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PRONUNCIATION
A
C
CH
CE
E
EA
EE
EI
G
GU
GE
GI
H
I
J
KN
N
O
OA
OO
[ei] : cake
[ ] : cat
[a:] : car
[k] : clock
[t ] : children
[k] : architecture
[s] : silence
[e] : men
[ ] : bear
[i ] : tear
[i:] : teacher
[i:] : feeling
[i ] : beer
[i:] : ceiling
[g] : goose
[g] : guard
[d ] : page
[d ] : giant
[h] : horse
[ai] : price
[i] : dig
[d ] : joy
[n] : know
[n] : now
[ ] : playing
[ u] : code
[o] : stop
[ u] : boat
[u :] : cool
PH
[f] : phase
Q
R
[k] : quiet
[r] : rock
[a:] : star
[s] : speech
[ ] : sure
[z] : pause
[ ] : pleasure
[s] : press
[ ] : pressure
[ ] : cash
[t] : tea
[t ] : adventure
[ ] : they
[ ] : thief
[ju] : pure
[u] : put
[ ] : cut
[ ] : treasure
[w] : water
[u] : show
[ai] : why
[i] : play
[z] : zero
SS
SH
T
TH
U
W
Y
Z
A noun is the name of anything that may be the subject of discourse. (Mihai Zdrenghea, Anca
Greere, A Practical English Grammar (with exercises), Cluj, Clusium, 1997, p. 11)
There are a great many nouns classified according to their FORM (simple, compound and phrasal
nouns) and MEANING (proper, common, mass nouns and collective nouns).
- Irregular plural: mutation- mouse/mice
: changing f into v: sheaf/sheaves, life/lives (exception- still life/s- painting term,
safe/s)
: zero plural- swine, sheep, deer, salmon, trout: The fisherman caught two salmon.
: foreign plural: confetti (takes the singular), graffiti (takes the plural)
- Plural invariables: nouns formed out of two parts- scissors (Summation plurals: tights, trousersbut a trouser leg). Use a pair of to make them countable.
: some collective nouns (plural)- cattle, police, people, vermin
- Nouns ending in o, add the inflection es if the o is preceded by a consonant: negro/s. tomato/s,
still many exceptions- tango, tobacco, piano, concerto, soprano, mementos, etc.
- Compounds with man/-woman: both elements take the plural if they indicate gender- woman
doctor/women doctors, woman-cook/women/cooks (when they do not indicate sex, -man/-woman
do not change- woman hater/woman haters, man-eater/man-eaters)
- tactics, statistics, gymnastics and athletics, are generally regarded as plurals.
- General partitives: a kind/sort of, a piece/item of, a bit of, a slice/loaf of
Partitives pre-modify uncountable nouns to make them countable:
-
an article of clothing
a pad/scrap/sheet/piece of paper
an attack of nerves/fever
a piece of evidence
a ball of string
a pinch of salt
a beam of light
a puff of smoke
a blade of grass
a set/suite of furniture
a set of cutlery
a bucketful/handful/spoonful of
a sip of (drinks)
a burst of laughter
a slash of water
a chunk/joint/roast of meat
a speck of dust
a clap/roll of thunder
a spell of snow
a dab of (red/colours)
a stack of hay
a drop of rain
a stick of chalk
a feat of passion/indurance
a stretch of road
a flash of lightning
a strip of land
a grain of sand
a stroke of luck
a gust of wind
a tube of toothpaste
a hint of trouble
a wink of sleep
a lock/strand of hair
a whiff of garlic
a lump of sugar
- Specific collective nouns: a bunch of grapes, a string of beads, a flight of stairs, a cluster of
stars, a clump of trees, a fleet of taxis/ships, a bundle of rags, a swarm of bees, a colony of ants, a
herd of cattle/elephants, a flock of birds, a pack of wolves, a school of fish, a staff of teachers, a
crew of sailors, a crowd of people, a board of directors.
