60 Questions
What is the plural ending for nouns that end with -y, but are preceded by a vowel in their singular form?
unchanged
What is the plural ending for nouns that end with a sibilant in their singular form?
-es
What is the plural form of the noun 'knife'?
knives
What are 'mutation plurals'?
nouns that undergo a change of vowel sound and spelling in their plural form
What is the plural form of the noun 'child'?
children
What are mass nouns?
nouns that refer to things viewed as a mass or with no precise shape or boundary
Can mass nouns be made plural?
No, they cannot usually be made plural
What is number as a grammatical category?
It encodes quantification over entities denoted usually by nouns.
What is required for every noun to participate in subject-verb concord and pronominal reference?
Every noun should be understood either as 'singular' or 'plural'.
What does the ability to perceive and differentiate between one and more than one referents derive from?
It derives from the ability to perceive and differentiate between one and more than one referents.
What is number not only a morphological modification of the noun, but also a morphosyntactic category?
Because it requires every noun to participate in subject-verb concord and pronominal reference.
What is the general rule for regular nouns to become plural in English?
Regular nouns become plural by adding -s or -es to the end of the word.
What are irregular plural nouns?
They are few hundred nouns with an irregular plural form.
What will be the focus of the following essay?
Rules and patterns of expressing amounts in English.
What do cardinal numerals express?
Cardinal numerals express quantity.
What do ordinal numerals express?
Ordinal numerals express sequence.
Give an example of a quantifier used with plural, count nouns.
Many is used with plural, count nouns (She has many friends).
What are quantifiers used with?
Quantifiers are used with count nouns, mass nouns, or both.
What is much used with?
Much is used with mass nouns (He spent too much money).
What is little used with?
Little is used with mass nouns (She had little choice).
What is few used with?
Few is used with plural, count nouns (There are few tourists at this time of year).
What does few mean?
Few means 'not as much' or 'not as many'.
Can quantifiers be used interchangeably between count and mass nouns?
No, some quantifiers are used with count nouns, some with mass nouns, and some with both.
What is the difference between count and mass nouns?
Count nouns refer to things that can be counted and have a singular and plural form, while mass nouns refer to things that cannot be counted and only have a singular form.
What are singularia tantum?
Singularia tantum are nouns that only have a singular form and cannot be pluralized, such as measles and linguistics.
What are pluralia tantum?
Pluralia tantum are nouns that only have a plural form and cannot be singular, such as binoculars and scissors.
How do compound nouns form their plurals?
Compound nouns usually form their plurals by adding -s to the most essential word, even if it is not the last word or if it is hyphenated.
What are quantifiers?
Quantifiers are determiners that express quantity and provide information about the quantity of another word or phrase, such as much, many, both, or all.
What are some examples of multipliers?
Twice is an example of a multiplier, indicating that something happens two times.
Are numerals considered a subcategory of quantifiers?
Yes, some grammars consider numerals as a subcategory of quantifiers.
What is the plural form of the noun 'echo'?
echoes
Which of the following is a mutation plural?
feet
What is the plural form of the noun 'child'?
children
Which of the following is an example of a mass noun?
spaghetti
What is the plural form of the noun 'ox'?
oxen
Which of the following is a regular plural noun?
book
What is the plural form of the noun 'phenomenon'?
phenomena
What is the difference between cardinal and ordinal numerals?
Cardinal numerals express quantity, while ordinal numerals express sequence.
Which quantifier is used with mass nouns to mean 'not as much'?
Little
Which quantifier is used with plural, count nouns to mean 'not as many'?
Few
Which of the following is a quantifier used with both count and mass nouns?
All
Which of the following quantifiers is used with plural, count nouns?
Many
Which of the following quantifiers is used with mass nouns?
Few
Which of the following is an example of an ordinal numeral?
First
Which of the following is an example of a quantifier used with plural, count nouns?
Few
Which of the following is an example of a quantifier used with mass nouns?
Little
What is the plural form of the noun 'mirage'?
mirages
What is the plural form of the noun 'day'?
days
Which of the following is a sibilant that triggers the addition of /iz/ in the plural form of regular nouns?
fricative consonant
Which of the following is an example of an irregular plural noun?
mice
What is the purpose of number as a grammatical category?
to encode quantification over entities denoted by nouns
Which of the following is a regular and predictable way of forming the plural of English nouns?
adding -s or -es to the end of the singular form
Which of the following is a voiced consonant other than a sibilant that triggers the addition of /z/ in the plural form of regular nouns?
/b/
What is the plural form of the noun 'data'?
data
Which of the following is an example of a compound noun that inflects both elements when the first noun is 'man' or 'woman'?
woman-doctor
Which of the following is NOT a pluralia tantum noun?
cheese
What is the plural form of the noun 'scissors'?
scissors
Which of the following is an example of a noncount noun that ends with '-s' but is treated as singular?
news
What is the most common way to form the plural of a compound noun?
Add '-s' to the end of the last word
What is the difference between singularia tantum and pluralia tantum nouns?
Singularia tantum nouns have no plural form, while pluralia tantum nouns have no singular form
Test your knowledge on count and mass nouns with this quiz! Learn about partitive expressions and singularia tantum while discovering the subtle differences between count and mass nouns in English.
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