It is plural in English. Singular and plural in English. Plural Formation in English

As you know, all parts of speech are divided into independent and auxiliary. As in Russian, pronouns in English language belong to an independent part of speech, which denotes an object or is a sign of it, but does not directly name persons and objects. These words do not name relationships and properties, do not give spatial or temporal characteristics.

Pronouns (Pronouns) in English replace a noun, which is why they are called “in place of a name” - He, you, it. These words can also be used instead of an adjective - Such, that, these. As in Russian, so in English, there are a lot of such lexical units, but it is necessary to know them and use them correctly. Therefore, let’s move on directly to the study.

According to their meaning, Pronouns can be classified into several groups. I suggest you familiarize yourself with this classification and the characteristics of each group:

Personal are the most important and most common pronouns. In a sentence they act as the subject. And the word "I (I)" is always written in capital letters, regardless of whether it is at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. And the pronoun you (you, you) expresses both the plural and the singular.

It should also be remembered that lexemes he (he) and she (she) used if they want to designate an animate person, and it- to designate animals, abstract concepts and inanimate objects. A "they" used both in relation to inanimate objects and animate persons.

Personal pronouns in English are declined according to cases. When they act as the subject of a sentence, they are in the nominative case, and when they act as a complement, in the objective case. To make it clearer for you, please study the table

Face	Nominative		Objective case
	Singular
1	I	I	me	me, me
2	you	You	you	you, you
3	he	He	him	him, his
	she	she	her	her, her
	it	it, he, she	it	his, her, him, her
	Plural
1	we	We	us	us, us
2	you	You	you	you, you
3	they	They	them	them, them

Possessive pronouns

English possessive pronouns (Possessive) we discussed in detail in the previous article. But let me remind you that they express belonging, have two forms - adjective and noun, and answer the question “Whose?” and do not change in numbers. There is also a special absolute form. Look at the table showing how Possessive Pronouns are inclined:

pronouns
form	personal	possessive	absolute
Unit number	I he she it	my his her its	mine is mine his hers its his/her
Plural number	we you they	our your their	ours ours yours yours theirs

Demonstrative pronouns in English

Demonstrative or demonstrative - point to a person or object. Demonstrative pronouns in English do not change by gender, but are declined by number, that is, they have singular and plural. Wherein " this" refers to an object that is located next to the speaker, and the word " that" indicates an object located at a considerable distance.

In addition, “that” can be translated into Russian as “this, this.” Demonstrative pronouns in English in a sentence can serve as subject, object, modifier or noun.

Reflexive pronouns in English

Reflexive or reflexive - express reflexive meaning, show that the action is aimed at itself actor Therefore, reflexive pronouns in English in a sentence correspond in form to the subject.

Their distinctive feature is that they end with "- self"singular or "- selves" in plural)". In Russian, this is the verbal suffix “-sya (-s)” or the pronoun “yourself (yourself, yourself, yourself)”: He cut himself - He cut himself

Singular		Plural
myself		ourselves
yourself		yourselves	yourself (yourself)
himself	yourself (himself)	themselves
herself
itself
oneself indefinite form

Indefinite pronouns in English

Indefinite - one of the largest groups English pronouns. Nouns and adjectives can be substituted in sentences. Indefinite pronouns in English can be divided into words formed from “no” (no, not at all), “any” (any, several, a little) and “some” (several, a little).

no		any		some
nobody/nobody	nobody	anyone/anybody	somebody/anyone, whoever	someone/somebody	someone/anyone
nothing	nothing	anything	something/anything, anything	something	anything
nowhere	nowhere	anywhere	somewhere/anywhere, anywhere/somewhere	somewhere	somewhere
		anyhow	somehow/somehow, whatever	somehow	somehow/somehow
		any day/any time	whenever	some time/some day	some day

Other Indefinite Pronouns include: every, each, both, all, few, little, many, much.

Interrogative pronouns in English

Interrogatives are very similar to relatives, but perform completely different functions in a sentence where they are the subject, adjective or object: Who is there? - Who's there? Sometimes they can be a nominal part of the predicate. Interrogative pronouns in English are also called "question words":

who? - Who?
which? - which?
whom? - whom? to whom?
where? - Where?
what? - What?
whose? - whose?
when? - When?
why? - Why?

