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exploration ✽ art & invention ✽ food ✽ sports
the
scoop
on
good
grammar
✽ classic movies & tv ✽ poetry ✽ travel ✽
margie blumberg
the
scoop on
good grammar
Dear Reader,
Learning should be a sweet experience. That’s why you’ll find a photo of a scoop of ice
cream on each quiz page. You’ll also notice lots of sample words and sentences,
beautiful photographs and illustrations, practice questions, and fun facts throughout.
This grammar book is all about culture. As you read each chapter—exploration, art and
invention, food, sports, classic movies & TV, poetry, and travel—you'll find that learning
is a pleasure.
For example, in Chapter 2 (Art & Invention), Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party
will guide you through the definition of a noun. And in Chapter 3 (Food), cupcakes will
help you discover the many ways in which words are used as adjectives.
In no time at all, choosing the correct pronoun (it’s between you and me—not, between
you and I) and the appropriate modifying word (it’s really sweet—not, real sweet) will
become second nature to you.
Introduction
Your invitations will be as welcoming as that statue that lifts her torch in the harbor:
• Please join the Ghirardellis (not, the Ghirardelli’s) for a party!
Greeting people will become an occasion to shine. When someone asks how you are,
you'll say, "I’m fine, and you?"­—not, "I’m fine, and yourself?"
When you write, you’ll point your readers in the right direction with proper
punctuation marks.
And at the end of the day, you’ll lie (not, lay) down, relax, and take pleasure in the
knowledge that your prized possession—your artful way with words—has been, in its
(not, it’s) own way, as beautifying to the landscape as a masterpiece by Renoir.
It is my hope that by the time you finish this book, you’ll be able to express yourself
correctly with confidence and ease.
Are you ready to get the scoop? Great! Dig in!
Sincerely,
Margie Blumberg
Copyright
The Scoop on Good Grammar
The original eBook version of this title has been revised for this first print edition.
Text © 2008, 2013, 2015 by Margie Blumberg/MB Publishing, LLC
Interior design © 2008 by Megan Jones Design
Cover design © 2008 by Kimberly Glyder
Design modifications for this revised print edition by PageWave Graphics Inc.
All rights reserved.
www.mbpublishing.com
First published in the United States by MB Publishing, LLC
First Edition
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The Scoop on Good Grammar/by Margie Blumberg
p. cm.
Summary: Presents grammar, style, and usage rules with the assistance of culture. ISBN: 978-0-9913646-5-7
Page 71: YOU'RE THE TOP (from "Anything Goes")
Words and Music by COLE PORTER
Copyright © 1934 (Renewed) WB MUSIC CORP.
All Rights Reserved
Used By Permission of ALFRED MUSIC
~ More Titles From MB Publishing ~
Breezy Bunnies • Sunny Bunnies • Paris Hop! • Avram's Gift Jake McGreevy Novels: Celtic Run and Chicago Bound The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery • Escape in Time Future Titles
Busy Bunnies • Snowy Bunnies • Rome Romp!
Paris Plunder: A Jake McGreevy Novel
Dedication
With affection . . .
To my parents, for life, optimism, and
heartfelt words, always, of love and encouragement.
To Jim, whose wisdom, humor, love, and
kindheartedness I cherish.
And to treasured friends, who add joy and
sunshine to each day.
the
contents
chapter 1 the sentence
exploration
8
The Definition (12) • The Ending Punctuation Mark (12) • The Functions of Words (12-13) • The Four Parts of a Sentence (14)
chapter 2 nouns & pronouns & prepositions
art & invention
16
Nouns Defined (18-23) • Plural Nouns (24-33) • Plural Compound Nouns (34-39) •
Plural Abbreviations, Numbers, Expressions, and Letters (40-45) • Possessives (46-53) •
Personal Pronouns and Prepositions (54-61) • Relative, Demonstrative, Indefinite, and
Interrogative Pronouns (62-69) • Intensive and Reflexive Pronouns (70-75) • Pronouns
After Than and As (76-79)
chapter 3 adjectives & adverbs
food: SNACKS & treats
Adjectives Defined (82-89) • Up Close: A and An (90-93) • Comparative Adjectives (94-101) • Compound Adjectives (102-109) • Adverbs Defined (110-117) • Up Close: Real, Really, Sure, and Surely (118-121)
chapter 4 verbs
sports
movies & tv
122
Action Verbs and Linking Verbs (124-129) • Helping Verbs (130-133) • Agreement (134-151) • Timing (152-161) • Here and There (162-165) • Was and Were (166-169) • Split Infinitives (170-173)
chapter 5 capitalization
classic 80
174
Titles (176) • Directions (177) • Mom and Dad (177) • Professional Titles (178) • School Subjects (178) • Quotation Marks or Italics? (178) • Proper Adjectives (179) • Seasons (179) •
The Pronoun I, Direct Quotes, First Words (179) • Salutations and Closings (179) • From Academia to Universities (180-181)
exploration ✽ art & invention ✽ food ✽ sports
the
scoop on . . .
