Simple Stuff (Things you should have learned before high school)
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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."]
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!!!
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!!!
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!!!
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.
Longer Explanation:
- We've practiced several patterns for making words plural, so this is a review of all of them combined.