Aprendendo Inglês

THE PLURAL OF NOUNS

Most nouns form the plural by adding -s or -es.

Singular Plural

boat coats
hat hats
house houses
river rivers
A noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant makes the plural with -ies.

Singular Plural

a cry cries
a fly flies
a nappy nappies
a poppy poppies
a city cities
a lady ladies
a baby babies

There are some irregular formations for noun plurals. Some of the most common ones are listed below.
Examples of irregular plurals:

Singular Plural


woman  women
man       men
child     children
tooth     teeth
foot        feet
person    people
leaf          leaves
half          halves
knife         knives
wife         wives
life           lives
loaf          loaves
potato       potatoes
cactus        cacti
focus           foci
fungus        fungi
nucleus      nuclei
syllabus       syllabi/syllabuses
analysis       analyses
diagnosis      diagnoses
oasis              oases
thesis             theses
crisis                crises
phenomenon     phenomena
criterion                      criteria
datum                       data


Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.

Singular Plural

sheep         sheep
fish               fish
species        species
aircraft        aircraft


Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.

Examples:

news - The news is on at 6.30 p.m.
athletics - Athletics is good for young people.
linguistics - Linguistics is the study of language.
darts - Darts is a popular game in England.
billiards - Billiards is played all over the world.
Some nouns have a plural form and take a plural verb.
Examples:
trousers - My trousers are too tight.
jeans - Her jeans are black.
glasses - Those glasses are his.

Others include:

savings, thanks, steps, stair, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages, spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits

This - That
 - These - Those -
          Here - There






Read the conversations :

David: Could you give me that book on the table over there?
Frank: Do you mean this book here?
David: Yes, that book.
Frank: Here you are. Oh, could you give me those magazines on the table over there?
David: These? Sure, here you are.
David: Is there an apple on that table over there?
Frank: Yes, there is. Here it is.
David: Great, are there any oranges?
Frank: No, there aren't.
David: Oh, here they are, next to me on this table.
Look at the chart below:
We use "here" for something which is near to us. Example: Here is the pencil in my hand. We use "there" for something which is far from us. Example: There is the pen next to the lamp.
We use "this" for one object (singular) which is here (near to us). Example: This is a book in my hand. We use "that" for one object (singular) which is there. Example: That is his car over there.
We use "these" for more than one object (plural) which are here (near to us). Example: These are my friends next to me. We use "those" for more than one object (plural) which are there. Example: Those are his toys over there.
We use "there" for one object (singular) which exists - or "is" (near to us). Example: There is (There's) a table next to the window. We use "there" for more than one object (plural) which exist - or "are". Example: There are (There're) many of my friends at the party tonight.
Complete the conversation using this, that, these, those, here and there. Click on the arrow to see the answer.

· Could you bring me that chair over ?

· Here are____ pictures.

· Can you see____ building next to the bank?

· Is__ a piece of pie for me?

· ___ are three boys sitting on the bench.

· I would like some of___ cookies on that shelf.

· Those bicycles over_____ are expensive.

· ___ dolls on the table here are very old