CSEC English

BRUSH UP YOUR ENGLISH!

Hi there! We’re glad you’ve joined us for this ‘brush-up’ course! During the month of August we’ll be tackling some of the more common errors in English usage—so stay with us!

PLURALS IN CREOLESE AND S.E. First a quick look at one difference between Creolese and Standard English (SE). You must have noticed that in Creolese, there’s no need to worry about forming the plural of a noun: it’s one foot, two foot; one pickney, two pickney—maybe plenty pickney or even nuff pickney. But that noun is unchanged. In Standard English, as you know, except for a few exceptions, we usually add -s (or -es) to form the plural. So we have plurals like boy-boys, church-churches, path-paths, stitch-stitches. And of course we’ve learnt the commoner irregular plurals: womanwomen, child-children, mouse-mice, goose-geese, and so on.

Today we’re going to start our ‘brush-up’ course with a look at nouns—especially their singular and plural forms.

Let’s go!

COUNTABLE NOUNS (Problems with ‘few’, ‘fewer’, ‘much’ and ‘less’)

We form the plural of a noun by adding -s or -es if that noun is ‘countable’. Things like houses, chairs, problems, mosques, streets can be counted.

When we’re using countable nouns, we can add these modifying words: many, few, fewer: many people, fewer umbrellas, too many friends, a few problems. It is incorrect to use much or less with a countable noun: He had too much friends.

There were so much people there! She had less problems than her sister.

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS (MASS NOUNS)

You can count problems and umbrellas, but you can’t count sugar, happiness, traffic or water. These are examples of uncountable nouns.

When we’re using uncountable nouns, we can add these modifying words: (too) much, less, more: You should use less sugar. There’s too much traffic in town.

NOUNS WITHOUT A PLURAL. Did you know that some nouns do not have a plural? Here are the more common ones:

Furniture, scenery, advice, accommodation, luggage, baggage, behaviour, applause. equipment, news, progress, accommodation, bread. Here are some examples: This room has too much furniture (not furnitures). My sister and I have lost our luggage (not luggages). The parent-teacher association provided equipment (not equipments) for the gym and the chemistry laboratory. The news every evening IS (not ARE) so depressing! Villagers provided accommodation (not accommodations) for the victims of the floods.

All available accommodation (not accommodations) HAS (not HAVE) already been taken.

N.B. In Creolese we may well ask the shop-keeper for ‘two bread’, but in SE, we would need to say ‘two loaves of bread’. (Loaves are countable, but bread is not.)

NOUNS WITHOUT A SINGULAR. Some words are always plural. Here are some examples: scissors, tweezers, pliers, shears, trousers, pants, glasses, spectacles, folk, data, remains, amends.

This means that we need to use the PLURAL form of the verb AND the PLURAL form of the pronoun.

Here are some examples: The scissors WERE in the drawer yesterday, but someone used THEM and did not put THEM back.

His pants WERE (not WAS) too big for him last year, but now THEY fit (not IT FITS) him perfectly.

Police said that the remains of the victims WERE to be handed over today so that THEY can be buried by grieving relatives. The auditor found that the data WERE insufficient.

SOME ODD CASES. ● How do you make the plural of words like Attorney-general, sisterin-law, lady-in-waiting? Here’s the pattern you’ll need to follow: AttorneyS-general, sisterS-in-law, ladIES-in-waiting. ● When is it regard and when is it regards? The officer spoke to his men with regard to (=regarding) the report they had submitted.

Please convey my kindest regards dear wife. ● What about the mouse on my computer? Mongooses or mongeese? Of course we learnt that it’s one mouse and two mice, one goose and two geese. But what about the mouse on the computer and the mon goose family in my yard? It’s two MOUSES if you have two computers, and it’s two MONGOOSES (or maybe more!) ●The singular of CRITERIA is actually CRITERION. e.g. There are several criteria for success in business, but the main criterion is perseverance. (=expressions of respect) to your

SINGULAR AND PLURAL LOOK-ALIKES

Some nouns are the same whether singular or plural: fish, shrimp, sheep, deer, moose, bison. Here are some examples: We caught two really large fish (not fishes) when uncle took us out in his boat. The shrimp were delicious dipped in sauce. Sheep roaming over the grounds keep the grass well-trimmed (or should we say, well nibbled?) Deer are protected by law in this state. Bison are stampeding across the plain.

NOUNS THAT CAN BE EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL. Collective nouns describe a group of people (audience, mob, committee, jury, team), or a group of animals or insects (herd, flock, swarm, pack, shoal).

Sometimes we treat such nouns as singular, and sometimes as plural. How do I know if I should make the verb singular or plural? Good question! And here’s the answer: If all the individuals in the group are doing exactly the same thing, then use the singular: The committee meets (sing.) every Friday. The audience bursts (sing.) into applause. Do make sure that any pronouns are also in the singular: The audience BURSTS into applause, showing ITS delighted approval.

The class IS LISTENING intently to the explanation being given by ITS lecturer. However, if the individuals in the group are doing different things, then both verb and pronouns will be plural: The committee disagree (pl.) over the terms of their (pl.) mandate. As gunshots ring out, the audience clutch (pl.) the hands of loved ones (pl.) or scoop up their (pl.) belongings, and scurry to the various exits.

After the gruelling practice session, the team hurry (pl.) home to their wives (pl.) and children or else meet (pl.) up with friends at their (pl.) favourite bar.

At the end of the course, the class hand in (pl.) their (pl.) reports on the achievements of famous inventors.

So we see that collective nouns can be singular or plural. It depends on whether the individuals in the group are all doing the same thing or are acting independently of each other despite being in the same group.

Remember, though, that you have to be consistent: if you settle for the plural, then make sure that both the verbs and the pronouns are plural too.

Join us next Sunday for guidelines on making verbs and pronouns agree with the subject.