Other pronouns

We dwelled in more detail on the main and more numerous pronouns, but there are other groups of pronouns in English:

Universal: all, both, everyone, everybody, everything, every, either, each
Dividers: another, other
Negative: no, nobody, nothing, no one, neither, none
Relative: that, which, whose, who

“this” - it is used in many impersonal sentences, where it is almost always omitted when translated into Russian. It's not so simple with plurals. But first things first.

Functions of the pronoun it

As a personal pronoun

Everything is simple here - the pronoun it replaces inanimate noun:

I have an apple. It is green- I have an apple. It's green.
Give me that laptop. It is on the table- Give me that laptop. It's lying on the table.
It as an impersonal pronoun

Here the pronoun it already has many more functions. Please note that in many cases where it is used as an impersonal pronoun, it is omitted when translated into Russian.
- Indicates a fact or situation that is known or currently occurring:
  When the factory closes, it will mean 500 people losing their jobs– When a plant closes, it means that 500 people lose their jobs.
  Yes, I was at home on Sunday. What about it?- Yes, I was at home on Sunday. And what?
- Is the subject of an impersonal verb:
  It is snowing on the mountains– It’s snowing in the mountains.
  It is Sunday today- Today is Sunday.
- Performs the function of a formal subject:
  It is not easy to defeat him“It’s not easy to defeat him.”
  It is dangerous to play with fire - It's dangerous to play with fire.
- As part of the construction it is + noun + who/that focuses attention on any part of the sentence:
  It was Susie who painted this picture“Susie painted this picture.”
  It was John who broke the window- John broke the window.
- Acts as the subject when talking about date, time, distance:
  It's ten past twelve- It's half past twelve.
  It's two miles to the beach- It's two miles from the beach.
- Used in passive voice:
  It was decided that we should all swim across the lake before breakfast“It was decided that we should all swim on the lake before breakfast.”
  It is accepted that research into cancer has advanced considerably in the last few years– It is believed that cancer research has made significant progress in the last few years.
As a demonstrative pronoun.

In this role, the pronoun it is used in cases where in a conversation I introduce myself or ask about the identity of the interlocutor:

Who is it?- Who is this?
Hello, it's Jane- Hello, this is Jane.

The plural pronoun it

The plural pronoun it is not used. In this case, they is used instead. They has three forms: the subject they, the object them and the possessive form their(s). They and its forms are used only as personal pronouns:

They study English– They are learning English.
I gave them my English textbook– I gave them my English textbook.
Their English friend never liked me“Their English friend never loved me.”

Exceptions and features

Exceptions associated with it concern the use of this pronoun with animate objects. There are three cases when it is used with animate objects.

With animals:

Look at this snake: it sleeps- Look at this snake: it is sleeping.
I love my dog. It is almost human- I love my dog. She is almost human.

With babies:

This baby is hungry, it hasn’t been eating for three hours This child is hungry, he hasn’t eaten for three hours.
The baby is crying. It must be hungry- The baby is crying. He must be hungry.

When in a conversation someone introduces himself or asks about the identity of the interlocutor:

Who is it? It's your wife- Who is this? Is it your wife.

The peculiarities of the pronoun it include the confusion that often arises when using the abbreviated form it is – it’s (it) and the possessive pronoun its (his). It is important to remember the difference between them and that these options are not interchangeable. Compare two examples:

It's an apple- This Apple.
Look at this tree. Its apples are warm n – Look at this tree. His apples are green.

Useful video on the topic:

We present to you the first article in the “English Grammar for Beginners” series. In this series of materials, we decided to present all the rules briefly and in simple words so that beginners “from scratch” or those who do not remember the basics of English well can independently figure out the grammar, understand it and apply it in practice.

Plural in English

In English, as in Russian, all words are divided into countable and uncountable. This is important to understand when forming the plural of a word. Countable nouns denote those objects that can be counted, for example: table (table), book (book), apple (apple). Uncountable nouns are abstract concepts, liquids, products, etc., that is, things that cannot be counted. For example: knowledge, water, meat, flour. These words have no plural or singular.

Countable nouns can be used in singular or plural. A singular noun denotes one thing; this is the form of the word that is indicated in the dictionary: apple - apple. A plural noun denotes several objects: apples - apples.

