Singular plural nouns grammar english rules and exercises. Mignon fogarty is the founder of the quick and dirty tips network and creator of grammar girl, which has been named one of writers digests 101 best websites for writers multiple times. English nouns are inflected for grammatical number, meaning that if they are of the countable type, they generally have different forms for singular and plural. Grammar tip staff is or staff are ontario training. Plural nouns can take either a definite article or no article at all. In english, proper nouns begin with a capital letter. As pat writes in her grammar and usage book woe is i 3rd. A singular subject she, bill, car takes a singular verb is, goes, shines, whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb. A singular subject agrees with a singular verb, and a plural subject agrees with a plural verb. The truth is that none can be singular or plural, but many people believe it can be only singular.
People is not a collective noun like team or staff. Because the english language can be a touch on the unexpected side, the answer to that is that its both. In bre, staff is used as both a singular and a plural for purposes of agreement. Make sure the students open their books to page 39. On the other hand, if youre thinking of the couple as a single unit, you would probably use a singular verb. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the. Sarcasm is a cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound. Apr 05, 2008 for singular possessive, use an apostrophe ds. Collective nouns grammar girl quick and dirty tips. Guestwriter bonnie trenga writes, there are around 200 collective nouns in. That property is called grammatical number or simply number outside the world of english grammar or any grammar. Here is a handy page from the grammar bytes website which talks about collective nouns, and another one from bbc learning english. The apostrophe indicates that one bicycle belongs to. Remember that phenomenon is singular by noting that the non at the end sounds like one.
If it is the subject of a verb, this verb is plural. When it comes to indefinite pronouns, grammarians disagree about whether words such as everyone and somebody are singular or plural when you use a pronoun to refer to them. Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of subjectverb agreement. In this faq youll find answers to common grammatical questions that may provide help with your writing ills. Grammar girl one is singular and the other is plural. When none is followed by a mass noun a noun that cannot be counted or made.
The girls or their father collects the newspapers every morning. Mignon fogarty is grammar girl and the founder of quick and dirty tips. The plural forms of words the word plural means more than one in number. If the collective noun is meant to highlight the actions of discrete individuals who are all doing different. In the above sentence, the prepositional phrase is in four people. In north american english staff senses 1 and 2 can only be singular. The plural form of the singular countable nouns are normally made by adding s, as a book.
Todays topic is collective nouns, nouns that describe a group, such as family, orchestra, and board. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. Usually when you speak of fruit as a countable noun, you say a piece of fruit, two. Other nouns replace their characteristic endings by those indicated in the table. For example, linda asks, is everyone and, likewise, everybody singular or plural. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. Aug 21, 2014 the way you group the items determines whether its a singular subject or a plural subject and whether youd use the plural verb have or the singular has. The staff are working on many projects for the holiday party. Some other examples of collective nouns are board, committee, company, organization, department, and faculty. American speakers prefer to make collective nouns singular and emphasize the individual members of. First off, the very fact that the object denoted by the name is a single entity makes it impossible for the name to have any plural connotations. A plural subject involves more than one item or person. The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb while a plural subject takes a plural verb.
To show plural possessive write the ds power source. If the collective noun is meant to highlight the actions of discrete individuals who are all doing different things, use the plural verb. Any english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. The greatest benefit subject is verb the opportunities presented to our staff. Sentence subjects that have independent nouns connected by and are plural, thus requiring plural verbs such as have. Masculine nouns ending in a consonant add in the plural. The indefinite articles a and an are used to modify singular nouns. If it is plural or there is more than one noun, use are.
A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y and adding ies. For a model named m35s, you could write the following. The way you group the items determines whether its a singular subject or a plural subject and whether youd use the plural verb have or the singular has. When youve read those explanations try out this exercise on singular. Such nouns as abundance, half, part, plenty, rest and variety takes a singular verb or a plural verb according to the number of the noun in the of phrase that. However, group nouns that can use a singular verb form can be made plural to indicate more than one group or. If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb. Therefore, it is only the nouns in this category which can be made into the plural form.
If you were to use the singular book, most people would likely interpret it as suggesting that the students are sharing a single book. The grammar girl podcast has also won best education podcast multiple times in the podcast awards, and mignon is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame. The correct phrasing would be the first of your choices. Criteria is the plural form of that word, although it is commonly misused as a singular word what is. As regdwight pointed out, this was discussed previously with regards to company names. This book, by one of the most innovative and challenging contemporary thinkers, consists of an extensive essay from which the book takes its title and five shorter essays that are internally related to being. The word series is both singular and plural good information from thefreedictionary quoting american heritage dictionary as its source series is both a singular and a plural form. However, each is not used to describe one of a collective of two. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. The sweet little kiwi chalet girls were still glowing with excitement as they recounted their tales she blushed, that deep, mottled raspberry stain fairskinned girls show, and i left her alone the flat roof in. Plural nouns can only be made from countable nouns whereas uncountable nouns do not have plural forms. In american english, one says our staff does, because in our grammar, we are. Two or more singular subjects connected by and usually take a verb in the plural. Also, if an antecedent is singular, then any pronoun referring to it must be singular.
