La plupart des pluriels se forment en anglais en ajoutant -s (ou -es) au singulier. Mais il existe quelques irrégularités. Le dictionnaire peut vous guider.

1. Les connaissez-vous tous? Souvenez-vous que ces "irréguliers" ont une certaine régularité!

1. man
2. child
3. tooth
4. goose
5. foot
6. knife
7. leaf
8. thief
9. wolf
10. shelf
11. tomato
12. potato
13. tornado

1. Retrouvez le singulier des pluriels suivants :

1. criteria
2. women drivers
3. oases
4. grown-ups
5. pimentos
6. pistachios
7. noms-de-plume
8. brothers-in-law
9. nuclei
10. music lovers

1. Il y a des mots qui changent de sens au singulier et au pluriel : choisissez d'utiliser l'un ou l'autre en fonction du contexte.

1. (pepper/peppers) There's too much salt and not enough ………. in this soup.
2. (pepper/peppers) I bought some green and red ………. at the market.
3. (hair/hairs) There are cat ………. all over the sofa.
4. (hair/hairs) She's got beautiful red ………. .
5. (people/peoples) The Sioux and the Apaches are native American ………. .
6. (people/peoples) Some ………. don't know how to use a dictionary!
7. (glass/glasses) Would you like a ………. of orange-juice?
8. (glass/glasses) I can't see a thing without my ………. .
9. (air/airs) I can't breathe here, I need some fresh ………. .
10. (air/airs) I don't like her, she always gives herself ………. .

1. Compétez la phrase avec le verbe "to be" au singulier ou au pluriel en fonction du sujet en gras.

1. Civics ………. the study of laws and how to live in society.
2. It's 8 o'clock. Here ………. the news.
3. Measles ………. quite a common disease.
4. The police ………. looking for him.

Lisez la lettre suivante. Remplissez chaque blanc avec un des verbes à particule qui figurent dans l'encadré. Vérifiez le sens de chaque verbe dans votre dictionnaire.

Dear Susie,

I have finally (1)………. the courage to write to you this letter today, after (2) ………. it for months.

I confess that I'm absolutely crazy about you and this has been (3) ………. for ages. Yesterday I tried to talk to you but at the last minute I (4) ………. . All your friends were (5) ………. and I couldn't get you alone for a second, so I've (6) ………. and decided to (7) ………. my thoughts ………. on paper.

Susie, I admire you because you always (8) ………. people when they try to (9) ………. others ………. . You are the bravest and kindest person I know. You don't (10) ………. to the teachers, but you don't let them (11) ………. you either. How do you do it? You always (12) ………. in this class, even in Chemistry. I wish you could be my lab partner and we could (13) ………. the experiments and lab reports together. You never (14) ………. your friends ………. and you always (15) ………. your word. I have never known anyone as honest as you.

I'd like to (16) ………. you ………. to the Prom but I'm afraid you'll (17) ………. me ………. . Would you even consider me as your date for the Prom? I can (18) ………. you ………. in my convertible and (19) ………. you ………. dinner before the dance. I have a very special restaurant in mind. We could then dance the night away. But please, don't (20) ………. your friends ……….

Yours,

John

Utilisez votre dictionnaire pour compléter les phrases suivantes en ajoutant on, about, in, to, for ou from.

1. They were arguing ………. politics as she came in.
2. The house has belonged ………. the family for generations.
3. Stop messing about and concentrate ………. your driving!
4. After leaving university, Harry decided ………. a career in publishing.
5. He depends ………. his wife for support and encouragement.
6. I worry ………. my children's future.
7. I looked everywhere ………. my glasses but I couldn't find them.
8. My father tried to prevent me ………. seeing Sally.
9. I object very strongly ………. people smoking in restaurants.
10. They rely totally ………. foreign aid.
11. She succeeded ………. upsetting the whole family.

Beaucoup d'adverbes anglais se terminent en -ly (purely, silently, stupidly …). Mais il existe aussi des adjectifs qui se terminent en -ly. Classez les mots suivants, en indiquant leur traduction. Vérifiez votre réponse dans le dictionnaire.

Cherchez les mots suivants dans votre dictionnaire : down, house, right, round, good, ring, well, work.

Chacun appartient à plusieurs catégories grammaticales - comme le mot français boucher, qui peut être un nom (je vais chez le boucher) et un verbe (il faut boucher ce trou).

