Simple Pluralisation Guide

Plural Forms
Regular Plurals
The plural form of most nouns is created simply by adding the letter 's' to the end of the word .
For example:-

• bag - bags
• dog - dogs
• horse - horses
• minute - minutes

But there are some exceptions:-

Nouns that end in -ch, -x, -s, -sh add '-es' to the end of the word.

For example:-

• box - boxes
• boss - bosses
• bush - bushes
• church - churches
• gas - gases

Most nouns ending in -o preceded by a consonant also form their plurals by adding '-es' .

For example:-

• potato - potatoes
• tomato - tomatoes
• volcano - volcanoes

However many newly created words and words with a Spanish or Italian origin that end in -o just add an 's'.

For example:-

• photo - photos | piano - pianos | portico - porticos

Nouns that end in a single 'z', add '-zes' to the end of the word.

For example:-

• quiz - quizzes

Nouns ending in a consonant + y, drop the y and add '-ies'.
For example:-

• party - parties | lady - ladies

Most nouns ending in 'is', drop the 'is' and add '-es'
.
For example:-

• crisis - crises | hypothesis - hypotheses | oasis - oases

Most nouns ending in -f or -fe, drop the f and add 'ves'.
For example:-

• calf - calves | half - halves | wolf - wolves

But this isn't a hard and fast rule:-

• belief - beliefs (believes is a verb form)
• brief - briefs
• chef - chefs
• proof - proofs
• roof - roofs
• cafe - cafes
• safe - safes (saves is a verb form)

Irregular Plurals
There are also a lot of common nouns that have irregular plurals.
Most common nouns connected with human beings seem to be irregular.

For example:-

• child - children | person - people | man - men | woman - women

Other irregular common nouns are:-

foot - feet | goose - geese | mouse - mice | tooth - teeth

Some nouns have identical plural and singular forms.
<b>
For example:-

• aircraft - aircraft | fish - fish | headquarters - headquarters | sheep - sheep | species - species

In the plural form they still take a plural verb (are / were):-

There is an aircraft in the hangar.
There are some aircraft in the hangar.
There was a fish in the tank.
There were some fish in the tank.

Uncountable nouns on the other hand have no plural form and take a singular verb (is / was ...).</b>
<b>
For example:-

• advice
• information
• luggage
• news

There is a lot of luggage on the plane, but a piece of luggage has gone missing.

Some nouns (especially those associated with two things) exist only in the plural form and take a plural verb (are / were...).</b>
<b>
For example:-

• cattle
• scissors
• trousers
• tweezers
• congratulations
• pyjamas

Have you seen my scissors? They were on my desk.

Nouns that stem from older forms of English or are of foreign origin often have odd plurals.</b>

For example:-

• ox - oxen
• index - indices or indexes

In compound nouns the plural ending is usually added to the main noun.

For example:-

• son-in-law - sons-in-law
• passer-by - passers-by

Words ending in -us
Linguists can argue for hours about the plural ending of nouns ending in -us. Many of these words are loanwords from Latin and preserve their Latin plural form, replacing the -us suffix with -i, but of course not all words ending in -us have a Latin origin , and some Latin words ending in -us were not pluralized with -i. hence the argument.

For example:-
The English plural of virus is viruses, not viri.
Other Latin loanwords that take the regular English plural -es ending include campus - campuses | bonus - bonuses
Latin loanwords that take a -i plural ending include radius - radii | alumnus - alumni

If you want to bait a linguist ask them if the plural of crocus is crocuses or croci, or whether the plural of octopus is octopuses, octopi or octopodes.

Singular
Uncountable nouns are always singular.
The pronouns each, either, neither, another, and all compound words ending in one, body, or thing are always singular.

Simple Future Tense

We sometimes use the simple present form to discuss future events. Especially when talking about official events that happen at a set time such as timetables, meetings, itineraries, programmes etc
.
For example:

Q) "What time does the train leave?" A) "It leaves at 17.30."
Q) "What time does the meeting begin tomorrow?" A) "It begins at 8.00am."
Q) "What time do you arrive at the airport tomorrow?" A) "I arrive at 6.30pm."

Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Timeline


For example:
Q) "What were they doing yesterday?" A) "They were working all day."

It can be used to describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time.

For example:
Q) "What were you doing at 7.30 last night?" A) "I was watching television."

The past continuous can also be used to show that an activity frequently took place over a period of time.

Q) "What did you do on holiday?" A) "I went skiing a lot."