Head used as a collective number take a plural concord: Fifty head of cattle were in the field.
but : Heads or tails? (also: She has a few grey hairs)
KIND: these kinds of books (books of that kind)
Sometimes the plural form intensifies the meaning (emphatic force): The sands of the desert/The blue
waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
THE PLURAL OF NOUNS
A. Regular plural
1. nouns + -S : books
2. nouns ending in : x, s, ss, ch, sh, zz, z add ES : bus buses; box boxes
3. nouns ending in -Y make the plural in YS after a vowel and in IES after a consonant
e.g. boy boys; lady ladies
4. Nouns ending in -O add S after a vowel (radios), in abbreviations (kilos, photos) and in
foreign nouns (pianos)
5. Nouns ending in -O add ES after a consonant : tomatoes, heroes
6. Abbreviations, numbers and letters make the plural by adding S: the 1920s, the MPs
B. Irregular plural
1. nouns ending in F or FE make the plural in VES:
e.g. knife knives; wolf wolves / EXCEPTIONS: beliefs, proofs, roofs, chiefs, cliffs
2. some nouns form the plural by a change of the inside vowel
e.g.
man men
goose geese
woman women
tooth teeth
mouse mice
foot - feet
louse - lice
3. some nouns make the plural in EN or NE
e.g. ox oxen, brother brethren, child children, cow kine
4. some nouns have one form for both singular and plural:
a)
b)
c)
d)
c) other such nouns: ashes, customs, goods, holidays, outskirts, pains, wages
EXERCISES ON NOUNS (Mihai Zdrenghea, Anca Greere, A Practical English Grammar (with
exercises), Cluj, Clusium, 1997)
EXERCISE P.016 / THE NOUN
Supply the blanks with suitable nouns from those in brackets. Use the plural forms:
1. He threw a stone at the rock and ..... came back. (piano, volcano, echo)
17. You lose on the swings what you make on the (roundabouts/ roundsabout).
18. The farmer got five (cartloads/cartsload) of hay.
19. (Knight errants/Knights errant) belong to King Arthurs court.
20. Both his (brother-in-laws/brothers-in-law) are very pleasant fellows.
TRANSLATION P.029 / THE NOUN
1.Fortele naturii snt multe si puternice.
2. E destul de prost ca s-si mai dea si aere.
3. L-am auzit cntnd una din ariile lui favorite.
4. Proprietarul calului este ntotdeauna ncntat s-si vad culorile ajungnd primele la potou.
5. Fiecare regiment si are steagul propriu.
6. Poi recunoaste un pictor dup culorile pe care le foloseste.
7. A avut medicamentul vreun efect?
8. Li s-a spus s-si ia efectele personale si s treac dincolo.
9. Prin forta mprejurrilor am amnat excursia.
10. Cam ct timp trebuie ca s treci prin vam? Cteva minute. Formalittile de vam sunt foarte
simple.
