato
tomatoes
potato
potatoes
hero
heroes
Rule 7
But, Nouns that end in “o” leaded
by vowels add only “s”.
bamboo
bamboos
studio
studios
portfolio
portfolios
radio
radios
Except
these words you can add “s” or “es”,
both are correct
cargo
mango
mosquito
cargos,
cargoes
mangos,
mangoes
mosquitos,
mosquitoes
buffalo
motto
zero
buffalos,
buffaloes
mottos,
mottoes
zeros, zeroes
Some nouns have plural forms
but they are used as singular
only.
economics
civics
works
ethics
mumps
news
mathematics
teens
ashes
mechanics
twenties
measles
politics
thirties
tactics
sciences
headquarters
means
Let see examples…
• The bicycle is a convenient mean of
transportation.
• The bicycle is a convenient means of
transportation.
• I want to hear good news.
• I want to hear a good news.
Some nouns have plural forms
and they are used as plural
only.
arms
pajamas
thanks
assets
scissors
shorts
auspices
drawers
wages
biceps
sheers
suds
Let see examples…
• Your pajamas look good.
• Not ….looks
• The assets of my grandpa are a lot.
• Not….. is a lot
Can you make these nouns plural?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
thief
woman
fish
photo
life
thieves
women
fish
photos
lives
6. rule
7. radio
8. bus
9. hero
10. knife
rules
radios
buses
heroes
knives
Put the right choice…
• My wages …is…are… coming.
• In the army there …is…are…many arms.
• Good people always …tell…tells.. the truth.
• Statistics …is…are… very hard for me.
• The good means …was…were…suggested.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Being able to find the right subject and verb will help
you correct errors of subject-verb agreement.
• Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car)
takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines),
whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.
• Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.
If you know that list is the subject, then you
will choose is for the verb.
• Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase
beginning with of. This is a key rule for
understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit
in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.
Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners
might miss the all-too-common mistake in the
following sentence:
• Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color
and fragrance to the room.
• Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . .
(bouquet lends, not roses lend)
• Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or,
either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.
• Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Anna or Casey is helping today with stage
decorations.
• Rule 3. The verb in an or,
either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the
noun or pronoun closest to it.
• Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on
that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that
shelf.
• This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For
example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects,
it could lead to this odd sentence:
• Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am
going to the festival.
• If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically
correct but awkward sentences.
• Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the
festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the
festival.
• Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb
with two or more subjects when they are
connected by and.
• Example: A car and a bike are my means of
transportation.
• Rule 5. Sometimes the subject is separated
from the verb by such words as along with, as
well as, besides, not, etc. These words and
phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore
them and use a singular verb when the
subject is singular.
• Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is
expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the
cause of her shaking.
• Rule 6. In sentences beginning
with here or there, the true subject follows
the verb.
• Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.
• NOTE:
• The word there's, a contraction of there is,
leads to bad habits in informal sentences
like There's a lot of people here today, because
it's easier to say "there's" than "there are."
Take care never to use there's with a plural
subject.
• Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of
time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.
• Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the
floor.
• Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—
e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given
earlier in this section is reversed, and we are
guided by the noun after of. If the noun
after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is
plural, use a plural verb.
• Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.
• Rule 9. With collective nouns such
as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb
might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's
intent.
• Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was not in favor OR were not
in favor of the bill.
• Direction: Circle the correct verb in each of
the sentences below. Check your answers on
the following page.
Part I
• 1. Your friend (talk-talks) too much.
• 2. The man with the roses (look-looks) like your
brother.
• 3. The women in the pool (swim-swims) well.
• 4. Bill (drive-drives) a cab.
• 5. The football players (run-runs) five miles every
day.
• 6. That red-haired lady in the fur hat (live-lives)
across the street.
• 7. He (cook-cooks) dinner for his family.
• 8. The boys (walk-walks) to school every day.
• 9. The weather on the coast (appear-appears) to
be good this weekend.
• 10. The center on the basketball team (bouncebounces) the ball too high.
Part II
• 1. Each of the girls (look-looks) good on skis.
• 2. Everybody (was-were) asked to remain
quiet.
• 3. Neither of the men (is-are) here yet.
• 4. (Is-Are) each of the girls ready to leave?
• 5. Several of the sheep (is-are) sick.
• 6. Some members of the faculty (is-are) present.
• 7. Nobody in the class (has-have) the answer.
• 8. Each of the girls (observe-observes) all the
regulations.
• 9. All of the milk (is-are) gone.
• 10. Most of the seats (was-were) taken.
Part III
• 1. Margo and her parents (visit-visits) each other
often.
• 2. Either the cups or the glasses (are-is) in the
dishwasher.
• 3. Vern and Fred (need-needs) a ride to work.
• 4. There (is-are) a dog, a cat, and a bird in the garage.
• 5. Neither Matt nor his brothers(was-were) at the
party.
• 6. Here into the main ring of the circus(come-comes)
the trained elephants.
• 7. Either the workers or the boss (deliver-delivers) the
merchandise.
• 8. The committee (work-works) hard for better
schools.
• 9. There (is-are) many things to do before the holidays.
• 10. The jury (was-were) polled for their verdicts.
•
•
•
•
11. Here (is-are) the nails you need for the projects.
12. Either Joyce or Ellen (was-were) here.
13. The United States (is-are) a country of contrast.
14. A magazine and a book (was-were) lying on the
floor.
• 15. The family (is-are) occupied with their individual
problems.
Part IV
• 1. Mumps (is-are) one of the most
uncomfortable diseases.
• 2. One hundred dollars (is-are) not a lot of
money to some people.
• 3. She (doesn’t-don’t) look very well today.
• 4. Twenty minutes (is-are) the amount of time it
takes me to get home from work.
• 5. It (doesn’t-don’t) seem so cold today.
•
•
•
•
6. Gymnastics (is-are) easy for Angela.
7. Interesting news (is-are) what sells our paper.
8. A pound of cookies (cost-costs) about a dollar.
9. They (doesn’t-don’t) think they’ll win the
game tonight.
• 10. He (don’t-doesn’t) speak very well.
Summary test
• 1. Everybody (was-were) asked to be quiet.
• 2. In a marathon, few of the starters (finishes-finish)
the race.
• 3. Sixty days (is-are) not enough time to complete
the project.
• 4. All of the workers (is-are) receiving their bonus.
• 5. On our street (is-are) many tall trees.
•
•
•
•
6. It (don’t-doesn’t) make any difference.
7. The value of cars and motorcycles (has-have) increased.
8. The principal and her husband (is-are) honored guests.
9. Either the pitcher or the base runners (was-were) caught
napping.
• 10. One of my friends (believe-believes) in E.S.P.
• 11. Have you ever heard the expression, “No new (is-are)
good news?”
• 12. There (was-were) several dents in the car.
• 13. Louise (doesn’t-don’t) want to drive that long
distance.
• 14. Either Luis or Horace (pay-pays) the bills in
our house.
• 15. A boy and a girl (were-was) here to see you.
• 16. The box of apples (is-are) on the porch.
• 17. Some of the job applicants (is-are) expected
to pass the difficult screening test.
• 18. The army (is-are) conducting maneuvers in
March.
• 19. Here (come-comes) the family now.
• 20. Neither of us (is-are) going to work.
• 21. (Doesn’t-Don’t) they know when to quit?
• 22. Thirty minutes (is-are) the time limit for the
test.
• 23. Measles (is-are) a disease most children
experience.
• 24. The class (is-are) turning in their registration
forms today.
• 25. Beyond the mountains (is-are) a fertile valley.