SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS (A/AN)

SINGULAR AND PLURAL COUNT NOUNS

It's	an	ID Card		Count nouns have singular (= one thing) and
I'm	a	student.		plural (= two or more things) forms.
There are ten		students	here.	Use "a" or "an" before singular count nouns only.

When the singular noun begins with a consonant sound, use "a".
When the singular noun begins with a consonant sound, use "an". 

SPELLING RULES FOR FORMING PLURAL NOUNS

Most plural nouns are formed by adding "s":	camera → cameras	pen → pens
For nouns ending in a vowel + y add "s", but for nouns ending in a consonant + y, drop the y and add "ies":	boy → boys	dictionary → dictionaries
For nouns ending in a vowel + o add "s", but for nouns ending in a consonant + o, add "s" with some nouns and "es" with others:	radio → radios	photo → photos	potato → potatoes
For nouns ending in the ch, sh, ss, or x sounds, add "es":	class → classes
For nouns ending in f or fe, change it to ve + "s":	knife → knives	leaf → leaves

Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas. In English, nouns can be singular (referring to one item) or plural (referring to more than one item). Understanding how to use singular and plural nouns correctly is essential for clear communication. The general rule for forming plurals involves adding "-s" or "-es" to the end of a singular noun, but there are some irregular nouns that do not follow this rule.

Useful Expressions

1. Singular Noun - Refers to one item.

   • Example: book, chair, apple.

2. Plural Noun - Refers to more than one item.

   • Example: books, chairs, apples.

3. Add -s - For most nouns, add "-s" to form the plural.

   • Example: cat → cats, car → cars.

4. Add -es - For nouns ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z, add "-es" to form the plural.

   • Example: bus → buses, dish → dishes.

5. Irregular Plural Forms - Some nouns have irregular plural forms.

   • Example: man → men, woman → women, child → children.

Sentences

1. The dog is playing in the yard. (singular)
2. The dogs are playing in the yard. (plural)
3. She has a pencil. (singular)
4. She has several pencils. (plural)
5. The box is on the table. (singular)
6. The boxes are on the table. (plural)
7. I saw a mouse in the house. (singular)
8. I saw mice in the house. (plural)

Questions and Answers

Q: How do you form the plural of "cat"?
A: Add "-s" to make it "cats".

Q: What is the plural form of "bus"?
A: The plural form is "buses".

Q: How do you ask about the quantity of books using "book"?
A: Ask, "How many books are there?"

Q: What is the plural form of "child"?
A: The plural form is "children".

Q: How do you form the plural of "dish"?
A: Add "-es" to make it "dishes".

Q: How do you respond to "Do you have any pens?"
A: "Yes, I have several pens." or "No, I don't have any pens".

Conversation

A: Hi Sarah! Do you have a pen I could borrow?

B: Sure, I have a pen here. Are you working on a report?

A: Yes, I am. I need to make some notes. Do you have any notebooks?

B: Yes, I have a few notebooks. How many do you need?

A: Just one is fine. I also need to find some papers. Are there any in the drawer?

B: Yes, there are papers in the drawer. There are also some folders in there.

A: Great! I’ll get started on my work. How many pages do you have in your notebook?

B: My notebook has 100 pages. Do you need a notebook with more pages?

A: No, 100 pages should be enough. Thank you!

B: You’re welcome!