Seminar 5B - Tasks - Worksheet 5

Seminar 5B – Tasks / Worksheet 5
I. Questions
1. Explain the term ‘subject-verb concord’ and give at least two examples (sg and
pl) in sentences.
2. Which three main number classes do we distinguish? Name them and give
examples of each.
3. Give at least three examples of

a) regular plurals
b) irregular plurals
c) foreign plurals
4. All the following nouns belong to the so-called singular invariable nouns. What
does it mean? Do they take singular or plural verbs? Use them as subjects in
sentences.
news, aerobics, politics, measles, billiards
5. Plural invariable nouns include the so-called ‘summation plurals’. What are they?
+ Choose the correct form in the following sentences:
a) This / These trousers is / are too small for me, so I won’t take it / them.
b) That / Those pair of trousers is / are bigger, I’ll try it / them on.
6. Explain the term ‘pluralia tantum’ referring to nouns and give examples.
7. Give examples of unmarked plural nouns.
8. In certain circumstances the word ‘people’ is a regular C noun, so it can be used

with ‘a’ and has a regular plural form. Give examples in sentences.
9. What’s the plural of the following nouns:
a) February, Kennedy, donkey

b) radio, piano, photo
c) echo, hero, potato
d) tornado, volcano, buffalo
10. Which nouns ending in –f (e) have plurals in:
a) –ves
b) regular plural –s
c) both
11. Some irregular plurals involve a change of the vowel. Which ones?
12. The word ‘penny’ has got two plurals. What’s the difference between ‘pence’ and
‘pennies’?
13. ‘The word ‘brother’ has two plurals. Besides the usual ‘brothers’, there is one
more used in specific context. Which one?
14. Why do we say ‘Englishmen’ but not ‘Germen’?
15. Using the example of ‘sheep’ explain what is ‘zero plural’ + give examples in
sentences. What verb (sg or pl) is used with them? Can you name some other
similar nouns?
16. How do we use words such as ‘hundred’ and ‘thousand’. Do they have plural
forms? Give examples.
17. What do the following nouns have in common? Give examples in sentences:
means, species, series. Can you name any others like that?
18. Foreign plurals:
a) analysis – e) medium -
b) appendix - f) phenomenon -
c) bacterium - g) stimulus -
d) crisis - h) fungus -
19. Some compounds take plural –s in the last element, some in the first element.
Give examples of each.
20. When do collective nouns have a singular and when a plural verb?
21. Give examples of ‘appositional compounds’.

II. PRACTICE
1. Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural.
1. Gymnastics is / are my favourite sport.

2. The trousers you bought for me doesn’t / don’t fit me.
3. The police want / wants to interview two men about the robbery last week.
4. Physics was / were my best subject at school.
5. Fortunately the news wasn’t / weren’t as bad as we expected.
6. Where does / do your family live?
7. Three days isn’t / aren’t long enough for a good holiday.
8. I can’t find my binoculars. Do you know where it is / they are?
9. Does / Do the police know how the accident happened?
10. I don’t like very hot weather. Thirty degrees is / are too warm for me.
11. Economics is / are an interesting subject.
12. Rabies isn’t / aren’t a very common disease in Britain.
13. My family live / lives in the North of England.
14. Two weeks isn’t / aren’t a very long time, is it / are they?
15. My hair is / are greasy. It needs / They need washing.
16. The news was / were quite surprising.
2. Most of the following sentences are wrong. Correct them where necessary:
1. The government want to increase taxes.

2. Susan was wearing a black jeans.
3. Brazil are playing Italy in a football match next Wednesday.
4. I like Martin and Jill. They’re very nice persons.
5. I need more money than that. Ten pound are not enough.
6. I’m going to buy a new pyjama. )
7. The committee haven’t made a decision yet.
8. There was a police standing at the corner of the street.
9. Has the police arrived yet?
10. This scissors is not very sharp.
3. Supply ‘is’ or ‘are’, ‘has’ or ‘have’, in some sentences both forms (sg and pl) are
possible:
1. The government _____ bringing in a new bill.

2. The company ______ going to employ new staff.
3. All governments ______ trying to control crime.
4. The jury _____ trying to decide now.
5. The youth of today ______ many advantages.
6. There________ vermin in this restaurant.
7. The military _________ occupied the house.
8. The police ______ interested in this case.
9. The public ______ concerned about it.
10. How many people _______ coming tonight?
11. The committee _______ meeting now.
12. The acoustics in this room _____ very good.
13. This crossroads _____ dangerous.
14. There _____ four crossroads in our village.
15. Acoustics ______ a subject I know little about.
16. Our company headquarters ____ in London.
17. The statistics in this report _____ inaccurate.
18. _____ there any statistics for road accidents?
19. Many species of moth _________ disappeared.
20. This species _____ green and white spots.
21. Our works ______ a good canteen.
22. My maths ____ got worse and worse!
23. There ______ crossroads every mile.
4. Which of these nouns phrases are correct:
a) two hundreds of people

b) thousands people
c) thousands of children
d) three hundred demonstrators
e) a thousand soldiers
f) three millions inhabitants
g) two dozens of eggs
h) three dozen eggs
i) dozens of glasses
j) a few million years

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Seminar 5B – Tasks / Worksheet 5

3. Give at least three examples of

news, aerobics, politics, measles, billiards

+ Choose the correct form in the following sentences:

7. Give examples of unmarked plural nouns.

8. In certain circumstances the word ‘people’ is a regular C noun, so it can be used

9. What’s the plural of the following nouns:

a) February, Kennedy, donkey

14. Why do we say ‘Englishmen’ but not ‘Germen’?

18. Foreign plurals:

21. Give examples of ‘appositional compounds’.

1. Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural.

1. Gymnastics is / are my favourite sport.

1. The government want to increase taxes.

1. The government _____ bringing in a new bill.

4. Which of these nouns phrases are correct:

a) two hundreds of people

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