PLURAL OF NOUNS

EXERCISE I.
Here you have some exceptions, which have the ending -s, not the -es: video, photo, piano, cuckoo,
solo, zoo, radio, soprano, studio, auto, kilo, memo, disco and tattoo.
Give the plural of the following nouns:
glass; piano; hero; cuckoo; brush; bush; cargo; photo; echo; box; solo; fox; tomato; bench; potato;
lunch; schoolgirl; son-in-law.
EXERCISE II.
Make the nouns in brackets in plural:
1. They bought two (video), five (piano) and ten (radio) for their casino.
2. At last he found three new (soprano) for his theatre.
3. He is the owner of two big (studio).
4. Andy is fond of (tattoo).
5. He took a lot of (photo) last week.
6. The Browns bought ten (kilo) of cherries to make our famous jam.
7. For this case we have (memo) in our office.
8. Tom is famous for organizing different (disco).
9. Only in the (zoo) you can see such a great variety of wild animals.
10. Their children are fond of antique (auto) and their collection is the best.
EXERCISE III.
Give the singular of the following nouns:
heroes; valleys; bushes; leaves; binoculars; women; pianos; scissors; trousers; mathematics; news;
jeans; children; hens; boxes; lions; photos; spies; weeks; plums; cherries; spectacles, zoos, physics, discos,
beaches, memos, lies, pies, tattoos, kilos.
EXERCISE IV.
These nouns are always used only in SINGULAR: furniture, money, food, news, advice, knowledge,
fruit, twilight, information, chalk, progress, measles, politics, courage, cloth, economics, athletics, physics,
gymnastics, hair, rice, margin, and macaroni. These nouns are always used only in PLURAL: belongings,
goods, grapes, trousers, police, jeans, scales, tweezers, mass media, oats, remains, reins (), scissors,
wages, contents, pyjamas, tongs, people, tights, spectacles, breeches, pants, pliers, outskirts ( ),
suburbs ( ), arms, proceeds, glasses, binoculars, manners, earnings, brains, stairs (
), steps (), troops, savings, thanks, riches.
Note! Some nouns have the same form in singular and plural: fish, sheep, deer, means, trout, salmon,
species, series, and headquarters. When we speak about different kinds of fish and fruit we use these nouns
in plural. For example: There were different kinds of fishes in the aquarium.
Choose the correct verb:
1. These grapes (is, are) sweet.
2. Anns jeans (is, are) new.
3. The information (is, are) interesting.
4. His knowledge of English (is, are) bad.
5. These trousers (is, are) too old.
6. The furniture (is, are) very nice.
7. The tights (is, are) green and new.
8. The scissors (is, are) very sharp.
9. The chalk (is, are) of bad quality.
10. Her hair (is, are) blond and long.
EXERCISE V.
Give the plural of the following nouns if they have it:
weather; cat; chalk; house; child; mouse; cucumber; knife; boot; furniture; sheep; plum; deer; room;
country; information; advice; salmon; news, trout.
EXERCISE VI.
Give the singular of the following nouns if they have it:
armchairs; gymnastics; clothes; spectacles; photos; shorts; cows; schools; pyjamas; enemies; keys;
kisses; wives; loaves; oxen; men; teeth; grapes; girls; series; riches; people, persons, athletics, news.
EXERCISE VII.
Give the plural to the following nouns:

fly; donkey; key; day; city; monkey; toy; lady; play; army; boy; spy; cry; pity,sky, dragonfly, butterfly.
EXERCISE VIII.
Here you see that f changes into ves in plural: thief thieves, knife knives, life lives,
wife wives, wolf wolves, half halves, leaf leaves, calf calves, loaf loaves. BUT these
nouns end in s: belief, roof, proof, muff, cliff, chief, kerchief, cuff, safe, grief.
Give the plural to the following nouns:
roof; kerchief; wife; muff; knife; chief; life; leaf; proof; thief; calf; half; shelf; wolf; loaf.
EXERCISE IX.
Make the nouns in brackets plural:
1. The (knife) get rusty when you put them into the water for a long time.
2. The (muff) of their new coats are rather lovely.
3. The (roof) of the houses look neat and nice.
4. In autumn all the (leaf) fall down.
5. He bought ten (kilo) of plums for his famous jam.
6. They invited two (soprano) to our Opera House.
7. Young artists want to have their own (studio).
8. (Zoo) are popular all over the world.
9. Toms body is all covered with (tattoo).
10. We prepared new (memo) for our office.
11. Jack bought three new (piano) for his casino.
12. There are ten (radio) in the box.
13. Larry showed us a lot of (photo).
14. They said they needed two new (video) for their cinema theatre.
15. Look, there are five (cuckoo) in this cage.
EXERCISE X.
Here you see some collective nouns: sheep and birds flock, dogs and wolves pack, sportsmen
and other players team, people in the church congregation, a lot of books library, soldiers
a company (a regiment, an army), flowers or keys bunch, in-sects swarm, men, who work on a
boat or a ship crew, cattle (cows, bulls, antilopes) herd, a lot of people in the street crowd,
battleships fleet or navy, people, watching or listening to smth. an audience, rulers of the country
government, people, chosen to direct some work committee, teachers, doctors and officials staff,
sticks and dirty laundry bundle, relations between people family, people of the same origin race,
nations under one ruler empire, fish shoal, criminals gang.
Give a collective noun for each of the following:
1) a large number of insects;
2) people who are the members of one church;
3) a number of cows, bulls or elephants;
4) a number of birds;
5) a number of sheep;
6) people playing football as one body;
7) a number of flowers or keys;
8) a number of sticks;
9) a lot of dirty laundry;
10) a number of battleships;
11) people work on board the ship;
12) people who work together at school;
13) a number of books;
14) a number of bees;
15) a number of spectators;
16) a number of soldiers;
17) a lot of wolves;
18) a lot of fish.
EXERCISE XI.
Here you see some more collective nouns: herd elephants, cows or bulls; school sharks; town
prairie dogs; covey quails (); gaggle geese; raft ducks; mob kangaroos; harem
seals; pride lions; pod whales; knot toads; litter foxes; colony termites; troop baboons;
fish run.

EXERCISE XII.
Form the abstract nouns from the following words:
choose, angry; courageous; hopeful; excited; helpful; hungry; kind; noisy; quiet; sleepy; weak; young;
terrified; ready; comfortable; happy; easy; true; various; present; anxious; glad; hot; wonderful; wide; long;
deep; high; absent; clean; clever; cold; dark; dead; friendly; good; hard; lonely; beautiful; fright; careful;
strong; broad; healthy; wealthy; white; ugly; coward; brave; cruel; mean; generous; describe; enjoy; live;
believe; oppose; lend.
EXERCISE XIII.
Here you have some nouns in the feminine and masculine gender: poet poetess, host hostess,
actor actress, waiter waitress, lion lioness, prince princess, tiger tigress, widower widow,
king queen, sir madam, earl countess, steward stewardess, father-in-law mother-in-law,
stallion (female horse) mare, bull cow, cock hen, uncle aunt, bridegroom bride, duke
duchess, nephew niece, drake duck, gander goose, hero heroine, landlord landlady,
policeman policewoman, ram ewe (female sheep), monk nun, god goddess, heir heiress,
boar sow (female pig), bachelor spinster.
Give the feminine of the following nouns:
tiger; prince; lion; earl; man; bull; drake; landlord; gander; widower; duke, heir, boar, hero, god, monk,
bachelor, ram, host, king, waiter, nephew, stallion.
EXERCISE XIV.
Give the masculine of the following nouns:
waitress; queen; mother-in-law; bride; hostess; stewardess; sister; niece; mare; hen; girl; heroine; aunt;
daughter, spinster, heiress, ewe, goddess, nun, sow.
EXERCISE XV.
Replace the phrase by the Possessive case where possible:
1) the father of Bob;
2) the book of my brother;
3) the cat of the girls;
4) the child of her sister;
5) the order of the colonel;
6) the room of my mother;
7) the garden of my family;
8) the trousers of the boys;
9) the cage of the bird;
10) the hamster of Ann;
11) the pets of the children;
12) the sister of my aunt;
13) the money of my brother;
14) the cat of my great grandmother.
EXERCISE XIX.
Put the verb to be into the correct form:
1. Most of the students present.
2. The news very important.
3. One of the girls very pretty.
4. Some of the people happy to meet her.
5. A lot of chairs broken.
6. Half of the students from India.
7. A number of pupils absent today.
8. The number of students at that University about 10000.
9. Some of the apples red.
10. A lot of documents lost.
11. The boys trousers torn.
12. His clothes made by a good tailor.
13. That furniture very dear to me.
14. The advice that he gave me good.
15. My scissors not very sharp.
16. All the fish in the pond gold and red.