chapter 6 punctuation
poetry
Periods (186) • Question Marks (187) • Exclamation Points (188) • Ellipses (189-191) • Quotation Marks (192-193) • Brackets (194) • Colons (194) • Commas (195-204) • Dashes (205) • Parentheses (205) • Semicolons (206) • Setting Type (206)
chapter 7 special words
travel
182
208
All, All of (210) • All Ready, Already (210) • All Together, Altogether (210) • Angry With People, Angry At or About Things (210) • Bring, Take (211) • Can Hardly, Can’t Hardly (211) • Complement, Compliment (211) • Could Care Less, Couldn’t Care Less (211) • Different From, Different Than (212) • Every Day, Everyday (212) • Farther, Further (212) • Fewer, Fewer Than; Less, Less Than (212) • Imply, Infer (213) • Lie, Lay (213) • Like, As (214) • "Of" With ”A Couple,“ "Of" With Dates (214) • Principal, Principle (215) •
Stationary, Stationery (215) • Than, Then (215) • Wait On, Wait For (215) • Where It's At, Where It Is (216)
Appendix The Definitionary
Three More Things You Should Know About Sentences
219 222
Answers to . . . THE Quizzes
226
Bibliography
231
Photo Credits
234
NOTES
235
INDEX
236
✽ classic movies & tv ✽ poetry ✽ travel ✽
XXX
chapter
chapter
1 the
X sentence
LESSON 1
The Four Things You Should Know About Sentences:
• The Definition • The Ending Punctuation Mark • The Functions of Words (The Eight Parts of Speech): Nouns & Pronouns & Prepositions
Adjectives & Adverbs Verbs Interjections
Conjunctions • The Four Parts of a Sentence
exploration
✽ Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first two astronauts
to walk on the lunar surface. In honor and remembrance
of their mission, they planted a U.S. flag and left behind a
plaque that reads as follows:
Here Men From the Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. We Came in Peace for All Mankind
] We came in peace for all mankind. That's quite a statement,
isn't it? It stands for years of working and dreaming. It
symbolizes success. And it represents the topic of this
chapter: the sentence.
s This U.S. mail stamp features the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong.
Do you know what the word astronaut means?
Here’s a hint:
Astro is from the Greek astron, which means "star."
Naut is short for nautical, which is from the Greek nautikos, from nautes, which means "sailor."
So astronaut means “star sailor.”
Learn more about the Apollo 11 mission (http://www.nasa.gov).
10
The Scoop on Good Grammar
the sentence
the apollo 11 mission to the moon
Here on Earth, your mission is to read this paragraph:
On July 20, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong and Buzz E. Aldrin landed on the
Moon. Within moments of touching down, Neil Armstrong uttered these
words: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." And the
world cheered.
Now that you’ve read these sentences, can you explain what a sentence is (its definition) or the ways to
punctuate it at the end? Can you name the functions words serve or the four parts of a sentence that
words create? If not, then you should take one giant leap forward.
In other words, please turn the page to learn the four things you should know about sentences.
the sentence
Chapter 1
11
Blast Off With These Four Fun Facts About Sentences
1. The Definition
3. The Functions of Words
A sentence is a word or a group of words used to
transmit a complete thought. Each sentence has a
subject and a predicate.* This combination makes
the sentence whole.
Like each astronaut on a mission, every word in
a sentence serves a function. These functions
are called the parts of speech. There are eight of
them: nouns, pronouns, prepositions, adjectives,
adverbs, verbs, interjections, and conjunctions.
•Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind.
•We cheered.
•Leap! (To understand how one word can be a
complete sentence, please see Commander's
Log 2 on page 14.)
Look at this incomplete thought:
w nouns, pronouns, AND Prepositions — Nouns name people, places, animals, and
things: Armstrong, man, moon, dog, mission.
• Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon.
•When they landed.
This group of words, also known as a sentence
fragment, is fine for answering a question: When
did you cheer? When they landed.** However, it's
not a sentence. But don't panic. There's an easy way to fix this:
— Pronouns are words that refer to or substitute
for nouns. Examples: I, we, you, he, she, it, they,
who, me, us, him, her, them, whom, my, our, your,
his, her, its, their, whose, this, these, that, which,
each, everyone, myself, himself.
•We cheered when they landed.
• Armstrong said that he was “elated, ecstatic,
Now that's a complete thought!
2. The Ending Punctuation Mark
Generally speaking, one of three marks signals
the end of a sentence: a period (.), an exclamation
point (!), or a question mark (?).
A. Use a period for statements and commands:
• It's time to land. Buzz, follow me. Go.
B. Use an exclamation point for exclamatory
sentences and strong commands:
• It's time to land! Buzz, follow me! Go!
C. Use a question mark for questions:
• Are we there yet?
And: To convey emotion when asking a question,
use these two marks together:
• Aren't we there yet?!
*Subjects and predicates are defined on page 14.
**Learn more about fragments on page 224.
12
The Scoop on Good Grammar
and extremely surprised” that the mission was
successful.
• Armstrong walked on the moon: He walked on it.
— Prepositions are connecting words that dock
with objects (i.e., nouns and pronouns, noun
phrases, and dependent noun clauses) to create
prepositional phrases.
Nouns: for joy; from Neil, Buzz, and Michael •
Objective pronouns: among them • Reflexive pronouns: about themselves • Noun phrases: on the moon; with my favorite astronauts •
Noun clauses: to whoever saw the landing A preposition is the bridge between its object and
another word in the sentence: •We leaped for joy.
The preposition for is the bridge between its object, joy, and the word leaped, a verb.
w Adjectives AND adverbs
• Gee, I'm tired. • Whew! They made it.
— Adjectives describe or limit nouns and pronouns. They answer what kind, how many, or
which one.
While these words are listed in the dictionary
as interjections, note that adjectives, adverbs,
etc., may also be used as interjections. Take the
adjective beautiful:
• DESCRIBE: Their dangerous mission was over.
• Beautiful! That's the only word for it.
They were brave. It was exciting.
• LIMIT: The three astronauts came home. Their mission was over.
— Adverbs modify verbs (joyously leaped),
adjectives (truly brave), other adverbs (too quickly),
and whole sentences (fortunately, it was a success).
w Verbs
Verbs convey action (i.e., activities [physical and
intellectual] and emotions) or, with so-called
linking verbs, a state of being.
— Action verbs express the action of subjects.
• They [subject of sentence] planted the flag.
• He [subject of sentence] decided what to say.
— Linking verbs help to describe or identify
subjects by connecting them to (1) nouns, (2)
subjective pronouns (also called nominative
pronouns), or (3) adjectives in the predicate.
• (1) They are astronauts. • (2) It is they.
• (3) They were happy and surprised. • (3) We cheered because they were successful.
(They = the subject of the dependent clause,
which begins with because: because they were
successful.)
w Interjections
These words and groups of words express emotion: ah, darn, dear me, gee, ha, hey, hooray, my
goodness, oh, ouch, oy, well, whew, wow, yay.
Separate the interjection from the rest of the
sentence with a comma (to express a mellow
feeling) or an exclamation point (to express a
powerful feeling).
w Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words that connect words,
phrases, and clauses.* Here are the three types:
Coordinate: and, or, nor, but, yet, for, so Correlative: not only . . . but also; both . . . and Subordinate: because, if, when, where
•WORDS: Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins were a
good team.
•PHRASES: Armstrong leaped for himself and for
all mankind.
•CLAUSES: They landed [independent clause] and
we cheered [independent clause].
We cheered [independent clause] when they
landed [independent clause].
Latch 1: When you add a subordinate conjunction
(e.g., when), to an otherwise independent clause
(e.g., they landed), then all of those words together
create a dependent clause: when they landed.
Latch 2: While every word functions as at least
one part of speech (e.g., noun, verb, adjective), you
have to determine how it is operating in a sentence
before you can label it. Take the word set:
•America set [verb] its sights on the moon.
•Let's buy this set [noun] of DVDs: Spaceballs,
E. T., and Star Wars.
•We have Apollo 13 and a snack. We're all set
[adjective]! *For more on words, phrases, and clauses, turn
to the Definitionary (pages 219-221). The types of
sentences they create are explained on page 222.
the sentence
Chapter 1
13
4. The Four Parts of a Sentence
Each sentence—that is, each complete thought—
has four necessary parts: the simple subject, the
complete subject, the complete predicate, and the
simple predicate.
A. The simple subject is the commander of the
sentence. It is the crucial who or what—the
person, place, animal, or thing—that the sentence
is all about:
•The lunar mission was successful. Mission is the simple subject. B. The complete subject is the simple subject and
its modifying words. In the example above, the
and lunar are the subject’s modifying words (i.e.,
adjectives). Therefore, the lunar mission is the
complete subject. 3Commander's Log 1
A one-word subject is also the complete subject of
the sentence:
• It was successful.
•Astronauts are brave.
P1 (P = Practice question)
In the following sentence, pinpoint the simple
subject and the complete subject:
•Those three brave astronauts were on television.
Practice Answer
P1: Simple subject: astronauts Complete subject: those three brave
astronauts
Note: A noun plus its modifying words is also
called a noun phrase. Read more about noun
phrases on page 223.
C. The complete predicate is all the words in
the sentence other than the complete subject.
The predicate brings the subject into focus by
discussing it:
•The astronauts landed on the moon. Landed on the moon is the complete predicate.
3Commander's Log 2
In a one-word sentence, that one word is the
complete predicate. The subject—you—is implied.
•Leap! (You leap!) Leap is the complete predicate.
Now it should be clear how one word can be a
sentence—that is, a complete thought. Be aware
that the subject you is implied in all sentences that
suggest or command that you do something:
• Follow me!
Follow me is the complete predicate.
D. The simple predicate is the verb. The verb (action or linking) is the simple subject's
co-commander of the sentence. A verb may be a
word (e.g., follow, landed, were, was) or a phrase
(e.g., were leaping).
Action verb:
• [You] follow me! Follow is the simple predicate.
• The astronauts landed on the moon.
Landed is the simple predicate.
•The astronauts were leaping for joy. Were leaping is the simple predicate.
Linking verb (also called a state of being verb):
• Those three brave astronauts were on television. Were is the simple predicate.
• The lunar mission was successful. Was is the simple predicate.
More: Learn more about verb phrases (page 132),
sentences (page 222), and subjects (page 223). 14
The Scoop on Good Grammar
the
quiz on
the sentence
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT
9 Points (1 point each) • The answers are on page 227. t Identify
the complete subject in each sentence: • I saw the moon landing. • Those astronauts were brave. • Look!
t Identify
the complete subject, the simple subject, the complete predicate, and the simple predicate: • The astronauts completed their mission.
t Identify
the complete subject and the simple predicate: • America made history in July 1969. And now you should be able to work with the sentence with which we began this lesson: We came in peace for all mankind.
3 The complete subject is we.
3 The simple predicate (the verb) is came.
3 The complete predicate is came in peace for all mankind.
the sentence
Chapter 1
15
chapter 2
nouns & pronouns &
prepositions
LESSONS 2-10
Nouns Defined Plural Nouns Plural Compound Nouns Plural Abbreviations, Numbers, Expressions, and Letters
Possessives
Personal Pronouns and Prepositions
Relative, Demonstrative, Indefinite, and Interrogative Pronouns Intensive and Reflexive Pronouns Pronouns After Than and As
art & invention
✽ Congratulations! You can identify the subject and the predicate
of a sentence and you are familiar with the eight parts of
speech. Now you're ready to look at the details of the first
three—nouns, pronouns, and prepositions. Please read this:
I don't paint things. I only paint the difference between things.
—Henri Matisse
✽ In the sentences above, the nouns and the pronouns are in
bold type, and the preposition is italicized. Read the sentences
again, but this time, skip over these words.
Can you imagine a world without nouns, pronouns, and
prepositions? Neither can I.
s The Luncheon of the Boating Party (oil on canvas, 1880-1881) was painted by Pierre-Auguste
Renoir (1841-1919). In French, this work of art is called Le Déjeuner des Canotiers.
Aline Charigot, a seamstress, is the young woman holding the dog. She would later become
Renoir's wife. Gustave Caillebotte, another Impressionist painter and a friend of Renoir's, is
sitting across from her.
This centerpiece of the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., was acquired by Duncan Phillips in
1923. © Phillips Collection.
18
The Scoop on Good Grammar
nouns defined
PIERRE-AUGUSTE renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party
It’s inevitable. Wherever you are—at work, at a museum, at a quaint restaurant on the Seine—you're
going to encounter nouns. You can’t brush them aside, for they're the words that you use to name people,
places, animals, and things—everything worth writing and chatting about!
Spot the nouns in bold type below:
Located outside Paris, the Maison Fournaise (a small hotel that also
provided meals at its restaurant and skiffs for rowing) was the perfect
setting for this painting by Renoir.
Over a period of many months, his friends and acquaintances posed for
him—individually and in small groups. The restaurant, as you can see
by the colorful array of hats, welcomed all members of society.* And it
still does.
Would you like to learn how to recognize nouns? Merveilleux!
Pull up a chair, turn the page, and we'll begin!
*Read more of the museum's insights: http://www.phillipscollection.org. If you live in the area or are visiting Washington, D.C., do stop by to see this marvelous painting in person. At 51.3 x 69.1 inches (130.2 x 175.6 cm), it is truly something to talk about.
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
19
Please Pass the . . . Naming Words
When you look at a painting, you can step back and
take it all in or you can get close to admire all its
details. Interestingly, you can treat a sentence in
much the same way. Often, as you look closely, you'll notice that one
vital part of a sentence is the noun.
There are two principal classes of nouns: common
nouns and proper nouns.
— Common nouns name all kinds of people,
places, animals, and things.
Person
man, woman, artist, friend, patron
Place restaurant, city, country, river
Animal puppy, dog, terrier, pet
Thing This category includes the following:
objects
substances
actions
conditions
measures
qualities
concepts
20
table, chair, bottle, hat
salt, mineral, vitamin, wine, air, food, glass
eating, chatting, posing
health, hunger, thirst
day, week, month, year, age, pound, quart, mile
thoughtfulness, friendliness, happiness, stick-to-itiveness
liberty, equality, brotherhood
The Scoop on Good Grammar
— Proper nouns, which are capitalized, name
particular people, places, animals, and things.*
Person Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Gustave Caillebotte, Aline Charigot, Duncan Phillips
Place Maison Fournaise, Paris, Limoges (Renoir’s birthplace), France, the Seine, City of Light
Animal French Poodle, Yorkshire terrier, Fluffy, Fifi
Thing The Luncheon of the Boating Party (the painting), Limoges (china), Cabernet (wine), Tuesday (a day of the week), May (a month)
*Capitalized (uppercase) letters look like this: P-A-I-N-T. Uncapitalized (lowercase) letters look
like this: p-a-i-n-t.
More: For capitalization etiquette, please turn to
pages 174-181. There, for instance, you'll learn
why the o in of in Paris's nickname—City of
Light—is not capitalized.
Common and Proper Nouns: Concrete, Abstract, and Collective
w Concrete Nouns
w Collective Nouns
Concrete nouns name people, places, animals,
objects, and substances. They have physical
dimensions. You can identify them with your
senses (i.e., seeing, touching, hearing, tasting,
smelling):
A collective noun's singular form names a group of
people, animals, or things:
• audience, band, bunch, cast, choir, class, club,
the Wine and Cheese Club, the French Club,
committee, company, couple, crew, crowd,
faculty, family, group, jury, league, majority,
orchestra, pair, panel, quartet, staff, team
•Renoir, Maison Fournaise, river, dog, table, cinnamon
• flock, gaggle, herd, litter, pod
• fleet, luggage, galaxy
w Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns name qualities, concepts,
measures, conditions, and actions:
• attentiveness, equality, individuality,
Impressionism, month, vitality, harmony, enthusiasm, tranquility, thirst, interest
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
21
Are You Having Trouble Locating Nouns? Adjectives to the Rescue!
There are cookies, and then there are scrumptious vanilla cookies.
Scrumptious and vanilla are functioning here as adjectives (from the Latin adjicere, “to add to”). Such descriptive words are wonderful—and often essential—company for nouns. They will also help you
locate nouns. Below are more examples of words (as well as a phrase and a clause) that are used as adjectives.*
•a sandwich, an apple, the luncheon (articles as adjectives)
•this artist, these friends (demonstrative pronouns as adjectives)
•each table, many glasses (indefinite pronouns as adjectives)
•You like which restaurant? (interrogative pronouns as adjectives)
•first day of June, two years (numbers as adjectives)
•his painting, Aline’s dog (possessives [pronouns and nouns] as adjectives)
•Renoir was an artist with great talent. (an adjective phrase)
•Renoir, who loved color, is my favorite artist. *Adjectives are discussed fully beginning on page 80.
(an adjective clause) 22
The Scoop on Good Grammar
the
quiz on
nouns defined
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
20 Points (1 point each) • The answers are on page 227.
t
Identify the common nouns and the proper nouns in the following sentences:
• The
name of the artist is Renoir.
• He grew up in the city of Paris.
• The woman holding the dog is Aline.
• The restaurant is on the Seine.
• Is her pet named Fifi?
• I love the month of May.
• Posing is hard work.
t
There are three nouns below. Two of them have been identified in bold type. Can you spot the third noun? Can you identify the three adjectives?
• Aline! You’re setting your pet on this beautiful table?
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
23
s Lombard Street was engineered in 1923 to cope with the steep 27˚ slope.
24
The Scoop on Good Grammar
plural nouns
lombard: A street among streets
As you zigzag down Lombard Street, you'll notice colorful flowers. Speaking of flowers, most nouns,
such as flower, can be singular (i.e., one flower) or plural (i.e., more than one: two flowers).
Here's another example: one driver . . . many drivers.
Spot the plural nouns in bold type below:
Lombard Street has eight turns, called switchbacks. It is one of the most
beautifully landscaped crooked streets in the world, and it is located
in what Mark Twain called “the most cordial and sociable city in the
Union”—San Francisco.
Where are these drivers going? Well, this quarter-mile stretch of
road is just blocks away from Ghirardelli Square, a chocolate lover’s dream, so perhaps that's their destination. If so, I hope they'll remember
to pick up some chocolate cable cars. What tasty mementos they'll be!
Turn the page to learn how to transform singular nouns into plural nouns.
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
25
Start Your Engines If You're Ready to Hear the General
Rule About Creating Plural Nouns
There is one way to make most singular nouns plural: Add an s.
Common Nouns
Proper Nouns
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
two ducklings*
two lochs
two menus
two pairs
two pies
two roses**
two skis
two steps
two toes
two Loris
two Julies
the Espositos
two Julys
two Fridays
two Amys
the Pennys
the Mans
the Bachs
a duckling
a loch
a menu
a pair
a pie
a rose
a ski
a step
a toe
**Sometimes, an extra syllable is heard when
pronouncing plurals:
• roses • places
• sizes
rose–iz
place–iz size-iz
*Make Way for Ducklings (NOT: Duckling's]:
Apostrophes are not used to form plurals. (There's a tiny exception to this rule, which is explained on page 32.) This request— to make way for ducklings—is also the title of a beloved picture book by Robert McCloskey.
26
The Scoop on Good Grammar
Lori Julie Ms. Esposito July Friday
Amy
Mr. Penny
Mr. Man
Mr. Bach
Echoes: Some proper names can be spelled two or
three different ways. To pluralize each, simply add
an s. • Smokys
Smokeys
Smokies
• Alleghenys
Alleghenies
• Rockys
Rockies
Rockeys
Eight Twists Ahead!
As you’ve probably already guessed, the general rule for making plurals has some twists. In fact, there are eight—just like the number of twists on Lombard Street.
w TWIST 1
Add an es, not an s, to a singular common or proper noun that ends in s, sh, x, z, or ch.* Batches and Bunches: That’s a soft ch, as in lunch or Finch, not a hard ch, as in loch or Bach, where the
ch has a k sound: lochs, Bachs. To pluralize some words that end in z, first double the z.** Common Nouns
Proper Nouns
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
the lenses
the addresses
P1: _________
the boxes
the buzzes
P2: _________
The Lopezes are here. The Finches are here.
The Luxes are here. P3: The ______ are here. two Charleses
two Joshes
the lens
the address
the bush
the box
the buzz
the bench
Dr. Lopez
Mr. Finch
Mrs. Lux
Ms. Jones
one Charles
one Josh
But: As The Gregg Reference Manual explains,
if adding an es makes the name too difficult to
pronounce, don't do it.*** • The Rodgers are here.
[NOT: The Rodgerses are here.] This is easy to pronounce: Rodg-irz. This is difficult to pronounce: Rodg-irz-iz.
*These plurals always create an extra syllable: •Lunch becomes lunches (pronounced lunch-iz).
**quiz . . . quizzes
whiz . . . whizzes
Practice Answers
P1: bushes
P2: benches
P3: Joneses
***See Notes on page 235.
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
27
w TWIST 2
w TWIST 3
Brake for the letter F.
To pluralize most common nouns that end in f or
fe, follow the general rule: Add an s.
Some common and proper nouns have the same
form whether singular or plural:
beliefs, briefs, chefs, chiefs, fifes, giraffes, handkerchiefs, motifs, proofs, reefs, roofs, safes, sheriffs, spoofs, strifes, tariffs
But: To pluralize some common nouns that end in
f or fe, change the f or the fe to a v and add es:
w TWIST 4 elf
elves
half
halves
life
lives*
loaf
loaves
shelf
shelves
wife
P4: _______
*Artistic exception: Still life. The plural is still lifes [NOT: still lives].
And: Some words form the plural either way.
calf calves or calfs
hoof hooves or hoofs
scarf scarves or scarfs
wharf wharves or wharfs
acoustics, athletics, Chinese, corps, deer, economics, headquarters, Japanese, moose, physics, pliers, politics, scissors, series, sheep, species, statistics Some common and proper nouns form their plurals by changing internally: a Frenchman . . . two Frenchmen a woman . . . two women And a few form their plurals by attaching -ren or -en: child . . . children, ox . . . oxen.
More examples:
One
Two +
foot
feet
goose
geese
tooth
teeth
man
men
die
dice
mouse
mice
Practice Answer
P4: wives
28
The Scoop on Good Grammar
w TWIST 5
Nouns of foreign origin don't always form plurals according to the rules of English, so if you're unsure,
stop to consult a dictionary. In the list below, or means you can spell it either way. Also means the first
spelling is preferred.
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
addendum
addenda
agenda
agendas
curriculum
curricula (also curriculums)
alumna (female)
alumnae
datum
data
alumnus (male) alumni (male; or male and female together)
formula
formulas or formulae
hypothesis
hypotheses
analysis
analyses
kibbutz
kibbutzim
apex
apexes or apices
maestro
maestros or maestri
bacterium
bacteria
basis
bases
medium
media (communications), mediums (people)
basso
bassos or bassi
beau
beaux or beaus
biscotto
biscotti
cactus
cacti or cactuses
census
censuses
concerto
concerti or concertos
crisis
crises
criterion
criteria (also criterions)
nouns
&
pronouns
memorandum
memorandums or memoranda
&
millennium
millennia or millenniums
nucleus
nuclei (also nucleuses)
rendezvous
rendezvous
terrarium
terraria or terrariums
vertebra
vertebrae or vertebras
virtuoso
virtuosos or virtuosi prepositions
Chapter 2
29
w TWIST 6
3. other nouns take an s or an es:
Brake for the letter O.
With some nouns, you can’t make a wrong turn. Or means you can spell it either way. Also means the first spelling is preferred.
Add an s to a common noun that ends in o and is
preceded by a vowel:*
cameos, choo-choos, curios, duos, kangaroos, patios, portfolios, radios, scenarios, studios, trios, videos, zoos P5: How do you make the word stereo plural?
But: Things can get a bit loopy when a common
noun that ends in o is preceded by a consonant.*
1. some nouns take an s:
•banjo: banjos (also banjoes)
•buffalo: buffalo or buffaloes (also buffalos)
•cargo: cargoes or cargos
•domino: dominoes or dominos
•echo: echoes (also echos)
•halo: halos or haloes
•hobo: hoboes (also hobos)
•indigo: indigos or indigoes
•aficionados, allegros, altos, autos
•lasso: lassos or lassoes
•bravos, credos
•motto: mottoes or mottos
•egos, embryos, gazebos
•no: noes or nos
•photos, pianos, pros
•tuxedo: tuxedos or tuxedoes
•silos, solos, sombreros, sopranos
•zero: zeros (also zeroes)
•typos, tyros, yo-yos
2. some nouns take an es:
*Vowels: a, e, i, o, u Consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t,
v, w, x, y, z
•heroes
•potatoes
•tomatoes
•vetoes
Practice Answer
P5: stereos
30
The Scoop on Good Grammar
Yield: The letter y functions as a vowel in some
words (e.g., rhythm, cymbal, lynx, physical).
All Aboard: Interestingly, trolley is also spelled
trolly, so the plural form is either trolleys or
trollies. (Trolley is the preferred spelling.) Learn more about San Francisco: http://www.sanfrancisco.travel.
w TWIST 7
Brake for the letter Y.
Add an s to a common noun that ends in y and is
preceded by a vowel:
bays, boys, buoys, chimneys, chop sueys, days, decoys, keys, plays, quays, rays, roadways, surreys, toys, turkeys, valleys
But: To pluralize a common noun that ends in a
consonant + y (bakery) or qu + y (colloquy), change
the y to an i and add es.*
•butterfly: butterflies
•candy: candies**
•city: cities
•diary: diaries***
•family: families
•gallery: galleries
•lady: ladies
•lily: P6: _______
•mommy: mommies
•puppy: puppies
•sky: skies
•soliloquy (u = w sound): soliloquies
•story: stories
•variety: varieties
•vocabulary: vocabularies
**Wrong Way: Recall from page 26 that proper nouns that end in y are pluralized with an s only: •My friend Candy: two Candys
[NOT: two Candies]
*Or as Bryan Garner explains in A Dictionary of
Modern American Usage, drop the y and add ies.
(See Notes on page 235.)
***Don't miss The Princess Diaries (2001), a
charming film, directed by Garry Marshall. Based
on Meg Cabot's novel, it stars Anne Hathaway,
Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, Heather
Matarazzo, and Robert Schwartzman. And it's set
in the welcoming city of San Francisco.
Practice Answer
P6: lilies
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
31
w TWIST 8
To pluralize a highlighted word (i.e., a word referred
to as a word), add a roman type s. The highlighted
word itself may be italicized or underlined.
•There are no ifs, ands, or buts in this rule. •There are no ifs, ands, or buts in this rule.
Curves Ahead: For some words (for the sake of
clarity), you may choose to add a roman type 's
instead. You may italicize the word or place it in
roman type. •There are no which's or that's [NOT: whiches or thats] in this rule.
•There are no which's or that's in this rule.
A REMINDER ABOUT THE GENERAL RULE
AND TWIST 1
Be careful with plural proper nouns on your
invitations and mats. Apostrophes are not welcome.
Invitations:
•The Twains [Or: Clemenses] are having a party! [NOT: The Twain's (Or: Clemens's) are having a party!] 32
The Scoop on Good Grammar
Welcome Mats:
•The Ghirardellis [NOT: The Ghirardelli's]
(Ghirardelli is pronounced gear-ar-delly.)
quiz on
the
plural nouns
Be maestros (OR: MAESTRI)!
6 Points (1 point each) • The answers are on page 227.
t Fix
these six misspelled plurals:
•Let's
treat ourselves to some chocolate biscottos.
•We
ate too many loafs of bread during lunch.
•I’ve
taken many photo’s of this landmark.
•I
love the pictures with the butterflys.
•Lombard
•Did
Street has eight switchback’s.
the Vieira’s send out their invitations yet?
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
33
s Mount Rushmore. Pictured left to right are four commanders in chief: George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The height of each face is
approximately sixty feet. The mountain itself was named for Charles Edward Rushmore (18571931), an attorney from New York, who had admired it while inspecting mining claims in the area
in 1885.* Interestingly, four decades later, Mr. Rushmore himself donated $5000 to the project!
In Alfred Hitchcock's movie North by Northwest (1959), starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint,
this national monument is a powerful co-star, as is the magnificent score by Bernard Herrmann.
Visit Mount Rushmore in person or online: http://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm.
*Read a letter from Charles E. Rushmore: http://www.nps.gov/moru/historyculture/people.htm.
34
The Scoop on Good Grammar
plural compound nouns
Mount Rushmore: a TREASURE in granite
Question: What do the words masterpiece, tour de force, father-in-law, and grown-up have in common? Answer: They are singular compound nouns.
To remember the definition of a compound noun, think of Lincoln: A compound noun is "the union of two or
more words used to name a person, an animal, a place, or a thing."
As you read the paragraph below, notice the two singular compound nouns in bold type:
In the autumn of 1927, two years before that devastating stock market
crash, an American sculptor named John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum
(1867-1941) began a nearly million-dollar project. His goal? To carve a
splendid work of art into the Black Hills of South Dakota. Nearly 400
people—including drillers, explosives experts, and artisans—came
together to create these magnificent faces. Fourteen years later, work
ceased. And millions of visitors have been admiring this masterpiece
ever since.
Please turn the page to learn how to transform a singular compound noun into a plural compound noun.
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
35
Fill Your Toolbox With Three Types of Compound Nouns
A compound noun may be one of the following: Closed (i.e., a solid word): •master + piece = masterpiece Open (i.e., words written separately): •tour de force
Tip 1: The compound noun passerby was once a
hyphenated compound: passer-by. The plural was
passers-by. Then the hyphen was dropped. Now
the plural is passersby. Language evolves, too!
Hyphenated (i.e., words joined by hyphens): •father-in-law
• Singular: My eight-year-old loves this
Tip 2: Compound nouns that express age are a bit
irregular.
monument.
• Plural: My eight-year-olds love this monument.
Pluralizing Is Easy!
w CLOSED COMPOUNDS *Things change when people (i.e., brothers,
fathers, sisters, and mothers) enter the picture:
It's brothers-, fathers-, sisters-, and mothers-inlaw [NOT: brother-, father-, sister-, and motherin-laws]:
•masterpiece: masterpieces
• Our mothers-in-law are here. Pluralize the last word within the compound noun.
•stonecutter: stonecutters
•newspaperwoman: newspaperwomen
[NOT: Our mother-in-laws are here.] But: Our in-laws are here.
•toolbox: P1: _________
•craftsman: P2: _________ w OPEN AND HYPHENATED COMPOUNDS
Pluralize the chief word in the compound noun. •attorney-at-law: attorneys-at-law
•bachelor’s degree: bachelor’s degrees
•crow’s-foot: crow’s-feet
•in-law: in-laws*
•Medal of Freedom: Medals of Freedom
•president-elect: P3: _________
•work of art: works of art
•tour de force: tours de force
36
The Scoop on Good Grammar
Practice Answers
P1: toolboxes
P2: craftsmen
P3: presidents-elect
Sometimes . . .
The compound noun has no nouns
(i.e., it has no words being used as nouns):
There’s more than one chief word:
For these compounds, pluralize the last element.
•thing-in-itself: things-in-themselves
•chairman of the board: chairmen of the boards
SINGULAR
PLURAL
There’s only one obvious choice:
• bake-off
bake-offs
•board of elections: boards of elections
• cook-out
cook-outs
•dean of admissions: deans of admissions
• drive-in
drive-ins
•Jack-of-all-trades: Jacks-of-all-trades
• flip-flop
flip-flops
•woman of letters: women of letters
• foul-up
foul-ups
• get-together
get-togethers
• go-between
go-betweens
• grown-up
grown-ups
• hand-me-down
hand-me-downs
• pick-me-up
pick-me-ups
• pop-in
pop-ins
• push-up
push-ups
• run-on
run-ons
• sing-along
sing-alongs [NOT: sing-a-longs]
• stand-in
stand-ins
• tie-in
tie-ins
• trade-in
trade-ins
• tune-up
tune-ups
• walk-in
walk-ins
• write-in
write-ins
There's more than one choice:
•attorney general: attorneys general or attorney generals
•notary public: notaries public or notary publics
•right-of-way: rights-of-way or right-of-ways
•runner-up: runners-up or runner-ups
s flip-flops
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
37
OVERHEARD AT CARVERS CAFÉ
"I enjoyed two platefuls of dessert!"
FYI: That's enough dessert to fill
your plate twice.*
A noun that ends with the suffix -ful forms
the plural by adding an s. The question is,
Where do you place the s? Today's Special: Or means you can spell it
either way. Also means the first spelling is
preferred.
• bucketful: bucketfuls or bucketsful • cupful: cupfuls (also cupsful) • forkful: forkfuls or forksful • handful: handfuls (also handsful) • teaspoonful: teaspoonfuls (also teaspoonsful) • plateful: platefuls (also platesful)
*Compare with a plural word + full:
• I see two plates full of delicious-looking cake. I'll have one forkful of carrot cake and
two forkfuls of chocolate cake.
38
The Scoop on Good Grammar
s President Lincoln Preparing a Draft of the
Emancipation Proclamation at Lincoln’s Cottage
in Washington, D.C.
This painting was created in 1957 by Jes W.
Schlaikjer (1897-1982), artist, and reprinted with
permission of his friends.
Learn more about Lincoln's Cottage: http://www.lincolncottage.org.
the
quiz on
plural compound
nouns
A REAL MASTERPIECE
4 Points (1 point each) • The answers are on page 227.
t Fix
these compounds:
•Our
mother-in-laws went to Mount Rushmore together.
•Some
•My
passerbys said that they think this is one of the most beautiful works of art in the world.
in-law’s are adventurous.
•Mount
Rushmore depicts four commander in chiefs.
nouns
&
pronouns
&
prepositions
Chapter 2
39