As I walked down the mountain, I saw some deer. préposition

They managed to down three bottles of wine. verbe

He put the tray down on the table. Adverbe

1. He gave her two diamond ………. ………

The phone ………. constantly. ……….

2. What sort of ………. are you thinking of doing? ……….

The system allows people to ………. together. ……….

3. The building now ………. 150 monks. ……….

The number of ………. being built in the area is rising. ……….

4. He's very ………. at tennis. ……….

I punished her, but it was for her own ………. . ……….

5. They made the ………. decision. ……….

A motorway runs ……… through the area. ……….

He managed to ………. the boat. ……….

6. She got a warm ………. of applause. ……….

She has small feet and a ……… face. ……….

They found a way to get ………. the problem. ……….

He waited for her to ………. the corner. ……….

7. He did very ………. in the exam. ……….

            We had to get water from the ………. . ……….

1. Les connaissez-vous tous? Souvenez-vous que ces "irréguliers" ont une certaine régularité!

1. Retrouvez le singulier des pluriels suivants :

1. Il y a des mots qui changent de sens au singulier et au pluriel : choisissez d'utiliser l'un ou l'autre en fonction du contexte.

1. (pepper/peppers) There's too much salt and not enough pepper (poivre) in this soup.
2. (pepper/peppers) I bought some green and red peppers (poivrons) at the market.
3. (hair/hairs) There are cat hairs (poils) all over the sofa.
4. (hair/hairs) She's got beautiful red hair (cheveux).
5. (people/peoples) The Sioux and the Apaches are native American peoples (peuples).
6. (people/peoples) Some people (gens) don't know how to use a dictionary!
7. (glass/glasses) Would you like a glass (verre) of orange-juice?
8. (glass/glasses) I can't see a thing without my glasses (lunettes).
9. (air/airs) I can't breathe here, I need some fresh air (air).
10. (air/airs) I don't like her, she always gives herself airs (de grands airs).

1. Compétez la phrase avec le verbe "to be" au singulier ou au pluriel en fonction du sujet en gras.

1. Civics is the study of laws and how to live in society.
2. It's 8 o'clock. Here is the news.
3. Measles is quite a common disease.
4. The police are looking for him.

Dear Susie,

I have finally (1)worked up the courage to write to you this letter today, after (2) putting it off it for months.

I confess that I'm absolutely crazy about you and this has been (3) going on for ages. Yesterday I tried to talk to you but at the last minute I (4) chickened out. All your friends were (5) hanging around and I couldn't get you alone for a second, so I've (6) given up and decided to (7) write my thoughts down on paper.

Susie, I admire you because you always (8) stand up to people when they try to (9) put others down. You are the bravest and kindest person I know. You don't (10) talk back to the teachers, but you don't let them (11) walk all over you either. How do you do it? You always (12) speak up in this class, even in Chemistry. I wish you could be my lab partner and we could (13) work out the experiments and lab reports together. You never (14) let your friends down and you always (15) stick to your word. I have never known anyone as honest as you.

I'd like to (16) ask you out to the Prom but I'm afraid you'll (17) turn me down. Would you even consider me as your date for the Prom? I can (18) pick you up in my convertible and (19) take you out to dinner before the dance. I have a very special restaurant in mind. We could then dance the night away. But please, don't (20) bring your friends along.

Yours,

John

1. They were arguing about politics as she came in.
2. The house has belonged to the family for generations.
3. Stop messing about and concentrate on your driving!
4. After leaving university, Harry decided on a career in publishing.
5. He depends on his wife for support and encouragement.
6. I worry about my children's future.
7. I looked everywhere for my glasses but I couldn't find them.
8. My father tried to prevent me from seeing Sally.
9. I object very strongly to people smoking in restaurants.
10. They rely totally on foreign aid.
11. She succeeded in upsetting the whole family.

1. He gave her two diamond rings. nom

The phone rings constantly. verbe

2. What sort of work are you thinking of doing? nom

The system allows people to work together. verbe

3. The building now houses 150 monks. verbe

The number of houses being built in the area is rising. nom

4. He's very good at tennis. adjectif

I punished her, but it was for her own good. nom

5. They made the right decision. adjectif

A motorway runs right through the area. adverbe

He managed to right the boat. verbe

6. She got a warm round of applause. nom

She has small feet and a round face. adjectif

They found a way to get round the problem. préposition

He waited for her to round the corner. verbe

7. He did very well in the exam. adverbe

            We had to get water from the well. nom