EXERCISE XX.
Change the following sentences from singular to plural:
1. The cat caught the mouse.
2. The leaf fell from the tree.
3. The man and woman went to the cinema.
4. The child saw a sheep in the field.
5. The foot of the deer crushed the flower.
6. This sheep has white wool, that sheep has black wool.
7. The bookcase is made of oak.
8. The army went into battle.
9. I have invited my sister-in-law for dinner.
10. I dropped a penny in the beggars hat.
EXERCISE XXI.
These nouns are always used in plural: peas, raisins, beans, apri-cots, grapes, cherries and prunes.
When we speak about the vegetales or fruit in general, we use these nouns in plural, FOR EXAMPLE:
Tomatoes are very good this year. When we speak about these nouns as used in the soups or salads we use
them in singular, FOR EXAM-PLE: There is too much onion in this salad.
Fill in is or are in these sentences:
1. There (is, are) many prunes in this salad.
2. There (is, are) too many grapes in the vase.
3. There (is, are) a lot of cherries in this pie.
4. There (is, are) too much apple in the cake.
5. There (is, are) too few peas in the soup.
6. There (is, are) few raisins in the ice-cream.
7. There (is, are) too much onion in this stew.
8. There (is, are) too many grapes in the bowl.
9. There (is, are) too few raisins in the cake.
10. There (is, are) too much carrot in the soup.
11. There (is, are). too many prunes in this pie.
12. There (is, are) too few beans in the borsch.
13. There (is, are) few prunes in my cakes.
14. There (is, are) too much cabbage in this salad.
15. There (is, are) few apricots in the ice-cream.
EXERCISE XXII.
As a modifier the noun is always used in the singular: a two day trip, a three hour exam, a two year old
child, vegetable salad, a nine room flat, cat food, a guest room, a twenty dollar bill, a three day hik-ing and
a student book.
Use these modifiers in the following sentences:
1. It was a exam and it was rather difficult.
2. Here you have bill and you can spend it as you like.
3. We are going to buy room flat.
4. They always buy food and their cats look so bushy.
5. This is our room. Our guests like to stay here.
6. This hiking was really wonderful.
7. I dont like this salad. Maybe because of leek.
8. They have a old son. He looks rather smart.
9. We shall have. .. trip to Paris. We are looking forward to it.
10. I think he is lucky. He has found bill today.
11. She looks very slim. Her diet consists of salads.
12. Our room was renovated. Do you like these wall papers?
13. It was a book for the first year students.
14. Most of all he likes a salad.
15. They feed their dog with the food.
EXERCISE XXIII.
Notice that the Netherlands, the USA, the United Kingdom take the verb is not are. Also five hours of
walk is, twenty dollars is, two hundred miles is.

The name of language is used in singular. Chinese is, but the people will be always in plural the
Japanese are. A few adjectives preceded by the definite article the are used as plural nouns: the poor, the
rich, the old, the living, the dead, the blind, the deaf, the disabled (handicapped).
Insert the correct verb:
1. The Netherlands (is, are) a very rich country.
2. The French (is, are) friendly people.
3. Four hours of sleep (is, are) enough for him. He is a workaholic.
4. Japanese (is, are) a very difficult language.
5. One thousand dollars (is, are) too much to pay.
6. The old (is, are) always obstinate.
7. The young (is, are) supposed to be inexperienced.
8. Two hundred miles (is, are) too tiring for hiking.
9. The living (is, are) careless for the nature.
10. The disabled (is, are) well protected abroad.
11. Russian (is, are) my mother tongue.
12. The Vietnamese (is, are) very hardworking people
13. The blind always (use, uses) the guide dogs.
14. The rich usually (give, gives) money for charity.
15. Five hours of walk (is, are) rather tiring.
EXERCISE XXV.
Here you see some borrowed forms of nouns: phenomenon phenomena, medium media, datum
data, bacterium bacteria, symposium symposia, analysis analyses, crisis crises, axis axes,
thesis theses, formula formulae, cactus cacti.
Fill in the correct form in the gaps below:
1. Hail, thunder, lighting and rain are natural (phenomenon, phe-nomena).
2. The Hague is the city where a lot of (symposium, symposia) are held.
3. He published all the (analysis, analyses) of his scientific re-search.
4. At this factory they produce special (bacterium, bacteria) for producing pills.
5. Barbara has a large collection of (cactus, cacti).
6. The (data, datum) in the scientific research are very important.
7. This chemist left a lot of papers with hundreds of (formula, for-mulae).
8. The Earth moves round its (axis, axes).
9. It was one of the biggest (crisis, crises) in the world.
10. The rules for representing (thesis, theses) change every two years.
EXERCISE XXVI.
Put in the missing words from the box:
Back, dog food, cat food, vegetable salad, like, hundred year old, guest room, old fashioned, the house
windows, house door, twenty five year old, sheep farmers, red brick, have moved, three day
The Smiths (1) here this month. They bought a large (2) house just opposite our garden. Mr.
Smith is one of the richest (3) in our area. He himself and his (4) son manage this huge farm. The
house looks lovely, especially the ancient (5) made of bronze. (6) are rather big and made of stained
glass. This (7) house is a Vic-torian building, which looks rather respectful. Their (8) is espe-cially
nice and comfortable. There you can see a (9) piano, stand-ing in the corner. The Smiths (10) healthy
food. All of them are fond of (11) Very often they go to a (12) hiking. Their cats and dogs stay at
home having their (13) and (14) They are very happy when their masters come (15) home.