Often the past continuous is mixed with the past simple to show what was happening when something happened. The past continuous refers to the longer event and the simple past to the event that interrupted it.

For example:
"I was driving to work when I crashed my car."
or
As I was driving to work, I crashed my car."

Present Continuous Tense

When we talk about events that are actually happening now, we use the present continuous tense. This is formed by using the stem of the verb and adding -ing to the end, for example the verb "work" becomes "working"

Present Continuous Timeline


For example:
Q) "What are you doing?" A) "I'm building a website."

We also use the present continuous tense to talk about things that are happening around now but are temporary.

For example:
Q) "What are you doing these days?" A) "Unfortunately I'm working a lot."

It is also used to describe trends or situations that are happening but may be temporary.

For example:
"Nowadays more and more people are shopping on the Internet."

...and habitual actions (usually negative).

For example:
"He's always cleaning his car."

The present continuous tense can also be used to discuss future events:

Note:-The present continuous is usually used with doing verbs (verbs of action) not with verbs of state. The following verbs are not used in the continuous form:-

Conditions: belong, cost, need, own, seem
Feelings: like, love, hate, want, wish
Beliefs: believe, feel, know, mean, remember, think, understand

Future Continuous Tense

Using the present continuous for the future
The future continuous tense is the present continuous tense recycled. It is often used to ask about and discuss future arrangements or plans with just the addition of a future time, but you only use it when these arrangements are certain.

For example:
Q) What are you doing next week?" A) "I'm working."
Q) What's he doing tomorrow?" A) "He's playing tennis."

The present continuous tense is also used to talk about and make future appointments and arrangements using the words go or come....

For example:

Q) When are you coming to see me?" A) "Next week."
Q) What are you doing tomorrow?" A) "I'm going to the dentist."

...and using verbs of arrival and departure.

"We're arriving in London at 2.30."
"The train leaving from platform one is the 2.45 to Edinburgh."

The Future Continuous (will be doing)
The use of 'will be doing' in a sentence is often referred to as the future continuous. It is used to talk about activities that will be happening at a particular time or over a particular time in the future.

For example:
Next week we will be having a party. Can you come?
You can also use it (or the present continuous form) to talk about future plans.

For example:
We will be leaving here at 7.30pm.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about longer situations that continued up to the moment in the past we are talking about.

Past Perfect Continuous Timeline

For example:
"By the time I left England we had been living in Bristol for five years."

"Her back was sore because she had been sitting at the computer all day."

It is also used to say how long something went on for, up to a time in the past.

For example:-
We apologized because we had kept them waiting for 3 hours.
We apologized because we had kept them waiting since lunchtime.
!Note It is always for a length of time and since a point in time.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense is often used (with for or since) to describe how long something has been happening up to now.

Present Perfect Continuous Timeline

For example:-
Q) How long have you been studying English?" 
A) I've been studying English for four years." 

Note - You can just say "For four years." 

Q) How long have you been living in Germany?
A) I've been living here since 1998.

Note - You can just say "Since 1998".
The present perfect continuous is also used to refer to an event that may or may not be finished when it's effect can be seen now.

For example:-
Look! It's been snowing. 

Note - It's not necessarily snowing now but you can see the effect (the snow on the ground).
You should also use the present perfect continuous when talking about how long you have been doing your current job or working on unfinished projects:-

For example:-
I have been working at BT for three years.
We have been exporting to China since 1999.
!Note It is always for a length of time and since a point in time.

Discussing the future using the present perfect simple form

Discussing the future using the present perfect simple form
You can use the present perfect simple form to say that something will have happened by a certain time in the future.

"This time next year I will have finished my exams."

Discussing the future using the present perfect continuous form (also known as the future perfect continuous using will have been doing).
You can use the present perfect continuous form to say how long something will have been happening by a certain time in the future.

"This time next year I will have been teaching English for 9 years."

Discussing the future using going to

Discussing the future using going to

We say something is going to happen when it has already been planned.

For example:
-
Q) Are you going to fly to Germansy?
A) No, we're going to drive.

We also use it to show something has already been decided.

For example:-
"We're going to buy a new car next year."

We also use going to when we can see something is about to happen.

For example:-
 "Look at that cloud. I think it's going to rain."
 "Watch out! He's going to crash into that tree!"
You can also use going to to predict the future based upon the evidence now.

For example:-
"It looks as though Manchester United are going to win the European cup.
"I think my friend Louise is going to have a baby."