11. A devenit un obicei pentru familiile din Anglia s mearg n Spania n vacant.
12. Trebuie s scriu o serie de scrisori.
TRANSLATION P.033 / THE NOUN
1. Aceasta este o mobil prea mare ca s intre pe usa aceasta.
2. Am but deja dou cafele.
3. Aveam trei spunuri ieri. Unde sunt?
4. Nu stiu cum reuseste Tom s fluiere cu un fir de iarb.
5. Un rs zgomotos ne-a fcut s ne ntoarcem capul.
6. Cte bucti de zahr vrei n ceai?
7. Spune-i hamalului c avem bagaje grele.
8. L-am rugat s-mi cumpere dou pini, dar a uitat.
9. Ne-a dat un sfat foarte bun.
10. Un fulger strlucitor, urmat de un tunet puternic ne trimise pe toti imediat n cas.
11. A fost un noroc neasteptat s-i gsim n multimea care iesea de la spectacol.
12. Cine ne poate da vreo informaie despre persoana disprut.
13. Poti sa desfaci tabla de ciocolata de pe masa.
14. E de ajuns ca un fir de nisip s intre ntr-o scoic pentru a se forma o perla.
15. V dau un sfat: nu lsati niciodata gazul aprins.
16. A treia stire prezentat la televizor a fost foarte interesant.
17. Cea mai frumoas bijuterie a ei era o bros din opt grame de aur si un diamant.
18. Garnitura de mobil se va potrivi foarte bine.
19. Sunt obosit. N-am nchis un ochi noaptea trecut.
20. E o ocazie deosebit. Scoate tacmurile din argint.
21. Vrei grtar de porc sau friptur de miel?
22. Nu te pot ajuta. Nu mai am nici un strop de energie
23. Pianistul cnta cu o pasiune iesit din comun.
24. E nevoie de 100 de grame de fain; asta nseamn cam patru linguri vrfuite de fin.
TRANSLATION P.035 / THE NOUN
1. Numai timpul ne va arta care din noi are dreptate.
2. Nu este las cel ce are curajul convingerilor sale.
3. A fcut totul din buntate si nu din speranta unei rsplate.
4. Dl. Smith si directorul scolii s-au salutat ca doi regi. Apoi au schimbat cuvinte politicoase.
7. The audience (has, have) now returned and (is, are) taking (its, their) seats.
8. Parliament (has, have) been debating on the question of taxation for several hours.
9. My family (has, have) been living in this house for twenty years.
10. The family (is, are) all having breakfast.
11. The majority (was, were) in favour of the proposal.
13. The club (has, have) expelled him for his behaviour.
14. The poultry (is, are) eating in the yard.
15. The police (was, were) on the look-out for robbers.
TRANSLATION P.041 / THE NOUN
1. Vaticanul anunt reusita operatiei si c Papa se simte acum bine.
2. Compania va angaja nc sase persoane.
3. Juriul ncearc s cad de acord.
4. O familie care se ceart ntruna nu poate fi fericit .
5. Publicul vrea s stie ce va urma.
6. Sunt prea muli oameni ri pe pmnt.
7. Toate guvernele ncearc s fac ceva pentru a control actele criminale.
8. Lzile de bere sunt pe teras.
9. Musuroiul de furnici este foarte mare.
10. Turma de elefanti se ndreapt ctre ru.
11. Teancul de hrtii se afl pe mas .
12. Se auzi urletul lupilor n deprtare. Sigur erau mai multe haite.
13. Catedra de profesori de englez are cabinetele la etajul trei.
14. Pentru a rezolva problema a fost convocat un grup de experti din toat lumea.
15. Multimea de rzvrtiti se npusti asupra castelului.
TRANSLATION P.041 / THE NOUN
1.Vaticanul anunt reusita operatiei si c Papa se simte acum bine.
2. Compania va angaja nc sase persoane.
3. Juriul ncearc s cad de acord.
4. O familie care se ceart ntruna nu poate fi fericit .
5. Publicul vrea s stie ce va urma.
6. Sunt prea muli oameni ri pe pmnt.
7. Toate guvernele ncearc s fac ceva pentru a control actele criminale.
8. Lzile de bere sunt pe teras.
9. Musuroiul de furnici este foarte mare.
10. Turma de elefanti se ndreapt ctre ru.
11. Teancul de hrtii se afl pe mas .
12. Se auzi urletul lupilor n deprtare. Sigur erau mai multe haite.
13. Catedra de profesori de englez are cabinetele la etajul trei.
14. Pentru a rezolva problema a fost convocat un grup de experti din toat lumea.
15. Multimea de rzvrtiti se npusti asupra castelului.
EXERCISE P.042 / THE NOUN
Decide which of the two verb forms should be used in the following sentences:
1. Physics (was/were) my most difficult subject in high school.
2. Ballistics (is/are) the study of the motion of projectiles.
3. Athletics (has/have) been virtually abolished from smaller schools.
4. His motives may be good, but his tactics (is/are) deplorable.
5. In every group, politics (is/are) a subject that arouse interest.
6. Radical politics (was/were) offensive to the Federalists.
7. Acoustics (is/are) a branch of science that is growing fast.
8. The acoustics of this room (is/are) not all they might be.
9. Economics (doesnt/dont) require much knowledge of mathematics.
10. His ethics (leave/leaves) a lot to be desired.
11. Classics (take/takes) a back seat these days.
12. Einsteins mathematics (was/were) a revelation.
13. Tactics (is/are) really short term strategy.
14. Your heroics (is/are) worthy of a better cause.
15. Her hysterics (does/do) not move anybody that knows her.
TRANSLATION P.045 / THE NOUN
1. Apele lacului se scurgeau printr-o cascad spectaculoas.
2. Amndoi au dat din cap a nencredere.
3. Toti am ntmpinat rrsritul soarelui cu inima usoar.
4. A trebuit s schimb trenul la Reading.
5. Nu puteam s-i trimitem acolo mpotriva vointei lor.
6. Strigau ct i tinea gura.
7. Visa la apele albastre ale Mediteranei.
8. Cldurile unei veri nnbusitoare nu preau s aib nici o
influent asupra snttii lui.