NOUNS
TEST I
TASK 1.
Rewrite the nouns, which can be used in plural:
1) bread; 4) tree; 7) advice; 10) news;
2) book; 5) calf; 8) carrot; 11) toast;
3) meat; 6) story; 9) tomato; 12) money.
TASK 2.
Rewrite these nouns in plural:
1) life; 5) knife; 9) half; 13) loaf;
2) proof; 6) roof; 10) cuff; 14) grief;
3) wife; 7) wolf; 11) leaf; 15) thief;
4) chief; 8) cliff; 12) safe; 16) belief.
TASK 4.
Put the verbs into the correct form:
1. He is always told to be very clever. His knowledge of computers (be) the best.
2. They say the contents of his new physics book (be) very in-teresting.
3. The mass media always (write) about him a lot.
4. His wages (be) rather high.
5. Billiards (be) his hobby.
6. Her favourite colour (be) blue. And her jeans (be) blue. Even her pyjamas (be) blue.
7. Our favourite food (be) macaroni.
8. His advice (be) always useful.
9. The information about her life (be) very interesting.
TASK 5.
Give the definitions of the following expressions:
1) a lot of dogs or wolves;
2) a lot of sheep or birds;
3) a lot of players who play one game;
4) people in the church;
5) a collection of private or public books;
6) a lot of flowers or some keys;
7) a lot of insects;
8) teachers, doctors or officials who work together;
9) a lot of cattle or any animals who have horns;
10) people who work on a boat, ship or steamer;
11) a lot of soldiers;
12) people who visit concerts or theatres;
13) people who are chosen to rule the country;
14) people of the same origin.
TASK 6.
Give the feminine of the following nouns:
1) bull; 5) gander; 9) tiger; 13) horse;
2) drake; 6) poet; 10) actor; 14) king;
3) cock; 7) lion; 11) steward; 15) widower;
4) hero; 8) host; 12) prince; 16) earl.
TASK 7.
Give the masculine to the following nouns:
1) duchess; 5) waitress; 9) hen; 13) cow;
2) niece; 6) landlady; 10) aunt; 14) princess;
3) mare; 7) duck; 11) policewoman; 15) poetess;
4) madam; 8) widow; 12) mother-in-law; 16) lioness.
TASK 8.
Supply the missing words:
1. This furniture new and very nice.