How to form the plural of nouns:

Usually the plural of nouns is formed by adding the ending -s to the word: book – books (book – books). However, there are several spelling features:

If the word ends in -o, -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, then add the ending -es: hero – heroes (hero – heroes), bus – buses (bus – buses).
Exceptions: photo - photos (photo - photographs), video - videos (video recording - video recordings), radio - radios (radio - several radios), rhino - rhinos (rhino - rhinoceroses), piano - pianos (piano - several pianos), hippo - hippos (hippopotamus - hippopotamuses).
If the word ends in -f, -fe, then change the ending to -ves: knife – knives, leaf – leaves, wife – wives.
Exceptions: roof - roofs (roof - roofs), giraffe - giraffes (giraffe - giraffes), cliff - cliffs (cliff - cliffs).
If a word ends in -y, preceded by a consonant, then we change -y to -ies: body – bodies (body – bodies).
If the word ends in -y, preceded by a vowel, then add the ending -s: boy – boys (boy – boys).

In English there is also exception words, which form the plural irregularly. You just need to learn such words by heart; fortunately, there are not very many of them.

Singular	Plural
man - man	men - men
woman - woman	women - women
child - child	children - children
person - person	people - people
foot - foot	feet - feet
mouse - mouse	mice - mice
tooth - tooth	teeth - teeth
sheep - sheep	sheep - sheep

Try our test to see how well you have understood the material.

English Plural Noun Test

Articles in English

There are two types of articles in English: definite and indefinite. They are not translated into Russian. In the vast majority of cases, one of these articles must be placed before a singular noun.

Not definite article a/an is used only with singular countable nouns: a girl, a pen. If a word begins with a consonant sound, we write the article a (a girl), and if the word begins with a vowel sound, we write the article an (an apple).

The indefinite article a/an is used in the following cases:

We name any indefinite object, and we have only one, which is why we use the article a, which comes from the word one (one):
It is a book. - This is a book.
We mention the subject for the first time in speech:
I see a shop. - I see (some, one of many) store.
We talk about a person’s profession or indicate his belonging to a certain group:
He is a teacher. - He is a teacher.
She is a student. - She is a student.

We use the definite article the when we are talking about a specific object that is familiar to us. This article can appear before a singular or plural noun.

The definite article the is used in the following cases:

We have already mentioned the subject earlier in our speech:
I see a shop. The shop is big. - I see a store. (This) The store is big.
It is believed that the definite article comes from the word that (that), therefore it is intended to indicate some specific object familiar to the interlocutors.
We are talking about an object that in this context is one of a kind and cannot be confused with something else:
Honey, I'm washing the car. - Honey, I'm washing the car. (the family has one car, so we are talking about a specific item)
Look at the girl in the red dress - Look at the girl in the red dress. (we point to a specific girl in a specific dress)
We are talking about a one-of-a-kind object, there is no other like it: the sun, the moon, the world, the President of France, etc.:
The earth is our home. - Earth is our home.

Verb to be

There is always a verb in an English sentence. And if in Russian we can say “I am a doctor”, “Mary is beautiful”, “We are in the hospital”, then in English this is unacceptable: in all these cases, the verb to be must appear after the subject. Therefore, you can remember a simple rule: if there are no ordinary verbs in a sentence, then the verb to be is needed.

The verb to be has three forms:

Am is added to the pronoun I when we talk about ourselves:
I am beautiful. - I am beautiful.
Is is placed after the pronouns he, she, it:
She is beautiful. - She's beautiful.
Are is used after you, we, they:
You are beautiful. - You are handsome.

The verb to be in English is most often used in the following cases:

We inform you that by whom is a person (name, profession, etc.):
I am a doctor. - I am doctor.
We inform you that what a person or thing has a quality:
Mary is beautiful. - Mary is beautiful.
We inform you that Where there is a person or object:
We are at the hospital. - We're in the hospital.

