1. Sept. 24, 2010

2. 1. temptations 2. disciples 3. butterflies 4. journeys 5. bamboos 6. evangelists 7. heroes 8. leaves 9. giraffes 10. women 11. salmon 12. scissors 13. proceeds 14. measles 15. aeronautics 16. alumni 17. indices/indexes 18. curricula/ curriculums 19. analyses 20. editors-in-chief

3. Why form the plural? When you speak or write, it is important to let your listener or reader know if:  you are talking about just ONE person, place, or thing (singular)  or talking about TWO or MORE (plural)

4. How do you form the plural of nouns? There are basic rules that we follow to change a singular noun into its plural form. When you were younger, you learned that to change the singular form to its plural form, just add –s/–es to the noun. Ex. skirtskirts branch branches

5. However, there are more rules…

6. 1. nouns ending in “y” If the singular noun ends in “y,” change the “y” to “i” then add –es. However, if there is a vowel before the “y,” just add –s. SINGULARPLURAL butterflybutterflies candycandies journeyjourneys valleyvalleys

7. 2. nouns ending in “o” a. If the letter before the “o” is a vowel, add –s to the singular form. SINGULAR PLURAL bamboobamboos radioradios studiostudios b. Generally, if the letter before the “o” is a consonant just add –es to the singular form. SINGULAR PLURAL heroheroes mangomangoes tomatotomatoes

8. Exceptions to rule #2 Some nouns ending with “o” that have a consonant before it form the plural by adding –s. SINGULARPLURAL FilipinoFilipinos pianopianos solosolos altoaltos

9. 3. nouns ending in “f” and “fe” For most nouns ending in “f” and “fe”, change the “f” or “fe” to “v” then add –es. SINGULARPLURAL leafleaves thiefthieves wifewives knifeknives

10. Exceptions to rule #3 There are some nouns ending in “f/fe” that just add –s to form their plural. There are also some where BOTH the –ves and –s forms are accepted as plural. SINGULARPLURAL giraffegiraffes roofroofs hoofhoofs/hooves dwarfdwarfs/dwarves

11. 4. nouns that change their spelling Some nouns change their spelling to form their plural. SINGULARPLURAL womanwomen footfeet mousemice oxoxen

12. 5. nouns with the SAME singular and plural forms A few nouns have the same form in both the singular and plural. You can use them either way. SINGULARPLURAL salmon sheep Chinese Japanese

13. 6. nouns that can ONLY be plural Some nouns can only be used in plural form. Always use them with the –s at the end. SINGULARPLURAL -proceeds -scissors -goods -tweezers

14. 7. nouns that end in –s but are actually singular There are nouns that look plural but are actually singular in meaning and use. SINGULARPLURAL aeronautics- measles- economics- news-

15. 8. nouns with foreign origins Nouns that have foreign origins usually change their spelling to form the plural. However, for some nouns that have been in the English language for a long time, adding –s/–es to them have already become acceptable. SINGULARPLURAL alumnaalumnae alumnusalumni curriculumcurricula/ curriculums indexindices/ indexes

16. 9. compound nouns Compound nouns usually form the plural by adding –s/–es to the main/principal word. SINGULARPLURAL father-in-lawfathers-in-law editor-in-chiefeditors-in-chief passer-bypassers-by cross-stitchcross-stitches

17. 10. letters, numbers, and symbols For letters, numbers, and symbols, add apostrophe and an –s (’s) to form the plural. SINGULARPLURAL tt’s 55’s ’s ??’s

18. Quick Check: Say and spell the plural form 1. monkey 2. studio 3. tomato 4. piano 5. loaf 6. wife 7. cliff 8. goose 9. sheep 10. alumnus 11. crisis 12. brother-in-law

19. Change the words in parentheses into their correct plural form. 1. I bought a lot of (candy) from the nearby store. 2. Some packages came with surprise (toy) inside. 3. The (radio) in the AVR are all in good working order. 4. The (potato) in the garden are almost ready for picking. 5. Most (Filipino) love eating sweets.

20. 6. The (leaf) in the tree were blown by the strong wind. 7. The (giraffe) in the zoo are well-fed. 8. Both my front (tooth) are about to fall off! 9. Many (Chinese) sell things in the market. 10. The (alumna) of St. Pedro Poveda College will have a reunion next week. 11. The (passer-by) were all curious about the event in the gym. 12. Poveda and Ateneo have different (curriculum).

21. On your own: 1. The (lady) in the department store bought items on sale. 2. Our (life) are full of challenges. 3. As we take our (journey) in life, we must be persevering and determined. 4. The (piano) in the music store are shiny! 5. The (thief) attempted to get into the computer store.

22. 6. During the typhoon, many (roof) were blown away. 7. The (woman) in our village donated some clothes and clean water to the victims. 8. The (alumnus) of Xavier School also gathered to think of projects to help the victims. 9. Scientists made several (analysis) on what caused the flooding.

23. 10. My mother’s (sister-in-law) called her to help in their project. 11. How many (c) are there in the word occasion? 12. Several (deer) grazed in the grassy field.