Exercise 3
Write a/an before the singular words and write the plural forms.
EXAMPLE: An olive ⇒ olives
a/an, plurals – grammar chart
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a/an
We use a/an with singular nouns.
- This is a table.
- It’s an orange.
We use a with nouns beginning with a consonant, and we use an with nouns beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
- Give me an apple.
- There is an elephant in the zoo.
- It’s an amazing experience.
We also use an with nouns beginning with h if the h is not pronounced. But we use a if the h is pronounced.
- Give me an hour. (The h is not pronounced in
hour.) - I want to buy a hat. (The h is pronounced in hat.)
We use a and NOT an with nouns beginning with u when it is pronounced /ju:/, like university.
- Is there a university in this city?
- I wear a uniform.
Plurals in English
a tables
We do NOT use a/an with plural nouns.
- These are tables. (NOT
a tables)
Regular plurals
We add -s to make plural nouns in English. Sometimes we need to add -es, -ies or –ves. Check the spelling in the grammar chart above.
Irregular plurals
Some words have irregular plurals and do NOT add -s to make their plural form.