Sentences with the verb to be in the present tense are constructed as follows:

Affirmative sentences	Negative sentences	Interrogative sentences
Principle of Education
I + am	I + am not (’m not)	Am+I
He/She/It + is	He/She/It + is not (isn’t)	Is + he/she/it
We/You/They + are	We/You/They + are not (aren’t)	Are + we/you/they
Examples
I am a manager. - I am a manager.	I am not a manager. - I'm not a manager.	Am I a manager? - I am a manager?
It's awesome. - He's great.	It's not awesome. - He's not great.	Is he awesome? - He's great?
She is a doctor. - She is a doctor.	She isn't a doctor. - She's not a doctor.	Is she a doctor? - She is a doctor?
It (ball) is red. - It (the ball) is red.	It (ball) isn't red. - It (the ball) is not red.	Is it (ball) red? - Is it (the ball) red?
We are the champions. - We are champions.	We aren't the champions. - We are not champions.	Are we the champions? - We are champions?
You are ill. - You are sick.	You are not ill. - You are not sick.	Are you ill? - You are sick?
They are at home. - They are at home.	They aren't at home. - They are not at home.	Are they at home? - They are at home?

We think you are now ready to take the test and test your knowledge.

Test for the use of the verb to be

Present Continuous Tense - present continuous tense

Present Continuous Tense most often shows that the action is happening at the moment.

Every English sentence has a subject and a predicate. IN Present Continuous the predicate consists of the auxiliary verb to be in the required form (am, is, are) and the main verb without the particle to, to which we add the ending -ing (playing, reading).

She is playing tennis now. - She is now plays to tennis.
I am reading a novel at the moment. - I'm currently I'm reading novel.

The verb to be in this tense is an auxiliary verb, that is, it is a word that comes before the main verb (playing, reading) and helps to form tense. You will find auxiliary verbs in other tenses; these types of verbs include to be (am, is, are), do/does, have/has, will.

Please note the following tense words Present Continuous: now (now), at the moment (at the moment), today (today), tonight (tonight), these days (these days), nowadays (these days), at present (currently), still (still).

Affirmative sentences in the Present Continuous are formed as follows:

Usually in this tense you just need to add the ending -ing to the main verb: walk – walking (walk), look – looking (look). But some verbs change like this:

If the verb ends in -e, we remove the -e and add -ing: write – writing, dance – dancing.
Exception: see – seeing (to see).
If the verb ends in -ie, we change -ie to -y and add -ing: lie – lying (lie), die – dying (die).
If the verb ends with a stressed syllable with a short vowel that occurs between two consonants, the final consonant is doubled by adding -ing: begin – beginning (begin), swim – swimming (swim).

In negative sentences in the Present Continuous, you just need to insert the particle not between to be and the main verb.

She isn't cooking at the moment. - At the moment she doesn't cook.
You are not listening to me now. - You don't listen me now.

In interrogative sentences in the Present Continuous, you need to put the verb to be in the first place, and after it put the subject and the main verb.

Is she cooking at the moment? - She trains At the moment?
Are you listening to me now? - You me now are you listening?

Now we suggest you take a test on the use of Present Continuous tense.

Test for the use of Present Continuous

We have presented you with the first 5 basic topics of the English language. Now your task is to thoroughly understand them and work through them as productively as possible with the help of exercises. In order not to burden you with a large amount of grammar at once, we will release the next article in this series in a few weeks. Subscribe to our newsletter, then you will definitely not miss important information. We wish you success in learning English!

