Plurals, Articles, There + Be

By Prof. Rinkerman

Plurals

A popular song says:

…If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn't the plural of booth be beeth?It's one goose, two geese. Why not one moose, two meese?If it's one index, two indices; why not one Kleenex,two Kleenices? English is cuh-ray-zee!

Regular – Spelling Rules

Most nouns – Just add “s”Example: banana – bananas

bed – bedsNoun ends in “ss” “sh” “ch” “x” – add “es”Example: class – classes

box – boxeschurch – churchesdish - dishes

Regular – Spelling Rules

Noun ends vowel + y – just add “s”Example: boy – boys

monkey – monkeysNoun ends consonant + y – change y to “i”

and add “es”Example: lady – ladies

story – storiesmemory - memories

Regular – Spelling Rules

Noun ends vowel + o – just add “s”Example: radio – radios

patio – patios

Noun ends consonant + o – add “es”Example: mosquito – mosquitoes

tomato – tomatoes

potato – potatoes

Exceptions! Piano – pianos

auto - autos

Regular – Spelling Rules

Noun ends in f or fe – change f to v and add “es”

Example: knife – knivesleaf – leaves

Exceptions!roof – roofschef – chefschief - chiefs

Pronunciation

After voiceless sounds – /s/Example: lip – lips

rock – rocksAfter voiced sounds - /z/Example: bag – bags

can – cansAfter “ss” “sh” “ch” or x - /ez/Example: dish – dishes

beach – beachestax - taxes

Irregular Plurals

Vowel changeExample:

Man men

Woman women

Mouse mice

No changeExample:

Sheep sheep

Fish fish

Irregular Plurals

Different word formExample:

Child – children

Person – people (or persons)

No singular formExample:

Pajamas, clothes, pants, scissor, (eye)glasses

Articles – Indefinite

A – AnTo make generalizations:Examples:A house is expensive.A child needs love. To speak about a noun FOR THE FIRST TIMEExample: I went to a party yesterday. The party was at

Miryam’s house. Use before a Singular COUNT nounExample: Paterson is a big city.

Definite Article: THE

Use it with singular or plural nouns:Example: the White House / the white houses Use THE when the noun is identified before:Example: I went to a party yesterday. The party was at

Miryam’s house. Do not use THE with a noun used in a general way:Example: People must have food and water.

Pedro is studying history Use THE with a general noun if a phrase identifies it:Example: The people in my class are interesting.

Pedro is studying the history of South America

Piano Man    By Billy Joel

It's nine o'clock on _______ Saturday_______ regular crowd shuffles inThere's ________ old man sitting next to meMaking love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son can you play me ________ memoryI'm not really sure how it goesBut it's sad and it sweet and I knew it completeWhen I wore _________ younger man's clothes"

Piano Man

{Bridge}La la-la di-di daLa-la di-di da, da dum

Sing us ________ song, you're ________ piano manSing us ________ song tonightWell, we're all in ________ mood for _______ melodyAnd you've got us feeling all right

Piano Man

Now John at _________ bar is ________ friend of mineHe gets me my drinks for freeAnd he's a quick with a joke or a light up your smokeBut there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says "Bill, I believe this is killing me"As the smile ran away from his face"Well I'm sure that I could be ______ movie starIf I could get out of this place"

Piano Man

Now Paul is _______ real estate novelistWho never had time for __________ wifeAnd he's talking with Davey who's still in _______ NavyAnd probably will be for life

And _________ waitress is practicing politicsAs __________ businessmen slowly get stonedYes they're sharing a drink they call lonelinessBut it's better than drinking alone

Piano Man

It's _________ pretty good crowd for ______ SaturdayAnd ________ manager gives me _______ smile'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to seeTo forget about life for awhile

And _________ piano sounds like ______ carnivalAnd ________ microphone smells like ______ beerAnd they sit at ______ bar and put bread in my jarAnd say "Man, what are you doing here?"