Thursday 6 December 2012

Singular and Plural

Most nouns form the plural by adding -s or -es.
Singular
Plural
Boat
Hat
House
Rabbit
River
shoe
Boats
Hats
Houses
Rabbits
Rivers
Shoes


A noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant makes the plural with -ies.
Singular
Plural
A cry
A fly
A nappy
A puppy
A city
A lady
A baby
Cries
Flies
Nappies
Puppies
Cities
Ladies
Babies


There are some irregular formations for noun plurals. Some of the most common ones are listed below.
Singular
Plural
Woman
Man
Child
Tooth
Foot
Person
Leaf
Half
Knife
Wife
Life
Loaf
Potato
Tomato
Cactus
Mouse
Women
Men
Children
Teeth
Feet
People
Leaves
Halves
Knives
Wives
Lives
Loaves
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Cacti
Mice


Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural
Singular
Plural
Sheep
Fish
Species
Aircraft
Sheep
Fish
Species
Aircraft
The Gerund and the Present Participle: 'ING' Form
INTRODUCTION
The '-ing' form of the verb may be a present participle or a gerund.
The form is identical, the difference is in the function, or the job the word does in the sentence.
The present participle:
This is most commonly used:
·         as part of the continuous form of a verb,
he is painting; she has been waiting
·         after verbs of movement/position in the pattern:
verb + present participle,
She sat looking at the sea
·         after verbs of perception in the pattern:
verb + object + present participle,
We saw him swimming
·         as an adjective, e.g. amazing, worrying, exciting, boring

The gerund:
This always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like a verb), so it can be used:
·         as the subject of the sentence:
Eating people is wrong.
·         after prepositions:
Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
She is good at painting
·         after certain verbs,
e.g. like, hate, admit, imagine
·         in compound nouns,
e.g. a driving lesson, a swimming pool, bird-watching, train-spotting

Which, What and Whose

Which, What, Whose
In questions, these words ask which thing or person is being referred to. They are placed before the noun.
·         Which dress are you going to wear tonight?
·         What colour is your dress?
·         Whose car are you going to use?

Which and Whose
In a statement, these words define or explain which thing or person is referred to:
Examples
·         He went back to the house. (Which house?)  The house which stood on the corner.                                                            
  =› He went back to the house which stood on the corner.
·         I saw the man. (Which man?)  The man whose car you damaged.   
 =› I saw the man whose car you damaged.

·         He couldn't remember which film he had seen.

·         That's the man whose wife works in my office.

·         Tell me which coffee you like.

·         The woman whose dog bit you is at the door.