Unit
66 train(s) bus(es) (singular and plural)
A !e plural of a noun is usually -s:
singular (= one) → plural (= two or more)
a flower → some flowers
a train → two trains
one week → a few weeks
a nice place → some nice places
this student → these students
a flower some flowers
Spelling (→ Appendix 5):
-s / -sh / -ch / -x → -es bus → buses dish → dishes
church → churches box → boxes
also potato → potatoes tomato → tomatoes
-y → -ies baby → babies dictionary → dictionaries party → parties
but -ay / -ey / -oy -ys day → days monkey → monkeys boy → boys
-f / -fe → -ves shelf → shelves knife → knives wife → wives
B !ese things are plural:
scissors glasses trousers jeans shorts tights pyjamas
Do you wear glasses?
Where are the scissors? I need them.
You can also say a pair of scissors / a pair of trousers / a pair of pyjamas etc. :
I need a new pair of jeans. or I need some new jeans. (not a new jeans)
C Some plurals do not end in -s:
this man → these men one foot → two feet that sheep → those sheep
a woman → some women a tooth → all my teeth a fish → a lot of fish
a child → many children a mouse → some mice
also a person → two people / some people / a lot of people etc. :
She’s a nice person.
but !ey are nice people. (not nice persons)
D People is plural (= they), so we say people are / people have etc. :
A lot of people speak English. (not speaks)
I like the people here. !ey are very friendly.
Police is plural:
!e police want to talk to anybody who saw the accident. (not !e police wants)
Exercises Unit
Write the plural.
66
1 flower !owers 5 umbrella 9 family
2 boat 6 address 10 foot
3 woman 7 knife 11 holiday
4 city 8 sandwich 12 potato
Look at the pictures and complete the sentences.
1 2 3 4 LUCY 5 6
1 !ere are a lot of sheep in the field. 4 Lucy has two .
2 Gary is cleaning his . 5 !ere are a lot of in the river.
3 !ere are three at the bus stop. 6 !e are falling from the tree.
Are these sentences OK? Change the sentences where necessary.
1 I’m going to buy some flowers. OK
2 I need a new jeans. I need a new pair of jeans. OR
I need some new jeans.
3 It’s a lovely park with a lot of beautiful tree.
4 !ere was a woman in the car with two mens.
5 Sheep eat grass.
6 David is married and has three childs.
7 Most of my friend are student.
8 He put on his pyjama and went to bed.
9 We went fishing, but we didn’t catch many fish.
10 Do you know many persons in this town?
11 I like your trouser. Where did you get it?
12 !e town centre is usually full of tourist.
13 I don’t like mice. I’m afraid of them.
14 !is scissor isn’t very sharp.
Which is right? Complete the sentences.
1 It’s a nice place. Many people go there on holiday. go or goes?
2 Some people always late. is or are?
3 !e new city hall is not a beautiful building. Most
people like it. don’t or doesn’t?
4 A lot of people TV every day. watch or watches?
5 !ree people injured in the accident. was or were?
6 How many people in that house? live or lives?
7 the police know the cause of the explosion? Do or Does?
8 !e police looking for the stolen car. is or are?
9 I need my glasses, but I can’t find . it or them?
10 I’m going to buy new jeans today. a or some?
