IELTS grammar. Lesson 1: Singular or plural?

Singular and plural forms are extensively used in English language and will definitely appear many times in IELTS. However, even advanced applicants sometimes make mistakes when choosing which form to write - singular or plural. So it is crucial to clearly distinguish these 2 forms to succeed in your IELTS test.

This grammar lesson will remind the rules of using singular and plural forms and give you some exercises to master your skills. To complete this lesson, read the theory in green box and complete the exercises below.


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Use plural nouns with:

  • Plural verbs (are, do, have, make etc):
    Apples are lying on the table.

  • With quantifiers many, a lot of, a great deal of, plenty of, lots of, the number of:
    You took many books from the library.

  • With numbers bigger than 1:
    There are 4 cats in that room.

Use singular nouns with:

  • Singular verbs (is, has, was, does, makes etc):
    Our dog is playing.

  • With indefinite articles a, an:
    You bought a bag, which is very nice.

  • With word one:
    One pencil has been taken from the box.

Attention:

  • Some nouns look plural, but are singular (news, aerobics, mathematics).
  • Some nouns are used only in the plural (glasses, jeans, scissors, goods).
  • Some nouns change form in the plural (person→people, man→men, child→children).


Practice. Choose the correct sentence in each pair:

  1. Many endangered animal are protected by the government.
    Many endangered animals are protected by the government.

  2. Your child is very adorable.
    Your child are very adorable.

  3. So many people is wasting their time on playing computer games!
    So many people are wasting their time on playing computer games!

  4. There are several problems with your plan.
    There is several problem with your plan.

  5. The old pond was full of fish.
    The old pond was full of fishes.

  6. My sister tell me to watch more documental movies.
    My sister tells me to watch more documental movies.

  7. The teacher always give me hard exercises.
    The teacher always gives me hard exercises.

  8. The number of cars on the roads is increasing.
    The number of cars on the roads are increasing.

  9. A lot of woman are studying science today.
    A lot of women are studying science today.

  10. Many new ideas spring from brainstorming.
    Many new idea springs from brainstorming.

  11. People that made a speech last week is truly eloquent.
    A person that made a speech last week is truly eloquent.

  12. This news rejoiced everyone.
    These news rejoiced everyone.