Simple Stuff (Things you should have learned before high school)

Click here for #7-12.
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Feel free to split your screen like this.

​Capitalizing Nouns

Quick Tip:
Capitalize names and words you're using like a name.
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[Click to enlarge.]
Longer ​​​Explanation:
  • Capitalize a noun if it's a name, because it points out a specific person, place, thing, or idea.  They're called "proper nouns."  El Dorado High School is a great school.
  • A title, like "president" or "principal," should be capitalized ONLY if you're using it like a name, NOT if you have "the," "our," etc., in front of it.  President Trump said ... [You're using it like it's part of his name.]
    Donald Trump is the 45th president. [You're NOT using it like it's his name.] 
  • The same thing is true for dad, mom, uncle, aunt, cousin, etc.
    Hey, Dad, can you come help me?  [You're using it like it's his name.]
    My mom works at the penitentiary.  [You're NOT using it like it's her name.]
    Have you met my brother?  [You wouldn't write "my Paul," so you also wouldn't write "my Brother."]
Click on the button to do the exercise.  It doesn't count until you get 90%, so keep trying until you do.  Be sure to get a screenshot of the results.

Regular Plurals

Quick Tip:
For most nouns, just add -s or -es to make them plural (more than one).
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[Click to enlarge.]
Longer ​​​Explanation:
  • The vast majority of words just use -s.
    computer ➔ computers
  • If the word end with an -e, still just add -s.
    phone ➔ phones
  • Use -es if the noun ends with ch, s, sh, x, or z.
    church ➔ churches
    fox ➔ foxes​
  • There are irregular plurals, but you'll practice them in a different exercise.
  • NEVER use an apostrophe to make a word plural!  NEVER EVER!!  DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!
Click on the button to do the exercise.  It doesn't count until you get 90%, so keep trying until you do.  Be sure to get a screenshot of the results.

Plurals Ending with -f

Quick Tip:
To decide between -s and -ves, say it out loud and see if you hear a v or an f.
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[Click to enlarge.]
Longer ​​​Explanation:
  • For most nouns that end with -f or -fe, make them plural (more than one) by changing the ending to -ves.
    wolf ➔ wolves
    life ➔ lives
  • But sometimes you just add -s instead.
    chief ➔ chiefs
    roof ➔ roofs
  • NEVER use an apostrophe to make a word plural!  NEVER EVER!!  DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!
Click on the button to do the exercise.  It doesn't count until you get 90%, so keep trying until you do.  Be sure to get a screenshot of the results.

Plurals Ending with -y

Quick Tip:
For words that end with -y, you use either -ies or just -s.
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[Click to enlarge.]
Longer ​​​Explanation:
  • For most nouns that end with -y, make them plural (more than one) by changing the ending to -ies.
    baby ➔ babies 
    French fry ➔ French fries
  • If there’s a vowel (a, e, i, o, or u) before the -y, just add -s. 
    key ➔ keys 
    day ➔ days    ​
  • NEVER use an apostrophe to make a word plural!  NEVER EVER!!  DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!
Click on the button to do the exercise.  It doesn't count until you get 90%, so keep trying until you do.  Be sure to get a screenshot of the results.

Irregular Plurals

Quick Tip:
There isn't a rule for these, but they're not hard to remember.
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[Click to enlarge.]
Longer ​​​Explanation:
  • Some nouns don't follow the regular patterns for making words plural, so they're called "irregular plurals." 
  • Here are some basic patterns that sometimes work:
    • -sis ➔ ses  crisis ➔ crises
    • -an ➔ -en  man ➔ men
    • -us ➔ -i  cactus ➔ cacti
    • -o ➔ -oes  potato ➔ potatoes
    • -on ➔ -a  criterion ➔ criteria
    • -ee-  ➔ [no change]  deer ➔ deer
  • There are a few things you can do:
    • Just remember them.
    • Go with what sounds right (but you still have to spell it right).
    • Look it up online.
  • If you look it up, it will usually tell you how to spell the plural.  If it doesn't then you probably just add -s or -es.
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After the word "plural," it tells you how to spell it.
Click on the button to do the exercise.  It doesn't count until you get 90%, so keep trying until you do.  Be sure to get a screenshot of the results.

Plurals Review

Quick Tip:
This is a review of the last four exercises, so you can look back at those explanations and/or use the picture to the right. ➔
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[Click to enlarge.]
Longer ​​​Explanation:
  • We've practiced several patterns for making words plural, so this is a review of all of them combined.

Click on the button to do the exercise.  It doesn't count until you get 90%, so keep trying until you do.  Be sure to get a screenshot of the results.