2. The goods been delivered in time.

3. your clothes expensive?
4. If your jeans dirty put into the washing machine.
5. The fruit rotten in hot weather.
6. The new steps very steep.
7. The twilight always me.
8. Her tights. .. too bright.
9. This cloth. ... smooth and soft.
10. There a lot of trout here.
TASK 9.
Fill in the singular or plural forms of the verb to be:
1. Mathematics taught at our university.
2. Why your clothes so dirty? What have you been doing?
3. The remains of the meal thrown to the dog.
4. Light athletics a sport that develops the whole body.
5. Phonetics very important when you start learning English.
6. Oats grown in this field.
7. The news very unusual.
8. The grounds well laid out.
9. Where my glasses?
10. Billiards a very interesting game.
TASK 10.
Put in the missing words from the box:
Brick building, twenty room, is, are, have, river bank, hall door, house windows, is, spring flowers,
garden gate, sheep farmer, five year old
Tom told he had bought a new (1) house. It is on the (2) near the forest. The most beautiful is the
(3) which is made of oak.
The house itself is a red (4) The (5) are in Victorian style with stained glass. The house looks
nice especially in spring because there are a lot of (6) on the beds. The garden is lovely with a very large
(7) Tom wants to buy a farm and some sheep and become a (8) His family (9) not large. His (10)
son is just in infant school. Tom hopes he will inherit his estate. He himself is very industrious. The
Chinese (11) always very industrious and hardworking. Tom wants his son to be rich. The poor (12) a
lot of problems. And the USA (13) a country of great opportunities for industrious people.
NOUNS
TEST I
TASK 1.
Tick the words, which can be used in plural:
1) sugar; 4) zoo; 7) studio; 10) rose;
2) pen; 5) cat; 8) advice; 11) tea;
3) water; 6) roof; 9) bush; 12) room.
TASK 2.
Rewrite these nouns in plural:
1) wolf; 5) wife; 9) loaf; 13) thief;
2) grief; 6) roof; 10) cliff; 14) proof;
3) life; 7) knife; 11) half; 15) leaf;
4) chief; 8) cuff; 12) muff; 16) kerchief.
TASK 4.
Put the verb into the correct form:
Sheila is a famous film star. Mass media always (to write) about her. Her sixty room house (to be) very
luxurious. Her clothes (to be) always very fashionable. Even her jeans (to cost) one thousand dol-lars. Her
wages (to be) rather high and she doesnt like to pay taxes. She likes low fat food which (to be) very
healthy. She says that there (to be) a lot calories in grapes. She doesnt eat (it, them). She always follows
her doctors advice which (to be) very useful for her.
TASK 5.

Give the definition of the following expressions:

1) when the nation is under one ruler;
2) many sticks joined together;
3) close relations of people who are one flesh and blood;
4) people who visit concerts, theatres;
5) a lot of sheep or birds;
6) a lot of animals which have horns;
7) people of the same origin;
8) a lot of dogs;
9) people who are chosen to direct some;
10) a lot of soldiers;
11) doctors or teachers who work together;
12) people in the church;
13) sportsmen or players.
TASK 6.
Give the feminine to the following nouns:
1) duke; 5) waiter; 9) drake; 13) host;
2) nephew; 6) bridegroom; 10) steward; 14) poet;
3) horse; 7) cock; 11) widow; 15) actor;
4) sir; 8) bull; 12) tiger; 16) prince.
TASK 7.
Give the masculine to the following nouns:
1) countess; 5) lioness; 9) goddess 13) hen;
2) aunt; 6) waitress; 10) lady; 14) poetess;
3) mother in law; 7) princess; 11) ewe 15) spinster
4) queen; 8) niece; 12) widow; 16) duck.
TASK 8.
Supply the missing words:
1. The luggage brought at once.
2. much information about it?
3. There a lot of food in the fridge.
4. The wages increased for two years.
5. The tights very bright and fashionable.
6. Do you see new scales? Where they?
7. The stairs very steep and the old lady got tired.
8. The police already here. Do you see in the yard?
9. His jeans from a famous designer.
10. My pajamas very soft and comfortable.
TASK 9.
Fill in the singular or plural forms of the verb to be:
1. Where your new tights?
2. Here your binoculars. Take
3. Phonetics my favourite subject.
4. Why your trousers so dirty?
5. The twilight very beautiful.
6. Where my pyjamas? I have put it on the chair.
7. Look here. The fruit ripe.
8. Usually his advice very useful.
9. The police already here.
10. The margin too wide.
TASK 10.
Put in missing words from the box:
Three room, the English, twenty room, hall, is, spring flowers, two year old, five year old, children, the
rich, is, want
Ann got married Paul and they sold their (1) flat and bought a new (2) house. It (3) situated in
a very lovely place. The most beautiful in it is a (4) with ancient stained glass. The house is a lovely
Victorian (5) The lake which is not far from the house (6) nice. The banks of the lake are rather green

covered with (7) in spring. Tom and Ann have two lovely kids now. Their (8) daughter has just
started to walk and (9) son visits a local infant school. Tom and Ann dream about Eton for their (10)
It is one of the most pres-tigious places for (11) Tom and Ann think that (12) can allow good
education. Their parents wanted to take the grandchildren to the USA as the USA (13) the country of
great opportunities but Tom and Ann refused. As the real English they (14) to bring up their children in
England.