Post by ESL Instructor/Tutor on Dec 6, 2016 0:17:48 GMT -5
Okay, so we're are here to practice English and I thought that I would use this post to talk a little about the words ARE and IS and how they relate to nouns? Do you know what a noun is?
A noun is a person, place or thing.
Now, if I had one favorite actor I would write
My favorite actor IS ________________________________, but since I really have two favorite actors I have to use the word are
My favorite actors ARE _______________________________.
You want to be sure that you use the word are when talking about plural nouns and is when talking about a singular noun.
You have to know how to use are or is the right way when you speak.
WRONG : My favorite actor are
WRONG: My favorite actors is
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
RIGHT: My favorite actors are (this is right)
RIGHT: My favorite actor is (this is right)
Okay, do you know how to turn a singular noun into a plural noun?
To turn a singular noun to a plural noun you always have to change something at the end of the word.
What you add or take away depends on what letters the word ends with.
By following some simple rules, you will know how to change any noun into a plural noun simply by looking at what the word ends with.
Now, let me explain why....... by adding (s) to the end of actor means that I am discussing two or more actors. so whenever you add an (s) to an end of a word like dogs, dolls, houses, hats you are talking about two or more things. So you wouldn't say my dogs is hungry NO you would say my dogs are hungry because ARE is always paired with plural words (two or more things).
The reverse is true for is. If you are talking about one dog, then you would also use is. For example, my dog is hungry.
My doll is cute. The house is large.
PLURAL The house(s) down the street are really expensive. There's that are again.
For instance, the word pony (you would NOT put s on the tail of the word to make it plural) ponys NO NO NO!!!! You would take away the y and add ies for PON + IES PONIES
Words That End in Y Change to IES TO MAKE THE WORD PLURAL (WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS)
singular= day plural = days no ies
singular = pony PLURAL = ponies
singular = daisy plural = daisies
To determine whether to add "ies" or "s" to a word that ends in y depends on the letter that precedes the y. For example, if the letter before the y is a VOWEL (a, e, i, o or u) NOT Y, then you would add an S after the y to make it plural. Confused? Let me know.
Then you would write the ponies are very pretty. You WOULD NOT WRITE the ponies is very pretty. Remember are is always used when you are talking about two or more things. In this case, we are talking about ponies (which is plural) for pony. Pony is one and ponies are more than one. Got it?
RULE CONSONANT + Y
Okay, you will only take away the y and change it to ies if the letter that precedes the y is a consonant. A consonant is every other letter in the alphabet that is not a vowel. Vowels = a, e, i, o and u Consonants are all the other letters.
So I used the word pony to change the word pony from its singular form to its plural form you would take away the y and add ies, so pony becomes ponies. I just wanted to point out that Y is sometimes considered a vowel, so I wanted to point that out. In fact, schools in America teach students to say that the vowels are a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y. I just wanted to point that out. Y is sometimes a vowel, but in this case for the word pony would you take away the y and change it to ies to make pony into ponies because "n" is a consonant. Okay, don't worry if you didn't get that I promise to go over and over it again and again.
Words that end in s, x, ch, or sh
Okay, when a word ends in s, x, ch or sh in the English language you can change it from its singular form to its plural form by adding es to the ends of the word.
Box (ends in x) to make it plural (more than one) just add boxes and you'll have two or more boxes!
Church (ends in ch) to make it plural just add "es" to the end for churches
Flush (ends in sh) to make it plural just add "es" to the end for flushes.
Words That End in Z
to make a word that ends in Z plural just and 'es" to the end of the word
Okay, there are many others that I could add to the list. I think you have enough to digest right now. Oh, and I didn't even get to the real reason why I started this post. Sorry about that. Okay, back to the main topic.
Who is my favorite actor?
Well, anyone who knows me will tell you that the one at the very top of my list is JOAQUIN PHOENIX. Well, if you haven't heard of him now is a good time to Google his name.
Have you seen him in any movies? I have seen 98% of all of his movies.
Okay, the next actor that I like a lot is Billy Bob Thornton.
There's something about both of them that makes them unique. They are both really great actors.
Okay, now tell me who are your favorite actors and/or actresses are? There's that "are" I am talking about actor(s) and actresse(s) so you definitely want to put an are in there.
By the way, you can visit a forum created for Joaquin by visiting www.joaquinphoenix.com or and Billy Bob Thornton's website is here www.billybobthornton.net/.
