Множественное число существительных

A dog –dogs, a boy -boys

1. Имена существительные, оканчивающиеся на -s, -ss, -х, -sh, -ch, во множественном числе принимают окончание -es: bus — buses; glass — glasses; box — boxes; dish — dishes; match — matches.

2. Окончание -es принимают также существительные, оканчивающиеся на -о; potato — potatoes. Однако существительные piano и photo принимают окончание -s: piano — pianos; photo — photos.

3. Имена существительные, оканчивающиеся на -у с предшествующей согласной, меняют у на i перед окончанием -es: study — studies; family — families.

Если конечной букве -у предшествует гласная, то у не меняется: day — days.

4. В сложных существительных типа brother-in-law форму множественного числа обычно принимает главное в смысловом отношении слово: brothers-in-law.

5. Существительные, оканчивающиеся на -f или -fe, принимают окончание -s или -es, причем f меняется на v: leaf — leaves; wife — wives.

Однако существительные roof, chief, handkerchief образуют множественное число по общему правилу путем прибавления окончания -s: roofs, chiefs, handkerchiefs.

6. Существительные child, ox во множественном числе принимают окончание -en: child — children; ox — oxen.

7. Следующие существительные образуют множественное число путем изменения корневой гласной: man — men: woman — women; mouse — mice; tooth — teeth; foot — feet; goose — geese.

8. Некоторые существительные имеют одну форму для единственного и множественного числа: swine, sheep, deer, fish.

EXERCISES

I. a) Read aloud:

speed, loaf, loom, reach, rose, fill, coal, aim, cube, weave, faint, steam, tool, freeze, mutton, crystal, tense, shoot, trainer, coast, raze, float, beach, least, boot, fee, rein, author, veil, a merry song, a big boat, a simple riddle, a little star, a black bag, an old goat, a good cook, a fat cock, a good accent, an old oak, a good tool.

b) Concentrate on the rhythm, sentence stress, weak forms of the pronouns:

His mother is ill. Her cousin is right. My sister is in. His brother is out. The man is wrong. His wife is out. The man is bad. The woman is good. The girl is clever. His daughter is pretty.

II. Write the plural form of the following nouns. Transcribe them:

college, writer, family, wife, child, mouse, parrot, house, bird, man, goose, woman, leaf, roof, day, son-in-law, turkey, swine, box, dish, sheep.

III. a) Read the following special questions. Concentrate on the intonation. Observe the weak forms of the pronouns and the verb to be:

1. When is she busy? 2. -Why are you late? 3. -When are you free? 4. -When are you busy? 5. -Why are you sad? 6. Why is 'Betty in the park? 7. Why is Mrs. 'Sandford in bed? 8. Why is he still at the hospital? 9. -When is she at home? 10. Why is she 'still at home?

b) Change the special question into general ones and answer them as in the model. Work in pairs.

Model: Why is he in bed? - Is he in bed? Yes, he is.

IV. Answer the following questions:

1. Is Doctor Sandford in? 2. Where is he? 3. Is Mrs. Sandford at home? 4. Is Mrs. Sandford in the park with Benny? 5. She isn't in the garden, is she? 6. Old Mrs. Sandford isn't ill, is she? 7. Is she in bed? 8. She is better today, isn't she? 9. Is Mr. Sandford at home after four on Saturday? 10. Is he at home after four or at half past four on Saturday?

V. a) Complete the following general questions to make them alternative.

M о d e 1: Is he busy? — Is he busy or free?

1. Are they in the garden ...? 2. Is your sister at the Institute ...? 3. Is Doctor Sandford at the hospital...? 4. Is his wife in the park ...? 5. Is the exercise easy...? 6. Is Betty nineteen ...? 7. Is the hall big...? 8. Are you free on Saturday ...? 9. Are these lessons difficult...? 10. Is this sentence long...?

b) Change these general questions into disjunctive ones.

M о d e 1: Is he busy? — He is busy, isn't he?

VI. Give the following sentences in the plural. Model : This is a pen. These are pens.

1. This is a box. 2. This is a spoon. 3. That is a fork. 4. This is a park. 5. That is a garden. 6. This is a desk. 7. That is a door . 8. This is my bird. 9. That is his dog. 10. That is her daughter.

VII. Give the degrees of comparison of the following adjectives and transcribe them:

short, tall, large, nice, long, big, red, high, dirty, fast, easy, good, bad, few, busy, near, far, old, late, thin, thick, comfortable, interesting, difficult, narrow.

VIII. Rewrite the following sentences changing as ... as into not so… as or not as ... as:

1. She is as young as you are. 2. He is as clever as his father is. 3. I am as tired as you are. 4. My mother is as old as yours. 5. This book is as interesting as that one. 6. These dictations are as bad as those ones. 7. My father is as tall as yours. 8. His daughter is as beautiful as his wife. 9. My room is as light as yours. 10. This new house is as big as the old one. 11. This boy is as clever as that one.

IX. Rewrite the following sentences changing not so ... as into less ... than:

1. She is not so tired as I am. 2. The child is not so sleepy as you are. 3. This task is not so important as that one. 4. This book is not so interesting as that one. 5. Spanish is not so difficult as Chinese. 6. There is not so much ink in my fountain-pen as in yours.

X. a) Respond to the following sentences. Express your surprise or doubt as in the models.

Mode l 1: This is a good car. - Is it?

Mode l 2: This isn't a good car. - Isn't it?

1. This is a light room. 2. This is a big dog. 3. This is a dark garden. 4. This isn't a bad book. 5. This is a nice animal. 6. This isn't a good shop. 7. This isn't a big city. 8. This is a long sentence. 9. This isn't a thick exercise-book. 10. This is a difficult test. 11. This is an interesting story. 12. This isn't a bad idea. 13. This isn't a clever answer. 14. This isn't a small park.

XI. a) Let the members of the class ask and answer questions as in the model. Give a short answer using contracted forms. Add a sentence of your own.

Model: Is your sister a student? - No, she isn't. She is still a pupil.

b) Respond to the negative sentence of your fellow-student as in the model. Use contracted forms. Work in pairs.

Model: His father isn't a doctor. - No, he isn't. He is an officer.

XII. a) Give questions to the following sentences:

1. On Saturday Mr. Sandford is at home after four. 2. My brother is still at the office. 3. Mr. Smith is a good doctor. 4. My mother is glad to see you.

b) Each sentence describes a certain situation in a concise way. Some points of the situation are already known to you. Find out some more details about the situation by asking questions. Work in pairs. Use conversational phrases expressing approval and disapproval where possible.

Model : Mrs. Sandford is in the park. - Nice, isn't it? Is she alone there?

No, she isn't. - With whom is she there? - With Benny, her son, you know. - Yes, I see.

XIII. Let the members of the class ask and answer questions as in the model. Use contracted forms.

Model 1. Is she as tall as her friend? - She's much taller than her friend.

Model 2: Is Nina active? - She's the most active of all.

XIV. Translate the following into English:

1. В чем дело (что случилось)? — Джон болен. 2. Он лежит? — Да, но ему сегодня лучше. 3. Том дома? — Нет, его нет. Он обычно бывает дома в пять. 4. В субботу я бываю дома в четыре. 5. Где Бэнни? — Он в парке. 6. Кто он? — Он врач. 7. Доктор Сэндфорд дома? — Он еще в больнице. 8. Бэнни в парке, не так ли? 9. Когда они бывают дома в субботу? — В шесть. 10. Они всегда рады видеть вас. 11. Какая жалость, что его нет дома. 12. Какая жалость, она все еще в постели.