GenderNouns: singular & plural

Nouns: Countable & UncountableGenitive

GENDER1. Com animais – he/she (feeling)

2. Sexo não conhecido he

Look at the little frog. Isn’t he sweet?

If a student is sneezing, he (he or she) must stay at home

3. Carros, motos, bicicletas – she: How’s your car? Terrific! She’s running beautifully.

4. Países – it: France is a big country. It’s breath-taking!

5. After indefinite words (somebody, anybody, nobody, person, whoever, each, every, either, neither, no) they:

If a student is ill, they mustn’t come to school.

If anybody wants my ticket they can have it.

Whoever comes, tell them to go away.

6. Palavras terminadas em –MAN (fireman, spokesman) fireperson, firefighter, spokesperson

7. Em alguns casos usar a terminação –WOMAN spokeswoman, policewoman

8. Ou se possível usam-se as palavras ‘politicamente corretas’ supervisor (not: foreman), ambulance staff (not: ambulance man), firefighter (not: fireman)

Nouns: singular and plural forms

1. Regra geral +s

2. Terminados em O, SH, CH, S, X, Z + ‘es’

hero = heroes / watch = watches / beach = beaches

3. Vowel + O +’s’: radio = radios / zoo = zoos (and also: commando, photo, piano, solo, concerto, soprano, Eskimo, kilo, logo)

4. Terminados em –o + ‘s’ ou ‘es’ buffalo, mosquito, tornado, volcano5. Nomes próprios terminados em consoante y =ys Kennedys / Februarys but: Bush = Bushes6. Terminados em –y retira o ‘y’ + ies country = countries / BUT: toy = toys7. Terminados em ‘f’ ou ‘fe’ ves wolf = wolves / wife = wives BUT: chief, roof, handkerchief + S 8. hoof, wharf, scarf + ‘s’ ou ‘es’9. letras, siglas, numerais e abreviaturas + ‘s in the 70s / CDs / students Bs (remember!)10. Não mudam: crossroads, means, series, species, Swiss,

news, billiards, sheep, deer, fish, fruit (não mudam, tem uso no plural)

11. mathematics, physics, athletics, politics (não tem plural, não são usadas no plural)

12. family, team, government, firm: grupo de pessoas reunidas

para decidir, querer fazer algo tem plural / se vistos como individuais singular

Ex: My family have decided to move to Rio. They think is a better place to live. (group of people) The average British family has 3 numbers. It is smaller than 50 years ago. (individuals)13. News (notícia) singular. The news is good.14. Person people / persons (official language), peoples =

nation penny pence (price / sums), pennies (coin itself)15. Greek and Latin origins: a) -on a, criterion = criteria; but: demon, electron,

neutron, proton (+s) b) -is es, basis = bases; but: metropolis +es c) –um a, curriculum = curricula; but: album, forum,

museum +s d) –us i, bacillus = fungi, nucleus = nuclei, radius = radii;

but: bus, bonus, chorus, circus, virus + es16. Hair (cabelo) não tem plural, não usa com artigo (hairs, a

hair)17. Name + name: Alice and Bob are my mates. Romeo and Juliet is the most beautiful story I’ve

ever heard. War and peace is the longest book I’ve ever read.

18. compostos: passer-by = passers-by; runner-up = runners-up

COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

Countable nouns are objects that come in discrete units and thus can be made plural. If the noun is singular, it usually requires the indefinite article a, an, a number, or some. If the noun is plural, it requires the article some or no article at all.a banana. . .some bananasa candy. . .candiesNon-countable nouns are objects that cannot be divided into discrete units and thus cannot be made plural. They require the indefinite article some, an expression of quantity (a piece of, a lot of), or no article before them.milk. . . some milk. . . a cartoon of milkethanol. . . some ethanol . . . a litter of ethanol

bread. . . some bread . . . a loaf of bread / roll

COMPARING COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

So, a countable noun has a singular and a plural form. The plural may be irregular. We can use numbers with it. An uncountable noun has only one form. We cannot use numbers with it. Typical uncountables are: Material and substances: Plastic, iron, wood, paper, water, air, coffee

Abstract ideas: life, fun, freedom, progress, health, time

Some words can be countable or uncountable with a change

in meaning. The countable meaning is specific and the uncountable meaning is general. • A fish (the animal) - some fish (portion of food)• A business (a company) –business (in general)• A noise ( a specific noise) noise (in general)• A hair (a single piece) – hair (all together)• A painting (one object) – painting (the activity/hobby)• A work (a work of art) - work (in general) • A loaf (a loaf of bread) – some bread (in general)• A coffee ( a cup of coffee) – some coffee (the material) • A paper ( a newspaper) some paper (the material)• A wood (a small forest) – some wood (the material) • An iron (for pressing clothes) – some iron (the material) • A glass (for drinking) - some glass (the material)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Countable nouns can be singular or plural:The helmet is over there. There is a helmet over there.

You will find the helmets over there.

Uncountable nouns are always singular.Brian has got no patience with his son anymore.

Therefore, with countable nouns we can use a/an and some, while with uncountable ones we cannot.

Ex: Do you want to see my picture (countable) ?

Can I have some information (uncountable)?

Countable Uncountable

Singular Plural Singular Plural

A boy One carThe box My sisteran orange

Some boysThree cars The boxesMy sisters Some oranges

A sugar A waterA money A rice Some milk

Ø

Uncountable Countable

Much money

Little money

Many friends

Few friends

MUCH/ MANY, LITTLE/FEW

LITTLE/A LITTLE, FEW/ A FEW

Not enough Enough (= suficiente)

Uncountable

I’m afraid there’s little coffee left. I’ll make some more.

I think there’s still a little coffee left. We can have another cup.

Countable It’s almost midnight. I’m afraid there are few buses running this time.

It isn’t late. I’m sure there are still a few buses running at this time.

LESS/ FEWER I have less

money than you

I have fewer friends than you

For more information on nouns andfurther practice, visit the websites:• http://www.learn-english-online.org/• http://www.english-online.org.uk/• http://www.mundovestibular.com.br/

That’s all for now Folks!

Coming soon to a computer near you....

VERBS!

Genitive CaseUsamos o caso genitivo (Genitive Case) para expressar posse. Ele é caracterizado por ‘s após o possuidor.

Anna´s book.

Alice and John´s house. #

Alice’s and John’s houses.

Artists´ ideas.

• Quando o substantivo estiver no singular, utilizamos

´s.Ex.: My son’s car.

• Quando estiver no plural, utilizaremos apenas o apóstrofe ( ‘ ) após o possuidor. Porém, se o plural for irregular, utilizamos o ‘s, assim como no singular.

Ex.: Those boys´ passaport.

not Those boys´s passaport.

Those children´s poems.

Baby’s bottle (GB) / Baby bottle (AM)

• Nomes próprios terminados em ‘s’: James’s house.• Nomes próprios terminados em ‘s’ históricos ou clássicos: Socrates’ thoughts. / Dickens’ stories. / Jesus’ love• Substantivo com a/an/this/that/ my(...) ‘of mine’ She’s a cousin of John’s. She’s a John’s cousin. How’s that brother of Maria’s? How’s that Maria’s brother?• Clareza Whose is this? Maria’s.• Loja, casa de alguém, empresa, profissão, igreja: We had a nice time at Susan and John’s last night. She got married at São Francisco’s. I bought it at Smith’s. I went to the hairdresser’s.• Expressões de tempo Today’s program. / Yesterday’s class.• Posse de coisas (non-living things) The pen of the desk. Be careful! Cow meat. Cow’s milk. / Fox’s tail. Fox fur.