Please don't forget to tell us who your favorite actor(s) or actresses are!
A noun is a person, place or thing.
Now, if I had one favorite actor I would write
My favorite actor IS ________________________________, but since I really have two favorite actors I have to use the word are
My favorite actors ARE _______________________________.
You want to be sure that you use the word are when talking about plural nouns and is when talking about a singular noun.
You have to know how to use are or is the right way when you speak.
WRONG : My favorite actor are
WRONG: My favorite actors is
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
RIGHT: My favorite actors are (this is right)
RIGHT: My favorite actor is (this is right)
Okay, do you know how to turn a singular noun into a plural noun?
To turn a singular noun to a plural noun you always have to change something at the end of the word.
What you add or take away depends on what letters the word ends with.
By following some simple rules, you will know how to change any noun into a plural noun simply by looking at what the word ends with.
Now, let me explain why....... by adding (s) to the end of actor means that I am discussing two or more actors. so whenever you add an (s) to an end of a word like dogs, dolls, houses, hats you are talking about two or more things. So you wouldn't say my dogs is hungry NO you would say my dogs are hungry because ARE is always paired with plural words (two or more things).
The reverse is true for is. If you are talking about one dog, then you would also use is. For example, my dog is hungry.
My doll is cute. The house is large.
PLURAL The house(s) down the street are really expensive. There's that are again.
For instance, the word pony (you would NOT put s on the tail of the word to make it plural) ponys NO NO NO!!!! You would take away the y and add ies for PON + IES PONIES
Words That End in Y Change to IES TO MAKE THE WORD PLURAL (WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS)
singular= day plural = days no ies
singular = pony PLURAL = ponies
singular = daisy plural = daisies
To determine whether to add "ies" or "s" to a word that ends in y depends on the letter that precedes the y. For example, if the letter before the y is a VOWEL (a, e, i, o or u) NOT Y, then you would add an S after the y to make it plural. Confused? Let me know.
Then you would write the ponies are very pretty. You WOULD NOT WRITE the ponies is very pretty. Remember are is always used when you are talking about two or more things. In this case, we are talking about ponies (which is plural) for pony. Pony is one and ponies are more than one. Got it?
RULE CONSONANT + Y
Okay, you will only take away the y and change it to ies if the letter that precedes the y is a consonant. A consonant is every other letter in the alphabet that is not a vowel. Vowels = a, e, i, o and u Consonants are all the other letters.
So I used the word pony to change the word pony from its singular form to its plural form you would take away the y and add ies, so pony becomes ponies. I just wanted to point out that Y is sometimes considered a vowel, so I wanted to point that out. In fact, schools in America teach students to say that the vowels are a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y. I just wanted to point that out. Y is sometimes a vowel, but in this case for the word pony would you take away the y and change it to ies to make pony into ponies because "n" is a consonant. Okay, don't worry if you didn't get that I promise to go over and over it again and again.
Words that end in s, x, ch, or sh
Okay, when a word ends in s, x, ch or sh in the English language you can change it from its singular form to its plural form by adding es to the ends of the word.
Box (ends in x) to make it plural (more than one) just add boxes and you'll have two or more boxes!
Church (ends in ch) to make it plural just add "es" to the end for churches
Flush (ends in sh) to make it plural just add "es" to the end for flushes.
Words That End in Z
to make a word that ends in Z plural just and 'es" to the end of the word
Okay, there are many others that I could add to the list. I think you have enough to digest right now. Oh, and I didn't even get to the real reason why I started this post. Sorry about that. Okay, back to the main topic.
Who is my favorite actor?
Well, anyone who knows me will tell you that the one at the very top of my list is JOAQUIN PHOENIX. Well, if you haven't heard of him now is a good time to Google his name.
Have you seen him in any movies? I have seen 98% of all of his movies.
Okay, the next actor that I like a lot is Billy Bob Thornton.
There's something about both of them that makes them unique. They are both really great actors.
Okay, now tell me who are your favorite actors and/or actresses are? There's that "are" I am talking about actor(s) and actresse(s) so you definitely want to put an are in there.
By the way, you can visit a forum created for Joaquin by visiting www.joaquinphoenix.com or and Billy Bob Thornton's website is here www.billybobthornton.net/.
Please don't forget to tell us who your favorite actor(s) or actresses are!