“A” is used before singular nouns (i.e just one) which start with consonants. (b,c,d,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,….w,x,y,z) e.g: a book / a car / a lemon
Exception: a university ( “u” sounds like “ yu”) “An” is used before singular nouns which start with vowels.(a-e-i-o-u) e.g: an apple / an orange / an umbrella
Exception: an hour ( “h” sounds like “ou” )
SINGULAR PLURAL a woma n – women To make nouns plural we add “–s” at thea ma n – men end of the words. a chi l d – chi l dr en e.g a table – tables / an orange – oranges a tooth – teeth a desk – desks / an umbrella – umbrellas a foot – feet a per son – peopl e *consonant + y = a city – cities a mouse – mi ce a lady – ladies a goose – geese a baby – babies a n ox – oxen *vowel + y = a boy – boys a toy – toys
*Words ending in: “ch, x, sh, ss, s,z” take “ – es”
a glass – glasses a box – boxes a match – matches
** Some words taken from other languages** a criterion – criteria a datum – data a thesis – theses
N o CH AN GE Si ngul a r Pl ur a l *word finishes with “-f, -fe” : take deer deer fish fish “ –ves” sheep sheep a wife – wives a knife – knives a wolf – wolves