9. De dragul lor era n stare s mute si muntii din loc.
10. Ezita ntre sperant si team.
EXERCISE P.049 / THE NOUN
Put into the possessive; carry out any necessary changes in the wording of the sentences
1. I did this for the sake of my brother James.
2. He took the hat of somebody else.
3. Alfred the Great has an assured place in history.
4. There was a great variety of books for children on display.
5. He was the secretary of the President of the Board of Trade.
6. During the holiday of two weeks of their parents, the children had to stay at the house of their aunt.
7. John, the son of the plumber, is my best friend.
8. The baby of Charles and Mary is lovely.
9. Buckingham Palace is the residence of the Queen of England.
10. There is a shop belonging to Marks and Spencer in almost every English town.
11. The speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been received with warm approval.
12. The plays of Beaumont and Fletcher are very seldom staged nowadays.
EXERCISE P.050 / THE NOUN
State what one can do at:
the stationers, the chemists, the drapers, the confectioners, the barbers, the greengrocers,
the butchers, the grocers, the hairdressers, the fishmongers, the tobacconists, the cleaners
EXERCISE P.052 / THE NOUN
Rewrite the following sentences using the underlined words in the possessive case. Make any
other necessary alterations in the wording of the sentences:
1. The little girl bought some sweets costing a pound.
2. The meeting lasted four hours.
3. He granted us an interview lasting three minutes.
4. It was a task of seven hours.
Tresri auzind vocea mtusii Jane: John drag, poftim ziarul de astzi, acela e de alaltieri.
Cum poti fi att de distrat? Citesti de mai bine de o or, fr s-ti dai seama ce citesti.
EXERCISE P.058-1 / THE NOUN
1. What are the feminine forms of the following words: actor, son, lord, bachelor, marquis,
duke, master, negro, hero, chauffer, czar, executor, driver, clown, wizard, aviator, widower, landlord,
stallion, drake, gander, ram, drone, peacock, fox
2. What are the masculine forms of the following words: madam, queen, countess, doe, hind,
tabby cat, bitch, wife, maidservant, she-wolf, jenny-ass, czarina, governess, heifer, niece, nurse,
abbess, chauffeuse
EXERCISE P.058-2 / THE NOUN
Fill in the blanks with feminine nouns:
1. Katherine Hepburn was a famous ...... .
2. Diana is the ...... of hunting.
3. Sapho was a lyric ...... .
4. A woman who shows people to their seats in theatres is an ...... .
5. On her wedding day a girl is called a ...... .
6. A woman with the legal right to receive a property, when the owner dies, is an ...... .
7. A woman famous for bravery is a ...... .
8. A woman engaged to be married is a ...... .
9. A ...... is a woman who manages the domestic affairs and nursing staff in a hospital.
10. Mary Stuart, ...... of Scots, was executed in 1587.
EXERCISE P.061 / THE NOUN
Change the gender of the nouns underlined:
1. This monument was erected as a tribute to al hero.
2. The wife of a reigning king is known as the queen- consort.
3. The prior was an old, fat monk.
4. Aunt Evelyn, a spinster and man-hater, had refused to attend her nieces wedding; merely expressing
disgust at the idea of her brothers allowing his only daughter to get married to an adventurer.
5. Twenty men applied for the post of headmaster of the school.
6. Peters grandfather, a famous actor, is the manager of a London theatre.
7. The policeman ordered the motorist to move his car.
8. Whats the difference between a chauffeur and a driver?
9. In Russia the Russian emperors were called czars, in Turkey sultans.
TRANSLATION P.063 / THE NOUN
1. Unde este lupoaica cu puii ei?
2. Psrile din curte mnnc grunte.
3. Rata este urmat de cei cinci pui ai ei n sir indian.
4. n turma aceasta sunt doar trei berbeci si zece miei. Dar e pzit de 15 cini.
5. n vizuin e doar tigroaica cu cei doi pui ai ei.
EXERCISE P.064 / THE NOUN
Fill in the blanks with the correct pronouns: