English: Grammar 1 2018-2019
English Grammar 1: exam December
Sentence Revision 1
Number
1. According to the lecturer, a large amount number of students is are not going to pass the exam at the
end of the semester.
A number: use “is”
The number: use “are”
Amount: use “are” (informal)
2. The phenomena phenomenon that has been described by the renowned scientist in the late 1980’s
1980s is exceedingly rare, which is why I would like to witness it on my next trip to South Africa.
3. I have no idea why Melissa unexpectedly decided to buy two two pairs of jeans and three jumpers
yesterday.
4. These aircrafts aircraft were extremely popular in the nineteenth and twentieth century centuries.
Zero plural
Formal English (century is informal): distributional plural
5. The United States have decided not to take part in the talks and not to send one of its their
representatives.
U.S.A. as a whole: singular form
The United States’ delegation: plural form
6. The police was were unable to arrest the three aggressive thiefs thieves yesterday.
Police can be replaced by plural pronoun “they” => verb should be plural
Thief is irregular => thieves
7. The class is are generally motivated to conduct a research into the effects of grammar instruction and
to write their master’s thesis theses on the same topic.
The class are multiple people => are
Research is uncountable in English
Multiple people have to write multiple theses
8. These nomadic peoples have never been observed by anthropologists.
A people: een volk => peoples: volkeren
OK
9. Twenty years seem seems like a long time to be angry at someone.
Twenty years is plural, but the concept behind it refers to a period/block/stretch of twenty years
which is singular => seem
10. Statistics are fun.
You need more context, because it isn’t clear whether or not statistics is plural.
OK
1
,English: Grammar 1 2018-2019
Chapter 25 (part 1)
Nouns (number)
English Dutch
SG PL SG PL
Linda - Linda -
proper London - Londen -
nouns
the
- - de Alpen
Alps
word words woord woorden
count nouns glass glasses glas glazen
nouns
book books boek boeken
common
nouns hatred - haat -
glass - glas -
non-count
nouns - clothes - kleren
measle
- - mazelen
s
Nouns: proper nouns
Normally:
Unique
Refer to one individual/thing, etc.
In specific contexts
May be variable
o E.g. 3 Jasons, 7 Melindas, 2 Mount Everests…
2
,English: Grammar 1 2018-2019
Nouns: count nouns
Generally variable; 2 forms (singular and plural)
English Dutch
SG PL SG PL
word words woord woorden
computer computers computer computers
language languages taal talen
key keys sleutel sleutels
Nouns: non-count nouns
Generally invariable: either singular or plural
English Dutch
SG PL SG PL
glass - glas -
alcohol - alcohol -
hatred - haat -
- measles - mazelen
3
, English: Grammar 1 2018-2019
Nouns: count nouns vs. non-count nouns
Depends on context
No 1-to-1 correspondence between English and Dutch
English Dutch Dutch English
bos loaf
wood brood
hout bread
krant country
paper land
papier land
strijkijzer bottom
iron bodem
ijzer soil
Nouns: plurals
city brother phenomenon
scissors
cities brethren/brothers phenomena
volcano father-in-law hero
fish
volcanoes fathers-in-law heroes
January strength
research Portuguese
Januarys strengths
belief buoy
advice sheep
beliefs buoys
goose antenna Germany
aircraft
geese antennas/antennae Germanys
4
English Grammar 1: exam December
Sentence Revision 1
Number
1. According to the lecturer, a large amount number of students is are not going to pass the exam at the
end of the semester.
A number: use “is”
The number: use “are”
Amount: use “are” (informal)
2. The phenomena phenomenon that has been described by the renowned scientist in the late 1980’s
1980s is exceedingly rare, which is why I would like to witness it on my next trip to South Africa.
3. I have no idea why Melissa unexpectedly decided to buy two two pairs of jeans and three jumpers
yesterday.
4. These aircrafts aircraft were extremely popular in the nineteenth and twentieth century centuries.
Zero plural
Formal English (century is informal): distributional plural
5. The United States have decided not to take part in the talks and not to send one of its their
representatives.
U.S.A. as a whole: singular form
The United States’ delegation: plural form
6. The police was were unable to arrest the three aggressive thiefs thieves yesterday.
Police can be replaced by plural pronoun “they” => verb should be plural
Thief is irregular => thieves
7. The class is are generally motivated to conduct a research into the effects of grammar instruction and
to write their master’s thesis theses on the same topic.
The class are multiple people => are
Research is uncountable in English
Multiple people have to write multiple theses
8. These nomadic peoples have never been observed by anthropologists.
A people: een volk => peoples: volkeren
OK
9. Twenty years seem seems like a long time to be angry at someone.
Twenty years is plural, but the concept behind it refers to a period/block/stretch of twenty years
which is singular => seem
10. Statistics are fun.
You need more context, because it isn’t clear whether or not statistics is plural.
OK
1
,English: Grammar 1 2018-2019
Chapter 25 (part 1)
Nouns (number)
English Dutch
SG PL SG PL
Linda - Linda -
proper London - Londen -
nouns
the
- - de Alpen
Alps
word words woord woorden
count nouns glass glasses glas glazen
nouns
book books boek boeken
common
nouns hatred - haat -
glass - glas -
non-count
nouns - clothes - kleren
measle
- - mazelen
s
Nouns: proper nouns
Normally:
Unique
Refer to one individual/thing, etc.
In specific contexts
May be variable
o E.g. 3 Jasons, 7 Melindas, 2 Mount Everests…
2
,English: Grammar 1 2018-2019
Nouns: count nouns
Generally variable; 2 forms (singular and plural)
English Dutch
SG PL SG PL
word words woord woorden
computer computers computer computers
language languages taal talen
key keys sleutel sleutels
Nouns: non-count nouns
Generally invariable: either singular or plural
English Dutch
SG PL SG PL
glass - glas -
alcohol - alcohol -
hatred - haat -
- measles - mazelen
3
, English: Grammar 1 2018-2019
Nouns: count nouns vs. non-count nouns
Depends on context
No 1-to-1 correspondence between English and Dutch
English Dutch Dutch English
bos loaf
wood brood
hout bread
krant country
paper land
papier land
strijkijzer bottom
iron bodem
ijzer soil
Nouns: plurals
city brother phenomenon
scissors
cities brethren/brothers phenomena
volcano father-in-law hero
fish
volcanoes fathers-in-law heroes
January strength
research Portuguese
Januarys strengths
belief buoy
advice sheep
beliefs buoys
goose antenna Germany
aircraft
geese antennas/antennae Germanys
4
