English Lesson 3 Plural Nouns

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. A singular noun names only one person, place, thing, or idea.

• one boy
• one cricket
• one newspaper
• one piece of chocolate

A plural noun names two or more people, places, things, or ideas.

• some boys
• six crickets
• two newspapers
• many pieces of chocolate

What letter was added to the words in the second list to make them plural?

Read the following sentences.

• Mario found one cricket in the subway station.
• If Mario found another he would have two crickets.
• We saw a Tucker Mouse collecting a coin.
• Tomorrow he will collect more coins.

Which nouns are singular. Which are plural?

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Practice

Directions:  In each blank write S if the noun is singular, or write P if the noun is plural.

Directions:  Are the bold words in the following sentences singular or plural? Write the P above each bold word that is plural, or write S above each bold word that is singular.

9. And Tucker had a big day planned for tomorrow, collecting things for his home and snapping up bits of food that fell from the lunch counters all over the station.
10. It had six legs, two long antennae on its head and what seemed to be a pair of wings folded on its back.
11. Inside the drain pipe, Tucker's nest was a jumble of papers, scraps of cloth, buttons, lost jewelry, small change, and everything else that can be picked up in a subway station.
12. Long, long ago he played on a harp-and he played it so beautifully that not only human beings, but animals and even the rocks and trees and waterfalls stopped their work to listen to him. 

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Over the next four lessons you will learn eight rules for forming the plural forms of nouns. In this lesson we will practice with Rules 1 and 2.

Practice - Write the plural form in the blank after each word.

29. Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
    
    a)  He uncrossed his winges and made a real chirp.
    b)  "Jimmy Lebovski said that the Chinese like cricketes very much, and they build special cagees for them," Mario explained.
    c)  Even this late the neon signs were still blazing.
    d)  He scooped two matchboxs up, and decided to use one for Chester's bed.
     
30. Choose the sentence that is NOT written correctly.
    
    a)  They had a whole lot of other things besides the liverwurst sandwiches, which I smelled.
    b)  I've been lying over there for three days not knowing what to do.
    c)  Chester buried his head in the Kleenexs.
    d)  Chester lifted the black wings that were carefully folded across his back and with a quick, expert stroke drew the top one over the bottom.
     

-----------Key-----------

1. plural
2. plural
3. singular
4. plural
5. singular
6. singular
7. plural
8. singular
9. And Tucker had a big day (S) planned for tomorrow, collecting things (P) for his home (S) and snapping up bits (P) of food that fell from the lunch counters (P) all over the station (S) .
10. It had six legs (P), two long antennae on its head (S)  and what seemed to be a pair of wings (P) folded on its back (S) .
11. Inside the drain pipe (S) , Tucker's nest was a jumble of papers (P), scraps (P) of cloth, buttons (P), lost jewelry, small change, and everything else that can be picked up in a subway station (S) .
12. Long, long ago he played on a harp (S) -and he played it so beautifully that not only human beings, but animals (P)  and even the rocks (P) and trees (P) and waterfalls (P) stopped their work to listen to him. 
13. suppers
14. hoaxes
15. bags
16. chocolates
17. cats
18. benches
19. trains
20. stairways
21. wishes
22. fires
23. comforts
24. dishes
25. matchboxes
26. meadows
27. glasses
28. animals
29. c
30. c