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Sentence Building Blocks

ESL 2

RULE 1:

Form plurals of regular nouns by adding -s or -es.

Singular	Plural
school college	schools colleges

NOTE:

Form the plurals of irregular nouns in ways other than adding -s or -es.

Singular	Plural
child woman deer	children women deer

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 1

RULE 2:

Remember that noncount nouns are always singular.

	Not:	The equipments are expensive.
	But:	The equipment is expensive.

	Not:	The homeworks were difficult.
	But:	The homework was difficult.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 2

RULE 3:

Use plural nouns immediately after adjectives such as a few, many, most, and some and after demonstratives such as these and those.

	Not:	Most student like computer-assisted writing courses.
	But:	Most students like computer-assisted writing courses.

	Not:	These tree provide no shade.
	But:	These trees provide no shade.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 3

RULE4:

Use plural nouns after adjective phrases beginning with oneof.

	Not:	Felix takes pride in being one of the most humble member of the Egotists Club.
	But:	Felix takes pride in being one of the most humble members of the Egotists Club.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 4

RULE 5:

Use many and manyof with plural count nouns. Use much and much of with noncount nouns, which are singular.

	Plural count noun
	Not:	Much of the refugees came from Rwanda.
	But:	Many of the refugees came from Rwanda.

	Singular, noncount noun
	Not:	Many sufferings comes with war.
	But:	Much suffering comes with war.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 5

RULE 6:

Use a few with plural count nouns; use a little with noncount nouns, which are singular:

Plural count noun:	They read a few poems.
Singular, noncount noun:	Try writing a little poetry.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 6

RULE 7:

Use all, a lot of, most of, and more with both plural count nouns and with noncount nouns, which are singular.

Plural Nouns
All citizens should vote.
A lot of students were absent.
Most of the men wore black.
More doctors are needed.

Singular, Noncount Nouns
All racism is evil.
They accumulated a lot of wealth.
She gets most of her warmth from her mother.
Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote more poetry than most students realize.

NOTE:

Any can be used with singular and plural nouns

Singular:	Any student can check out books.
Plural:	We don't need any rules.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 7

RULE 8:

Use the pronouns this and that with singular nouns; use these and those with plural nouns.

	Not:	This printers are not working.
	But:	This printer is not working.
	Or:	These printers are not working.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 8

RULE 9:

Adjectives are never plural.

	Not:	The bests wines had already been drunk.
	But:	The best wines had already been drunk.

	Not:	The children were ills.
	But:	The children were ill.

NOTE:

This rule applies even when a noun acts as an adjective.

	Not:	She worked in a shoes factories.
	But:	She worked in shoe factories.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 9

RULE 10:

Use singular, not plural, nouns after phrases such as a kind of, a type of, a sort of, and a style of.

	Sigmund preaches about a typeof vegetarianism.
	Her home contains a style of furniture popular in the 1930s.
		BUT
	Use plural nouns after phrases such as kinds of, types of, sorts of, and styles of:
	I dislike the types of* movies he recommends.*
	What sorts of* people do you think we are?*

NOTE:

Noncount nouns are always singular.

I like his style of journalism.
They studied three styles of journalism.

PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR RULE 10

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