Grammar Time: Plurals of Nouns

Plurals of Nouns Exercises will help have more practice in using plurals of nouns. Revise the rule before doing the tasks.

Exam in Mind Level B1/B2

Have Practice: Plurals of Nouns Exercises

Task 1. Put the words in brackets in the plural. 

  1. The store was overrun with rats and (mouse)__________.
  2. I helped him put some (shelf)__________ in his bedroom.
  3. He is one of the country’s national (hero)__________.
  4. He collects (pocket-knife)__________.
  5. His both (son-in-law)__________ were (fisherman)__________.
  6. The police asked (passer-by)__________ if they had seen the accident.
  7. Most parents have problems with their teenage (offspring)__________.
  8. Yesterday’s crash has grim (echo)__________ of previous disaster.
  9. (Salmon)__________ live in the sea but swim up rivers to lay their eggs.
  10. Books provide (child)__________ with ideas and (stimulus)__________ to play.
  11. I respect your religious (belief)__________.
  12. Corn circles are one of the strangest (phenomenon)__________ of recent times.
  13. Parliament consists of 653 (MP)__________, about two-thirds of whom belong to the Government.
  14. Do you have any (spray) or anything else that will keep away (fly)__________ or (mosquito)__________?
  15. Television and newspapers are the mass (medium)__________ of advertising.

Task 2. Write the plurals of the words given in brackets to complete the sentences. 

  1. We cut the cake into __________ (half).
  2. We bought some __________ to eat with our __________ (tomato, sandwich).
  3. They caught several __________ that afternoon (fish).
  4. It was a shop selling __________ and ________ (stereo, video).
  5. Would you like some of these __________ (potato)?
  6. All the __________ had different __________ (house, roof).
  7. It was autumn, and the __________ were falling (leaf).
  8. Did you make these __________ (handkerchief)?
  9. They visited several __________ that night (disco).
  10. We have some __________ and a few __________ (chicken, sheep).
  11. I bought some __________ for the __________ (shelf, glass).
  12. The __________ went in one door and the __________ went in the other (man, woman).
  13. They have a lot of __________ and __________ at the moment (worry, grief).
  14. Would you bring me the __________(knife)?
  15. The __________ chased the __________ for several miles (wolf, deer).
  16. In the silence there came a clatter of ________ (hoof).
  17. The __________ sprang up in front of his __________, the air was full of __________ (lark, foot, butterfly).
  18. Four ships were carrying __________ for his __________ in Brooklyn (cargo, warehouse).
  19. He told me there were __________ in the stream below the town (trout).
  20. I really cannot help your __________ or your __________ (belief disbelief).

Task 3. Change the number of the nouns in italics making all the necessary changes. 

  1. Afterwards he took a photo of me to finish out the film.
  2. He talked to another Divisional chief.
  3. His shirt cuff showed up spotless, just half an inch beneath the sleeve.
  4. He was as lively as a trout in a mountain stream.
  5. It was like lying in darkness with a mosquito hovering above his face.
  6. The cab moved along the side of the wood, and he heard a late cuckoo calling.
  7. Everybody had a handkerchief concealed in his cuff.
  8. The archeologists discovered bones of a mammoth and a polar bear.
  9. She stamped her foot, then looked up at him.
  10. It can’t be a mouse because there aren’t any crumbs. 

Task 4. Give the plural of the following nouns: 

Motto, species, hero, play, photo, thief, ghetto, manifesto, valley, wolf, match, UFO, tomato, safe, box, leaf, elf, axe, goose, inch, series, cuff, volcano, studio, ox, VIP, louse, means, casino, alibi, kimono, sheaf, SOS.

Task 5. Complete the following table with the correct noun (singular or plural).   

SINGULAR PLURAL SINGULAR PLURAL
 secretary  thief
 shoes  half
 ladies  means
 tooth  hero
 policeman  radio
 knives  waitress
 child  moose
 scarf  brushes
 oxen  hoof
 journey  mouth
 safe  fireman
 tornado  horses
 lice  witches
 dwarves  offspring
 trout  belief
 kimono  benches
 corps  army
 snowman  scarf
 skis  chassis
 loaves  teeth
 sleeves  wharf
 key  geese
 bushes  ties
 baths  waves
 fish  play
 doves  proof
 wharves  housewives
 calf  lives
 boot  caves

Task 6. Translate the words in brackets into English.

  1. The Siberian (вовки) crept closer.
  2. People like you take us for (злодії).
  3. Had I a hundred (життів), would I not gladly lay them down for my country?
  4. A great many books were scattered on the (полиці), two tables and the floor.
  5. He took some small (буханці) of bread, some cheese and a tin of lobster.
  6. Soon the servant reappeared with armfuls of silk robes, shawls, (шарфи).
  7. The sound of horses’ (копита) woke him up.
  8. He was dressed in a long green overcoat with fur (манжети).
  9. There is a proverb «To set the fox to keep the (гуси)».
  10. It will happen when two (неділі) come together.
  11. The sheep in (двійки) and (трійки) were loping away from the shed.
  12. We’ve got a social crisis in the North, it involves (ескімосів) and (білих).
  13. He was beheaded by one of the (Генріхів).
  14. I think I’ve found (засіб) to help him.
  15. I heard their (до побачення) in my ears as I walked down the platform.
  16. (буйволи) migrate across the plains.
  17. This (перехрестя) is rather dangerous.
  18. The corn was cut, tied in (снопи) and left to dry.
  19. The (ехо) of his scream sounded in the cave for several seconds.
  20. The number one million is written with a one and six (нулів).
  21. (кімоно) are traditionally worn by the Japanese.
  22. Both ships were sunk by (торпедами).
  23. One wall had (полиці) from floor to ceiling.
  24. He wrote (серію) of articles devoted to modern farming methods.
  25. (вулкани) discharge massive quantities of dust into the stratosphere.
  26. We were happy to hear the first (зозуль) of spring.
  27. He lived among (ескімосів) for ten years.
  28. Soon the only black (носороги) left may be those in (зоопарках).
  29. (казино) are places where card games are played for money.
  30. Pandas eat (бамбук).
  31. We found a rare (вид) of orchid.
  32. The apples are ninety (пенсів) a kilo.
  33. A post office was broken into last night and the (злодії) got away with $120,000.
  34. My daughter’s favourite fairy tale is «Snow White and the Seven (гномів)».
  35. (тріска) are found in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.