Overview
This lecture explains how to form plurals of nouns and identify their gender, focusing on basic grammar rules.
Pluralizing Nouns
- Most nouns form the plural by adding "s" to the end of the word.
- Nouns ending in "s," "x," "z," "ch," or "sh" form the plural by adding "es."
- If a noun ends in a consonant plus "y," change the "y" to "i" and add "es."
- Nouns ending in a vowel plus "y" only add "s" to form the plural.
- Some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow standard rules.
Telling the Gender of a Noun
- Nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine in gendered languages.
- The definite article "the" changes based on the gender of the noun (e.g., "el" for masculine, "la" for feminine in Spanish).
- Many masculine nouns end in "-o," while many feminine nouns end in "-a."
- Some nouns do not follow these patterns and must be memorized.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Plural — the form of a noun that refers to more than one.
- Gender (of nouns) — a grammatical property that classifies nouns as masculine or feminine.
- Definite article — the word for "the," which may change depending on a noun’s gender and number.
- Irregular plural — a plural form that does not follow standard pluralization rules.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice forming plurals of regular and irregular nouns.
- Memorize the gender and corresponding articles for common nouns.
- Complete any assigned exercises on noun gender and plural forms.