A pronoun names an object or a sign of an object. In English, pronouns are conjugated, just like in Russian. They are divided into personal, demonstrative, possessive and reflexive pronouns.
Personal pronouns can be singular or plural. They also change by case. Example: I take - I take, love me - love me.
Singular pronouns:
I - me I - me, me
He -him He - his, him
She - her She - her, her
It- it It - to him/her
In plural:
We - us We - us, us
You - you You - you, you
They - them They - them, theirs
The pronoun “it” is used when naming an inanimate object or animal. It can also be translated as “this”. For example: Who is there? It's me! Who's there? It's me!
Demonstrative pronouns in English also change according to number.
This - these this - these
That - those
The pronoun “this” denotes a characteristic of an object that is located close to the speaker, and “that” is one that is located at some distance. I don’t want this apple, I want that one. I don't want this apple, I want that.
Possessive pronouns are used in cases where a pronoun without a noun is needed. In singular and plural they are:
My - my
his - him
her - her
its - his/her.
our - ours
your - yours
their - theirs.
Possessive pronouns have a subtype in the form of an absolute form. Can be used independently.
Whose dog is this? She is mine. Whose dog is it? It's mine.
List of absolute pronouns in singular and plural:
Mine is mine
His - his
Hers - her
Its - his/her
ours - ours
yours - yours
theirs - theirs
Separately, you need to consider the turns there is, there are. They usually involve listing either the items themselves or their quantity.
There is a chair in the room. The chair is in the room.
There are a bottle, a cup and a table in the kitchen. There is a bottle, a mug and a table in the kitchen.
The pronoun “some” is used for items that can be listed. Translated as “several, a little.” When questioned and denied, it is replaced by “any”. Although it can also be used in affirmative sentences. Bring me some cakes. Bring me some cakes. Take any book. Take any book.
The pronouns some, any, no together with -body form another group of pronouns. The same rules exist for them, they just apply to people.
Affirmative sentences will use:
Something - something
Somebody - someone, somewhere
Somewhere - somewhere.
Ask somebody, please. Ask someone.
In negative:
Anything - something, anything
Anybody - someone, anyone
Anywhere - somewhere, somewhere
Do you know anybody, who knows this secret? Do you know someone who knows this secret?
And in interrogatives:
Nothing - nothing
Nobody - no one
Nowhere - nowhere
There is nothing in our refrigerator. There is nothing in our refrigerator.
The pronouns “many” (many) and “few” (several) are used only for countables, and only in the plural. “Much” and “little” are used for uncountable nouns that denote abstract concepts.
Many people prefer a good music. Many people prefer good music.
Take a few glasses and sit with us. Take a few glasses and sit down with us.
Thank you very much. Much appreciated.
Do you speak English? Yes, a little! Do you speak English? Yes, not enough!
Reflexive pronouns in English express an action that is directed to the person who performs it.
I - myself (I)
You -yourself (you)
He- himself (he)
She- herself (she)
We-ourselves (we)
You- yourselves (you)
They - themselves (they)
Translated as yourself, yourself. He likes himself. He likes himself.

Personal pronouns. in English they have two cases: nominative (usually in the role subject) And object (in a sentence in the role additions).

Face	Nominative	Objective case
	Singular
	I [ aI] I	me [ mJ] me, me
	you [ jH] You	you [ jH] you, you
	he [ hJ] He she [ S.J.] she it [ It] he she it	him [ hIm] him, him her [ hW] her, her it [ It] his, her, him, her
	Plural
	we [ wJ] We	us [ As] us, us
	you [ jH] You	you [ jH] you, you
	they [ DeI] They	them [ Dem] them, them

I [ aI] - I

Pronoun I is always written with a capital letter, regardless of the place it occupies in the sentence. If it is in the same sentence with other personal pronouns (or nouns), then it is placed after them:

you [ jH] - you you

In English there is no distinction between polite forms of address You and more familiar - You , similar to the Russian language. Pronoun you has the same form for singular and plural, and the predicate after it is always placed in the plural.

Note: When they want to ensure understanding of a pronoun you How plural numbers, then in British English they say: you two / three ..., you lot, you people, and in American - you folks, you all 's, you guys (regardless of the gender of the interlocutors).

he [ hJ] - He

she [ S.J.] - she

Pronoun he replaces a noun denoting males. Pronoun she replaces a noun denoting female persons. When talking about animals, pronouns he or she They are used only when they want to emphasize their gender, as well as in various fairy tales, fables, or in descriptions of the habits and character of their pets, thus distinguishing them from the general mass.

Exception: In England, when talking about a ship (of any size and purpose) or a car, they use the pronoun she(but speaking, for example, about an airplane - it). The names of most countries are also considered feminine nouns: England, Russia, etc.

it [ It] - he she it

Pronoun it replaces a noun denoting an inanimate object, abstract concept, animal or plant, and also replaces a noun baby, child – child, if they do not focus on the gender of the child. Translated into Russian by words he she it depending on the gender of the corresponding noun in Russian.

I looked at the window. It was closed.	I looked at window. It was closed.
Where is your cat? – It is on the sofa. It is sleeping.	Where is your cat(yours cat)? – He (she) on the couch. He (she) is sleeping.

they [ DeI] - They

Pronoun they replaces both animate and inanimate plural nouns:

Personal pronouns in the nominative case perform the function subject And nominal part of a compound predicate.

