Countable nouns

Test it, Fix it. English grammar - Kenna Bourke 2003

Countable nouns

Test it

1 Find and correct ten mistakes.

2 Write the plural forms of these nouns.

a woman ...

b sheep ...

c story ...

d tooth ...

e dress ...

f tomato ...

g fox ...

h foot ...

i wolf ...

j child ...

Test it again

1 Solve the clues to complete the crossword.

Across

2 People who aren’t grown up are called ... .

3 Most people use these to tell the time.

6 Men have ... and women have husbands.

7 These are very young children.

9 ... cause traffic jams.

11 I'd like two ... of bread and a baguette, please.

13 These are clever animals. They steal chickens.

14 The things you bite with.

Down

1 ..., forks and spoons.

2 Almost all offices nowadays use ... .

4 They're red and you eat them in salads.

5 ... are frightened of cats.

8 These vegetables grow underground.

10 There are ... in every city. They are cheaper to use than taxis.

12 People usually live in ... or apartments.

Fix it

Answers to Test it

Check your answers. Wrong answer?

Read the right Fix it note to find out why.F

Answers to Test it again

Fix it notes

A

Many English nouns are countable.

Add s to make the plural, e.g. boys.

В

Add es to countable nouns ending in ch, sh, s, о and x to make the plural, e.g. potatoes, dresses.

C

To make the plural of nouns ending in consonant + y, change у to i and add es, e.g. dictionaries.

D

To make the plural of nouns ending in f or fe, change f to v and add es, e.g. leaves, wolves.

E

Some countable nouns are irregular.

They have irregular plural forms, e.g. people, mice, sheep, women.

F

Use a singular verb with singular countable nouns.

G

Use a plural verb with plural nouns.

Some nouns are always plural, e.g. police, trousers.

Review

Countable nouns

Spelling rules

• Many English nouns are countable. In most cases, you add s to the singular noun to make the plural form.

dog/dogs

boy/boys

shop/shops

• If a countable noun ends in in ch, sh, s, о or x, you add es to make the plural form.

watch/watches

brush/brushes

bus/buses

potato/potatoes

fox/foxes

• If a countable noun ends in a consonant + y, you change у to i and add es.

dictionary/dictionaries

story/stories

lady/ladies

• If a countable noun ends in for fe, you change the f to v and add es or s.

thief/thieves

leaf/leaves

wife/wives

knife/knives

life/lives

Irregular plural forms

• Some countable nouns are irregular and therefore have irregular plural forms. You need to learn these.

person/people child/children man/men

woman/women mouse/mice sheep/sheep

Noun-verb agreement

• You use a singular verb with singular countable nouns.

The child is happy.

The Oxford dictionary contains 3,500 new words.

• You use a plural verb with plural nouns.

The girls are swimming.

The children didn't go to school yesterday.

• Some nouns are always plural. You use a plural verb.

These trousers don't fit me.

Are these scissors sharp enough?

The police are coming.

My glasses need cleaning.