ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Singular noun


  Noun referring to one person, animal, place, or thing
• a/an


  Used before singular nouns beginning with vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
• Use a before singular nouns beginning with consonants
• Use a before singular nouns beginning with u that don't follow the vowel rule
• Some words don't follow the vowel rule for a/an
• The Manager scolded his lazy Employees
• Singular noun


  When you are talking about one person, animal, place, or thing, use a singular noun
• Examples of singular nouns

  • an airplane
  • a letter
  • a bicycle
  • a map
  • a boy
  • a photograph
  • a bus
  • a refrigerator
  • a comb
  • a slide
  • a girl
  • a swing
  • a key
  • a van
  • an owl
  • a flower
  • a woman
  • a ship
  • a train
• Use a or an before singular nouns

  • Use an before words beginning with vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
  • Use a before words beginning with consonants
• Some words don't follow the a/an rule, e.g. use a before words beginning with u like uniform and university
• Plural nouns


  When you are talking about two or more people, animals, places, or things, use plural nouns
• Examples of plural nouns

  • birds
  • brooms
  • camels
  • desks
  • dolls
  • eggs
  • flowers
  • forks
  • games
  • lambs
  • nests
  • pens
  • photos
  • shirts
  • spoons
• Plural nouns ending in -es


  When the last letters of singular nouns are ch, sh, s, ss or x, you usually add -es to form the plural
• Plural nouns ending in -es

  • buses
  • brushes
  • foxes
  • glasses
• Plural nouns ending in -ies


  Nouns like these are made plural by changing y to i, and adding -es
• If there is a vowel before the y, add -s to form the plural
• Plural nouns with vowel before y

  • keys
  • trays
• Plural nouns ending in -f/-fe


  • Often nouns that end in -f just need -s to form the plural
  • For some words that end in -f, the plural can be spelled in two different ways
  • If a noun ends in -f, you often change f to v, and add -es
• Plural nouns ending in -o


  • You just add -s to form the plural
  • With some nouns that end in -o, you add -es to form the plural
  • With some nouns that end in -o, you can add either -s or -es to form the plural
• Irregular plural nouns


  Some plural nouns don't follow the -s rule. They change form instead.
• Some plural nouns are the same as the singular noun
• Plural nouns same as singular


  • fish
  • bison
  • deer
  • sheep
  • reindeer
• Collective nouns


  Words for groups of people, animals or things
• Many collective nouns can be used with a singular or plural verb
• Examples of collective nouns

  • an orchestra
  • a family
  • a crew
  • an audience
  • a gang
  • a band
  • a group
  • a choir
  • a team
  • a class
  • cattle
  • people
  • the police
  • a band of musicians
  • a brood of chickens
  • a flight of steps
  • a school of fish
  • a team of players
  • a bunch of keys
  • a class of pupils
  • a collection of books
  • a deck of cards
  • a fleet of ships
  • a flock of sheep
  • a gaggle of geese
  • a gang of robbers
  • a herd of cattle
  • a litter of cubs
  • a pod of whales
  • a pack of wolves
  • a pride of lions
  • a set of stamps
  • a swarm of bees
  • a troupe of actors
• Collective nouns that always take a plural verb
• Collective nouns with plural verb

  • cattle
  • people
  • the police
• Masculine nouns


  Words for men and boys, and male animals
• Feminine nouns


  Words for women and girls, and female animals
• Masculine and feminine nouns


  • boy/girl
  • man/woman
  • prince/princess
  • steward/stewardess
  • waiter/waitress
  • bride/bridegroom
  • hen/rooster
  • king/queen
• Common-gender nouns


  Nouns used for both males and females
• Neuter nouns


  Words for things that are neither male nor female
• Personal pronouns


  Words that take the place of nouns and are used as the subject of the verb
• Personal pronouns as object


  Words that take the place of nouns and are used as the object of the verb
• I have a dog

  The speaker has a dog
• Lucky


  The dog's name
• Good morning, children


  Greeting to children
• You may sit down now

  Instruction for children
• My family and I live in a big city

  The speaker's living situation
• We have an apartment


  The type of home the speaker's family has