1 As subject:

2 As noun part compound predicate It is possible to use personal pronouns as in nominative, and in objective cases. At the same time, the forms of the nominative case are considered bookish-official, and the forms of the objective case are considered colloquial.

Who is there? –It is I. = It is me . (colloquial form) Who's there? - This I.

Objective case.

Pronouns without a preposition.

Typical model: indirect object without preposition+ direct object .

Personal pronouns in the objective case perform the following function:

1 direct object(accusative case, answer the question whom? What?)

He saw me in the street.	He saw me on the street.
I love you.	I love you.
Do you know him?	You know his?
Take it!	Take it her/it! (for example, a notebook)

2 or non-prepositional indirect object(dative case answering the question to whom?):

In the last example, "book" is a direct object. A pronoun without a preposition that answers a question whom? - to whom?, is a non-prepositional indirect object and always comes before a direct object (unlike a prepositional pronoun).

3 and also used in short remarks:

Who broke the vase? – Not me! / Me. Who broke the vase? - Not I! / I .

I am feeling tired. – Me too.I'm (very) tired/(feeling tired). – I Same.

Pronouns with a preposition.

Typical model: direct object + indirect object with preposition .

Combination of a pronoun in the objective case with a preposition is a prepositional indirect object and always comes after a direct object.

1 Pronoun combination with a pretextto corresponds dative case in Russian ( to whom?):

2 Pronoun combination with prepositionsby Andwith corresponds to Russian creative case( by whom? how?):

3 Pronouns in the objective case, used with any prepositions, are translated into Russian by pronouns in various indirect cases (gen. who?, what?; date to whom; to what?; creates. by whom?, by what? and prepositional About who about what?) depending on the preposition followed by the pronoun:

This letter is for you.	This letter for you.
Tell me everything about them.	Tell me everything about them.
She looked at us in silence.	She looked silently on us.

After any preposition, you should use a pronoun in the objective case, for example: From whom? From whom?-From me. From me .; To whom? To whom?-To me. Co. to me .; With whom? With whom?- With me. Co me .

The ambiguity of the pronoun it.

Pronoun it May be personal, index And impersonal:

1 Personal pronoun. Translated: he she it or his her and so on.

A) If the pronoun it comes first in a sentence, replacing what was previously mentioned inanimate noun, then it is translated nominative case - he she it , For example:

b) If the pronoun it follows the predicate, taking the place of the direct object, then it is transl. objective case pronouns, namely - his her, to him and so on.

2 Index pronoun. Translated as " This ".

What is it ? - It is a tree.

WhatThis ? - This - tree.

Can be used instead of previously mentioned words:

Instead of the previously mentioned concepts and descriptions:

3 Impersonal service word. Does not translate.

A) If the pronoun it stands first in a sentence, but does not replace a previously mentioned noun, it is formal subject of an impersonal sentence Typical for sentences that talk about weather, time, distance, various measurements, etc.

It is cold. It is dark. It is raining. It is snowing.Cold. Dark. It's raining. Snowing.

It was winter. It was winter.

Time, distances and various measurements:

What day of the week is it ? What day of the week is it today?

It 's Saturday. It 's the 12th of February. = It 's February 12th.It's Saturday. 12th of February.

It 's 10 o'clock. Ten o'clock.

It is two miles to the station.The station is two miles away.

And other impersonal suggestions:

It 's too late. Too late.

b) Pronoun it may be a formal subject in cases where the present subject is expressed infinitive, gerund (-ing form) or subordinate clause and is located at the end of the sentence: In Russian, in these cases they do without a formal subject:

It is dark to read.
It was useless trying to see him.	It was no use try* to see him.*
It 's hard to know what he is really thinking.	It's hard to know what does he really think.

V) In passive designs. With some verbs in the passive voice as the formal subject:

It is known…	Known…
It is reported that the plane landed.	They reportthat the plane has landed.

4 Included in composition of the intensifying turn it is (was)…who/that(does not translate). Here it refers to a predicate (part of a compound predicate), which becomes the informational focus of the sentence.

It was he who did it.	Exactly Hedid it.
It is here that we meet every Sunday.	Exactly Herewe meet every sunday.

Used in fixed expressions:

It 's wonderful!	Fabulous!
It 's great! It 's super!	Great! Super!
It 's no use. It 's no good.	Useless.
It doesn't matter.	Doesn't matter. It does not matter.