Unit 3 · Pre-A1 / A1
One And Many
Singular Nouns
When you talk about one thing — one cat, one ball, one book — you use a singular noun. "Singular" means "just one." Understanding the difference between one and many is a key step in using English correctly.
Student-Friendly Definition: A singular noun names just one person, place, animal, or thing.
Plural Nouns
What happens when there is more than one cat? You say "cats." What about more than one book? "Books." When you talk about more than one of something, you use a plural noun. "Plural" means "more than one."
Student-Friendly Definition: A plural noun names more than one person, place, animal, or thing.
Adding -s
How do you change "cat" to mean more than one cat? You add -s! This is the most common way to make a noun plural in English. If you learn this one simple rule, you can form plurals for most nouns in English.
Student-Friendly Definition: Adding -s to the end of a noun is the most common way to make it plural (to show more than one).
Adding -es
Most nouns just add -s to become plural. But some nouns need a little more help. Try saying "boxs" — it is hard to say! That is why some words add -es instead of just -s. The -es makes the word easier to say and hear.
Student-Friendly Definition: Adding -es is a plural rule used for nouns ending in -s, -x, -ch, -sh, or -z to make them easier to say.
Common Irregular Plurals
Most nouns follow the rules: add -s or add -es. But some special nouns do not follow any rule. They change in surprising ways. These are called irregular plurals. They are important because they are common words you will use often.
Student-Friendly Definition: Irregular plurals are special plural forms that do not add -s or -es. The word changes in its own special way.
Practise One And Many in a game — 8 friendly questions are ready.