When using english, it is necessary to know how to form plural nouns from singular nouns. A singular subject involves a single item or person. Criterion is a singular noun that means the standard or rule used to make a judgment or decision. Using plural nouns after theres is considered poor grammar even though you will hear it used by some native speakers, as in theres questions to be answered. Several listeners have recently asked about this conundrum. When deciding whether to use is or are, look at whether the noun is plural or singular. In the first example, context makes it clear that moses is not plural as nobody who knows english well does not know that moses is a singular prop. When you are thinking of the couple as two separate people doing separate things, you would probably use a plural verb. Board of directors is a singular one board compound noun that takes a singular verb. Ask the editor frequently asked style questions ap stylebook. Irony is the use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning. American speakers prefer to make collective nouns singular and emphasize the individual members of a group by adding something plural. So, the plural form of the word cat is cats, and the plural form of mouse is mice. Since americans is plural, one percent becomes plural in meaning.
Is the word class a singular noun or a plural noun. The noun grammar can be countable or uncountable in more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be grammar however, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be. In most cases we make a plural noun by adding s to a singular noun car cars. This center contains a handson activity that will help your students use the correct verb form to complete a sentence. If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb must be singular.
An apostrophe and the letter s are used to show possession. The plural form of the singular countable nouns are normally made by adding s, as a book a books, a pen a pens, and a cow a cows. For example, you would say, the couple are vacationing separately this year, because they are two different people doing two different things. However, it is just as likely to mean not any, implying a plural. Proper nouns are used to name a specific person, place or thing. Jane straus is the author of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and. Subject and verb agreement with collective nouns grammar. Each is a singular noun, and therefore is associated with the singular form of the verb. Staff is a collective noun and should have a singular verb, i.
The answer lies in grammar rules on concord or subjectverb agreement. The word the before a collective noun the majority is usually a tipoff that its singular, while a before the noun a majority, especially. In their singular form, they are preceded by the indefinite article aan. The idea of singular and plural is about a property of nouns. Which phrase is correct the class was or the class were. My employee can be a bit awkward and i wonder if customers.
The same rule applies to fractions used as subjects. However, the subject is one, which is singular and takes a singular verb. Will singular nouns tale only singular verbs or also plural. The family were sitting down, scratching their heads. Members of the staff have earned many sales awards this year. In this case americans is the object of the preposition of. Students have to sort the balloons into singular or plural give the teddy bears the correct balloons. Fractions and percentages, like team and staff, can be either singular or plural depending on the object of the preposition following.
Treat them the same as plurals, even if the meaning is singular. Grammar exercises, english grammar rules, short explanation grammar. Basic english grammar rules your must know hbr ascend. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y.
Mignon is the author of the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing and six other books on writing. Subjectverb agreement grammar rules the blue book of. This center focuses on verbs with singular and plural nouns, a grade 1 common core language standard. Today, headquarters is a noun thats plural in form but can be used with either a singular or a plural verb. This sounds odd because we are talking about more than one person, which is why many people use a plural verb, i. Words that end in ch, x, s or slike sounds take es for the plural kiss kisses. We have looked at various aspects of subjectverb agreements in the last three high english grammar quizzes. Every english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. M35ses plural or m35s models may be less confusing m35ss singular possessive or m35s models m35ses plural possessive or m35s models. Since staff is singular, we treat it grammatically as singular. We do not double the s or add apostrophe s after another s to indicate possession. In the first example, context makes it clear that moses is not plural as nobody who knows english well does. A singular noun refers to one of something a chair, a hat, a dog.
High english grammar and singular or plural verbs with nouns. Learn whether collective nouns take plural verbs or singular verbs. If the collective noun staff is acting as a single unit, use the singular verb. Proper nouns do not normally have a determiner before them e. A singular noun ending in s, x, z, ch, sh makes the plural by adding es.
Staff definition is a long stick carried in the hand for support in walking. Singular nouns go with singular verbs while plural nouns go with plural verbs. Subject and verb agreement with collective nouns worldleading. This article discusses the variety of ways in which english plural nouns are formed from the corresponding singular forms, as well as various issues concerning the usage of singulars and plurals in english. Aug 10, 2010 fractions and percentages, like team and staff, can be either singular or plural depending on the object of the preposition following. It is important to put the apostrophe in the correct place, either before the s or after the s, depending on whether the subject is singular or plural. Many people raised on traditional grammar consider staff are is wrong. Todays question is about whether or not the word series is singular or plural. The customer service staff is not available after 6. However, you can use staffs asa thirdperson singular verb meaning to work or operate. German grammar is the set of structural rules of the german language, which in many respects is quite similar to that of the other germanic languages although some features of german grammar, such as the formation of some of the verb forms, resemble those of english, german grammar differs from that of english in that it has, among other things, cases and gender in nouns and a strict verb. This center contains a handson activity that will help your students use the correct verb form to. The cat and the dog are eating as fast as they can.
Dear teachers, while surfing around the web, i came across two noun phrases below. Simply paste or write your text below and click check my writing to get feedback on your writing. When using a plural noun, these two articles are unnecessary. This means that people is the object of the preposition. Such nouns as abundance, half, part, plenty, rest and variety takes a singular verb or a plural verb according to the number of the noun in the of phrase that modifies the noun. Singular phenomenon criterion plural phenomena criteria quick and dirty tip. The trick with these words is that when the group is acting in harmony, you must use the singular form of the verb. Will singular nouns tale only singular verbs or also. If the grammatical subject of a sentence is singular, then the verb must be singular. It is no different for us than a stickstaff in terms of grammar.
1428 98 776 265 1109 118 609 79 956 1312 1202 1332 408 286 526 1165 1439 191 6 1442 138 800 217 183 854 409 490 627 1218 814 1213 108 488 1308 840 973 185 705 415 934 602 76 259