Penny staff

Pence staves

Cloths indexes

Cloth index

Clothes indices

Ex. 7 In the following exercises—(1) pick out all the nouns; (2) say whether each noun is Singular or Plural as it stands; (3) change every Plural into a Singular, and every Singular into a Plural:

1. There are many cities in England, many smaller towns, and an immense number of villages.

2. A cat and a dog are seldom good friends.

3. The earth turns round once in one day and one night.

4. When the cat is away, the mice play.

4. The branch of that tree has leaves of a bright green colour.

5. The cries of animals are many and various : a horse neighs ; a dog barks; a cat mews ; a swine or pig grunts ; an elephant trumpets ; an ass brays ; an ox lows; a monkey chatters; goose cackles ; a boy laughs or weeps ; a fish is silent.

6. If we stop in this wood, we shall be lost. So let us get back into the public road, before night comes on.

7. The wolf living in that forest killed many calves.

8. Some thieves broke into the house of my friend.

9. The stars are seen through the leaves and branches of that oak-tree.

10. He went out fishing for salmon, and caught two dozen and more in his net, besides some trout to the number of two or three score.

11. Sheep cannot run as fast as deer; and so the sheep were caught first by the wolves.

12. The cat has caught two mice and one rat today.

13. Oxen are of more value than deer to a farmer.

14. The feet of men are larger than those of women; but the teeth are about the same in size.

15. The sun's light is brighter than the moon's; but the moon's rays are not so hot as those of the sun.

16. Joseph had eleven brethren who sold him as a slave to some merchants on their way to Egypt.

17. A valley is usually hotter than the top of a hill.

18. He is a big man, and weighs fourteen stone.

Ex. 8. Supply the appropriate form of the nouns given in brackets.

1. The mountain is 11,856 (foot) high.

2. He earns eleven (pound) a week.

3. The sleeping-bag is two (pound) ten (shillings).

4. She needed three (foot) six (inches) of velvet.

5. He was a man five (foot) seven.

6. This cost him four (pound) ten.

7. The room was forty square (foot).

8. She bought the frock at three (pound).

Ex.9 State the number of the following nouns and give the corresponding singular or plural, if any.

Brethren, memoranda, antenna, means, scissors, pence, Roman, index, governor, linen, news, fish, data, photo, axes, physics, cloth, halves, mice, staff, sleeves, species, business, feet, bases, headquarters, Japanese, corps, knowledge, grief, swine, contents, clothes, sledge.

Ex10. Put the nouns in brackets in the correct number.

a) more than one (day) twenty-one (day)

one and a half (mile) one (mile) and a half

one or two (metre) 0,5 (metre)

three (foot) five (foot) six

a (pair) of shoes two (pair) of shoes

to walk in (pair), (dozen) of socks

a (dozen) of socks by the (dozen)

four (dozen) buttons

b) 1. The man took five (fish) out of the bag and gave each dog a fish.

2.1 wondered at the variety of (fish) in his aquarium.

3. Our (family) are all good chess-players.

4. Our (family) are next door neighbours.

5. The fruit trees were all in (blossom).

6. The bush was all covered with starlike ((blossom).

7. The (people) of all the five continents were represented at the World Youth Festival.

8. The Japanese (people) are very industrious.

9. In the many pavilions of the Agriculrural Exhibition, one can see various (fruit) grown on the vast territory of our country

10. You must eat more (fruit).

11. (Fruit) is cheap in summer,

12. There is a lot of (fruit) in summer.

13. There are a lot of different (fruit) on the table.