Grasping and Unlocking the Complexity:
Irregular Plural Nouns, Collective Nouns, and Reflexive Pronouns
In some situations, the rules you implement at home can be put on hold for a reward. For example, a rule on one hour of playing can be extended if your kids excel in their quizzes. Likewise, there are grammar rules that have exceptions. Consider the pluralizing of regular nouns by adding s or es, some nouns do not work this way. They are irregular plural nouns. Their spellings are either changed or retained when pluralized. Below are examples:
child – children
wolf – wolves
foot – feet
basis – bases
crisis – crises
sheep – sheep
person – people
alga – algae
Let the kids tell you if they see a pattern in the plural forms. If they say they cannot see one, explain that there is no uniformity in pluralizing irregular nouns, but there are some rules that can be discerned:
- Some nouns change their vowels when converted to plural forms: feet, crises, and bases.
- Some nouns maintain their spellings even when pluralized like the word sheep.
- Most nouns ending with f are pluralized by changing f with v and adding es after, as shown by wolf converted to wolves.
- Some nouns are added with letters (other than s and es) at the end to create their plural forms as in: child to children and alga to algae.
- Other nouns alter their spellings such as the word person shifting to the plural equivalent, people.
Meanwhile, since irregular plural nouns are numerous, kids should memorize them as they encounter them. If there is uncertainty, advise the children to consult a dictionary. The following creative grammar worksheets target to hone your kids’ adeptness in using the irregular plural nouns:
- The Singular or Plural? – Part 2 Worksheet evaluates the kids’ retention of the difference between singular and plural nouns, while assessing if they have fully grasped the nature of irregular plural nouns.
- The Irregular Plural Nouns Worksheet lets the children see the practical application of these nouns through an exciting activity.
- The Tricky Nouns: Irregular Plurals Practice Worksheet uses plural nouns in a more complex level. By delving in this activity, your kids will have guides when including irregular plural nouns in statements.
Previously, you have considered an extra hour of playing as a reward. Suppose, one of your kids wants to be a part of a crew in a cruise ship, as the children’s prize for doing well, your family can try to find a ship-themed restaurant, or if one of them likes to be a player in a basketball team, then you can go to a play corner at a park where there is a basketball ring. The words family, crew, and team are collective nouns. A collective noun pertains to a group of people, things, or animals. It is taken as singular if the members are doing the same thing in a particular time. It is plural if the members are doing a different action in response to the same situation.
In your quality time with one another, sentences with reflexive pronouns surely appear in your conversations. A reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject. Examine these examples:
- Kids can explain themselves during an argument.
- She can describe herself.
- He can characterize himself when asked to do so.
Ask your children what are being referred to by themselves, herself, and himself. Make sure that they can figure that out before proceeding with the following set of engaging worksheets to solidify their learning:
- The Collective Nouns Practice Worksheet tests whether your kids can identify commonly used collective nouns. By this, they can recall these nouns and will be able to use them in conversations, or they will understand them when encountered in a dialogue or a reading.
- The Collective Nouns Worksheet highlights collective nouns in a story. Your kids target the discovery of what the character saw during her visit. To guide your children in unleashing the whole story, utilize this interactive activity.
- The Reflexive Pronouns Worksheet is designed for the children to grasp what reflexive pronouns are, so they can form sentences with these. This is an effective way of emphasizing reflexive pronouns’ function and their pattern of usage.
Overall, your kids have traversed the trails of irregular plural nouns, collective nouns, and reflexive pronouns. Thanks to your unceasing support to your kids’ learning process!