Grammar and Correct Usage Set A
1. Choose the correct plural for the singular noun “shrimp”.
The platter was covered in ______.
A. shrimp
B. shrimps
C. shrimpen
Show Answer
A. shrimp
The plural of shrimp is shrimp. It’s a base plural!
A base plural is the same as the singular form of the noun.
Examples of irregular base plurals: sheep, fish, deer, aircraft. There’s no trick to these except to memorize them.
Note: “Shrimps” could be acceptable in some rare cases, usually when scientists are talking about multiple species of shrimp.
2. Which of the nouns in this sentence are plural?
Heidi loves all types of cheese.
A. Heidi
B. types
C. cheese
Show Answer
B. types
A noun is singular when it refers to one thing.
A noun is plural when it refers to more than one thing. Plural nouns usually end in ’s'.
“Types” is a plural noun.
3. Choose the correct plural for the noun “mouse”.
$_{\text{Choose 1 answer:}}$
A. mice
B. mouses
C. mouse
Show Answer
A. mice
English has a few “mutant” plural nouns whose vowel sounds change when they become plural. The mutant plurals are:
- woman/women
- man/men
- louse/lice
- mouse/mice
- tooth/teeth
- foot/feet
- goose/geese
There’s no way around it except to memorize them!
The plural of mouse is mice. It’s a mutant plural!
4. Choose the correct plural noun to fill in the blank in the sentence.
I marveled at the bright ______ of the skyline after dark.
$_{\text{Choose 1 answer:}}$
A. lighten
B. lights
Show Answer
B. lights
A few plural nouns have endings that include -en, rather than the typical -s plural ending.
The nouns in English that use -en as their plural endings are:
- children
- brethren
- oxen
5. Which of the nouns in this sentence are plural?
It turns out there were rats in the barn.
$_{\text{Choose all answers that apply:}}$
A. rats
B. barn
Show Answer
A. rats
A noun is singular when it refers to one thing.
A noun is plural when it refers to more than one thing. Plural nouns usually end in ’s'.
“Rats” is a plural noun.
6. Choose the correct plural for the noun “iris”.
The ______ of Grant’s eyes were two different colors.
$_{\text{Choose 1 answer:}}$
A. ires
B. irises
C. irisi
Show Answer
B. irises
English has several borrowed words from other languages (such as Latin and Greek) that result in irregular plurals. Some examples are listed below:
- Index/indices
- Cactus/cacti
- Larva/larvae
- Crisis/crises
- bacterium/bacteria
Unfortunately, there’s no exact rule we can follow; we need to learn foreign plurals through our experience with words.
“Iris” uses the standard -es plural ending. The plural form is “irises”.
7. Which of the nouns in this sentence are proper nouns?
Benny knew his shoes were wet, but he put them on anyway.
$_{\text{Choose all answers that apply:}}$
A. Benny
B. shoes
Show Answer
A. Benny
Proper nouns are the names of specific people, places, and things. They’re always capitalized.
“Benny” is the name of a person, so it’s a proper noun.
8. Choose the standard plural form of the highlighted noun.
Maurice could hear the wolf howling outside.
$_{\text{Choose 1 answer:}}$
A. wolves
B. wolfs
C. wolven
D. wolveses
Show Answer
A. wolves
“Wolf” has an irregular -f to -ves plural.
The plural form is “wolves”.
9. Choose the correct plural for the singular noun “squid”.
Sightings of giant ______ are thought to have inspired old stories of sea monsters like the kraken.
$_{\text{Choose 1 answer:}}$
A. squids
B. squiden
C. squid
Show Answer
C. squid
The plural of squid is squid. It’s a base plural!
A base plural is the same as the singular form of the noun.
Examples of irregular base plurals: sheep, fish, deer, aircraft. There’s no trick to these except to memorize them.
Note: “Squids” can be acceptable in some rare cases, usually when scientists are talking about multiple species of squid.
10. Which of the nouns in this sentence are plural?
Two coconuts fell from the tree.
$_{\text{Choose all answers that apply:}}$
A. coconuts
B. tree
Show Answer
A. coconuts
A noun is singular when it refers to one thing.
A noun is plural when it refers to more than one thing. Plural nouns usually end in ’s'.
“Coconuts” is a plural noun. Notice how the sentence says there are two of them.
Source: Khan Academy