!Note

Thanks to Ken Anderson for pointing out the following:-
"I'm going to Germany." isn't really the future tense. You would have to say "I'm going to go to Germany."

Discussing the future using shall/will

When we give information about the future or predict future events that are not certain we usually use shall/will.

For example:-
Q) Who do you think will win the election?" A) "I'm not sure but I think the current party will win."

We can also use shall/will to make promises for the future.

When leaving work I would say - "Goodnight, I'll (I will) see you tomorrow."

Shall/Will is often used when we just decide to do something.

For example:-
The phone is ringing - If I decide to answer the phone I would say - "I'll (I will) get it."

It can also be used in formal situations to express planned events and is preferred in formal written English.

For example:-
The party will start at 10.00pm.

What is a Phrasal Verb?

What is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition.
A phrasal verb has a meaning which is different from the original verb. That's what makes them fun, but confusing. You may need to try to guess the meaning from the context, or, failing that, look it up in a dictionary.
The adverb or preposition that follows the verb are sometimes called a particle. The particle changes the meaning of the phrasal verb in idiomatic ways.
They are also known as ‘compound verbs’, ‘verb-adverb combinations’, ‘verb-particle constructions", “two-part words/verbs’ and ‘three-part words/verbs’ (depending on the number of words).
Phrasal verbs are usually used informally in everyday speech as opposed to the more formal Latinate verbs, such as “to get together” rather than “to congregate”, “to put off” rather than “to postpone”, or “to get out” rather than “to exit”. They should be avoided in academic writing.
!Note - Some linguists differentiate between phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs, while others assume them to be part of one and the same construction, as both types are phrasal in nature. So, unless you want to become a linguist, don't worry about it.

Literal usage
Many verbs in English can be combined with an adverb or a preposition, a phrasal verb used in a literal sense with a preposition is easy to understand.

• "He walked across the square.

Verb and adverb constructions are also easy to understand when used literally.

• "She opened the shutters and looked outside."
• "When he heard the crash, he looked up."

An adverb in a literal phrasal verb modifies the verb it is attached to, and a preposition links the subject to the verb.

Idiomatic usage
It is, however, the figurative or idiomatic application in everyday speech which makes phrasal verbs so important:

• "I hope you will get over your operation quickly."

The literal meaning of “to get over”, in the sense of “to climb over something to get to the other side”, is not relevant here. Here "get over" means "recover from" or "feel better".

Transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs also differ in their transitivity or intransitivity in the same way as normal verbs do. A transitive verb always has an object.
For example:-

• “Many people walked across the bridge.”

"Across" in this sentence is the preposition to "the bridge".
An intransitive verb does not have an object.
For example:-

• “When I entered the room he looked up.”

"Up" here is an adverb, and does not have an object.

Separable or inseparable phrasal verbs
A further way of considering phrasal verbs is whether they are separable or inseparable. In inseparable verbs, the object comes after the particle.
For example:-

• "She got on the bus ."
• "On weekdays, we look after our grandchildren."

Separable verbs have several ways of separating verb, particle and object. Usually, the object comes between verb and particle.
For example:-

• "She looked up the word in her dictionary."
• "She looked it up in her dictionary."

However, with some separable verbs, the object can come before or after the particle.
For example:-

• "Switch the light off."
• "Switch off the light."
• "Switch it off."

!Note - There is usually no way of telling whether they are separable, inseparable, transitive or intransitive. In most cases you have to get a feel for them.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are conjugated to easy to learn rules.

They all have a base form. e.g. to look
A gerund (ing) form where ing is added to the end of the verb. e.g. looking
An -s form where s is added to the end of the verb. e.g. looks
A past tense form where ed is added to the end of the verb. e.g. looked 
A past participle form where ed is added to the end of the verb. e.g. looked 

Seven tips for english learners

SEVEN TIPS FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS



Many people think you need to live in a foreign country, have a close foreign friend, or spend long nights with your head buried in a boring grammar book, to master English…In fact, you can become a very successful learner of English if you follow some basic rules.

1. Relax and enjoy speaking

When you use English, don’t worry about making mistakes. The chances are you will always make small mistakes when speaking a foreign language. The important thing is to learn from the errors you make. Babies don’t learn to walk without falling over a lot!

