Plurals: cats, boxes, people

What's in the lesson

1. 1Warm-up
2. 2In this lesson
3. 3Reading: our first apartmentReading comprehension
4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
5. 5Find the pluralsGrammar exercise
6. 6Plural nounsGrammar rule
7. 7Three soundsGrammar exercise
8. 8In the new apartmentGrammar exercise
9. 9Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
10. 10Say it naturallySpeaking practice
11. 11Roommates: our listSpeaking practice
12. 12About youGrammar exercise
13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

1. 1Homework: at the storeGrammar exercise
2. 2Homework: which plural?Grammar exercise
3. 3Homework: find the mistakeGrammar exercise
4. 4Homework: my listDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

1. Who are your neighbors?
2. Are the cups and plates in your kitchen old or new?
3. Who are the people in your home?

Grammar rule

Plural nouns

One → two or more

Rule	One	Two or more
most nouns: + s	a cup, a car	cups, cars
s, ss, sh, ch, x: + es	a bus, a dress, a dish, a watch, a fox	buses, dresses, dishes, watches, foxes
consonant + y: y → ies	a city, a party	cities, parties
vowel + y: + s	a day, a boy	days, boys
many nouns with f / fe: → ves	a thief, a half	thieves, halves (but roofs)
-o: most + s, a few + es	a radio · a potato, a hero	radios · potatoes, heroes

New words, and no change

man → men · woman → women · child → children · person → people · foot → feet · tooth → teeth · mouse → mice · goose → geese · no change: a fish → two fish, a sheep → two sheep

Three sounds

Sound	After…	Examples
/s/	p, t, k, f, th	hats, socks, chefs, months
/z/	vowels and b, d, g, l, m, n, r, v	days, beds, dogs, cars
/ɪz/, an extra syllable	s, z, sh, ch, x, and a j sound (orange)	buses, dishes, foxes, oranges

Watch out

• After two, three, four…: a plural. Two cars (not two car).
• The new-word plurals take no -s: children, people, feet (not childrens, peoples, foots).
• a / an is for one: a car, but cars (not a cars).