English Language Arts
Grade 8
15 min
Form and use plurals: review
Form and use plurals: review
What you'll learn
- Identify the correct use of "I" and "me" in compound subjects and objects within 8 out of 10 sentences.
- Apply the rules of subject-verb agreement and object pronoun usage to correctly construct 5 out of 6 original sentences containing compound subjects with "I".
- Explain the difference between using "I" as part of a compound subject and "me" as part of a compound object in a written paragraph of at least 5 sentences.
- Correctly revise 4 out of 5 sentences that incorrectly use "I" or "me" in compound subjects or objects, explaining the grammatical error in each revision.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify and correctly form regular and irregular plurals for common and less common nouns.
Apply rules for pluralizing compound nouns, including hyphenated and non-hyphenated forms.
Distinguish between singular and plural forms of nouns of foreign origin and use them appropriately.
Recognize and correctly use nouns that have the same singular and plural form.
Identify and correct common errors in plural formation and usage in their own and others' writing.
Explain the rationale behind various pluralization rules, enhancing their grammatical understanding.
Confidently use a variety of plural forms to enhance clarity and precision in argumentative and analytical essays.
Ever wondered why 'mouse' becomes 'mice' but 'house...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Regular Plural NounsNouns that form their plural by adding -s or -es to the end of the word, following predictable patterns.book → books; box → boxes; story → stories
Irregular Plural NounsNouns that do not follow the standard -s or -es pattern for pluralization; their plural forms often involve vowel changes, different endings, or no change at all.man → men; child → children; sheep → sheep
Compound NounsNouns made up of two or more words, which can be written as one word (e.g., 'toothbrush'), hyphenated (e.g., 'sister-in-law'), or separate words (e.g., 'attorney general').toothbrush; sister-in-law; attorney general
Nouns of Foreign OriginNouns adopted from other languages (e.g., Latin, Greek) that sometimes retain their original plural...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
General Rule for Regular Plurals
Add -s to most nouns. Add -es to nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z.
This is the most common rule. For nouns ending in 'y' preceded by a consonant, change 'y' to 'i' and add -es (e.g., 'story' → 'stories'). If 'y' is preceded by a vowel, just add -s (e.g., 'day' → 'days').
Irregular Plural Forms
Many common nouns have irregular plural forms that must be memorized or looked up.
These include nouns with vowel changes (man/men), nouns ending in -en (child/children), nouns that remain unchanged (sheep/sheep), and nouns ending in -f or -fe that change to -ves (leaf/leaves, knife/knives).
Pluralizing Compound Nouns
For most compound nouns, make the most...
4 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct pluralization for all nouns, including regular, irregular, and compound forms?
A.The attorneys general discussed the crises facing their states with their chief of staffs.
B.The attorneys general discussed the crises facing their states with their chiefs of staff.
C.The attorney generals discussed the crisis's facing their states with their chiefs of staff.
D.The attorneys general discussed the crisises facing their states with their chief of staffs.
Challenging
For an argumentative essay, precision is key. Which sentence uses plural forms most effectively to create a clear and sophisticated argument?
A.The different datas suggest many phenomenons are at play.
B.The different informations suggest many things are at play.
C.The data suggests many things are at play.
D.The data, based on several distinct analyses, suggest multiple phenomena are at play.
Challenging
In the sentence, 'The faculty are debating the new curricula,' the collective noun 'faculty' is treated as plural. What is the most likely reason for this choice?
A.The members of the faculty are acting as individuals with differing opinions, not as a single, unified body.
B.The word 'faculty' is always plural, regardless of context.
C.The word 'curricula' is plural, so the verb must also be plural.
D.It is a grammatical error; the sentence should use 'is debating'.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing FreeMore from Nouns
English Language Arts for other grades
Frequently asked questions
What grade level is "Form and use plurals: review"?
Form and use plurals: review is a Grade 8 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Form and use plurals: review?
You'll be able to: Identify the correct use of "I" and "me" in compound subjects and objects within 8 out of 10 sentences; Apply the rules of subject-verb agreement and object pronoun usage to correctly construct 5 out of 6 original sentences….
Is "Form and use plurals: review" free to practice?
Yes. You can read the tutorial preview for free, and signing up for a free ExcelOS account unlocks the full tutorial and all practice questions with instant feedback.
How many practice questions are included with Form and use plurals: review?
This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.