2. Learn about how you learn

Recent research has shown that many of us have a preferred way of learning. If you are a visual learner, you can link language to pictures and images. Watch films with subtitles, try to visualise yourself in imaginary situations speaking English, fix words with pictures in your mind If you have an auditory style, you have a ‘good ear’ for language and should listen to as much music as possible and watch movies in English. If you have an analytic style, then spend time studying grammar and comparing Vietnamese with English. A learner with an interactive style needs to spend as much time as possible speaking with others, discussing language and generally working in a team. A really good learner spends time on all these styles. Yet it is a sad fact that all over the world, many people are still taught in a traditional style that favours analytic and auditory learners.

3. Learn memory techniques

There are plenty of books on how to improve your memory. It is a skill that the successful learners I know take very seriously.



4. Immerse yourself

I once visited the home of a Spanish student who was actually quite a successful businessman. His house was littered with those small pieces of yellow paper called post-it notes! Every time he went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, to the bathroom to shave or used the remote control to change channel, he looked at those words. Again and again and again. Once the word was fixed in his mind, he put the paper into a file that he looked through at the end of the week. This way, he learnt 10 words a day, seven days a week. Read, listen and speak English at every opportunity! The best musicians and football players practise their skill over and over. The skill of communicating in a foreign language is the same.

5. Get Connected

I recently met someone who three times a week leaves her small village outside Hanoi, travels 1 hour on a motorbike and when she arrives at her destination, speaks in English for two hours to her friends in Britain, Australia and the US. Her destination? An Internet Café with voice chat facilities in the nearest small town. When I met her, she had never spoken to a foreigner face to face before, but after only two months of practising, she could hold a conversation with me in English.

The Internet has brought so many benefits to language learners. You can find great sites for practising grammar, vocabulary, listening, pronunciation and now, most importantly of all, speaking.

6. Learn Vocabulary systematically

Remember that learning English is not just about learning grammar. When we speak, we express most of our ideas through our choice of vocabulary, through collocations and fixed expressions. Think carefully about how you organise your notebook, don’t just write a long list of new words! Try to divide your notebook into sections. Here are some ideas…

subject pages; shopping, holidays, money verbs and nouns that go together; do your homework; make a cake expressions which use common words; overweight, to get over something, over the moon phrasal verbs; to grow up, to tell off, to look after fixed expressions; on the other hand, in my opinion, by the way idioms; once in a blue moon, to be over the moon, out of the blue expressions with prepositions; at night, at the weekend, in March, in 1988

Finally….

7. Get motivated: don’t put off until tomorrow, what you can do today.

In London, I had a Thai friend who was attending university there, studying fashion design. Her English was excellent. She told me that when she was fifteen she decided that it was her dream to study fashion in the UK. She found out what IELTS score she needed and started studying right away. When she was nineteen and old enough to go, she was ready. Her early start was a smart move: when she returned to Thailand after a year, some of her friends were still studying English, waiting to go abroad to study. She is now fluent, well qualified and walked into a great job!

Prepare for your exams with a healthy body and mind

Stress and Exams


To be able to deal with stress makes students stand a better chance of exam success. The only way to deal with stress is first to admit and recognize stressful patterns of behaviour and find healthy ways of dealing with them


Stress is part of students lives


The first thing students should do is to admit that stress constitute part of their lives.


Quick fixes


Some students will try alcohol, smoking, drugs, coffee… to cope with their stress. However, most of these quick fixes will only make the situation worse and add fuel to fire.


A healthy mind in a healthy body


The secret to success is to take into consideration the prerequisites for a healthy body. This will prepare the ground for building the foundation of well-being and the necessary conditions for success.


Moderation.


Pay attention to how you lead your life most of the time. A healthy lifestyle is one that doesn't take extremes as a way of life. Be moderate in what you do.


Eat well.


It is important to pay attention to both what you eat and how you eat. As Socrates said: "Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat." A varied diet with vegetables and fresh fruits is good for the brain. Also take time off for meals.


Exercise.


Students must know the value of exercis because it plays a vital part in counterbalancing the stress responses produced in our bodies by having to meet deadlines and exams.


Sleep. 


Students are getting less and less of sleep which might lead to more stress. The hours of sleep before midnight are thought to be the most beneficial. For this reason students must re-regulate their body clock and go to bed and get up at regular times.


Express yourself.


The way students feel about their work and other issues in their life plays a huge part in how they deal with stress. It is advisable that students should be realistic whatever happens in their lives .


To sum up, studies are really very important, but never at the expense of students physical and mental well-being. Besides, if students feel well they will be ready to face the challenges of exams alive and kicking.