February 23, SnowBrawl Theme 'Nouns'

To be successful in the Snow Brawl game on the 23rd of February, you'll need to review how to make nouns plural in English and understand how to use 'a', 'an', and 'the' articles in English. In this blog, we'll explain these concepts in an ELI5 (explain like I'm 5) way, so even if you're new to English, you'll understand how to use nouns and articles correctly.

Making Nouns Plural:
To make a noun plural, you usually just add an "s" to the end. For example, one book becomes two books. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. If the word ends in "s," "x," "z," "ch," or "sh," you add "es" to make it plural. For example, one box becomes two boxes. Another exception is for words ending in a consonant and then "y." In this case, you drop the "y" and add "ies" to make it plural. For example, one baby becomes two babies. Finally, some words ending in "f" or "fe" change to "ves" to become plural, such as one knife becoming two knives. And some words ending in "o" add "es" to become plural, such as one potato becoming two potatoes.

Using Articles:
In English, we use articles like 'a', 'an', and 'the' to talk about nouns. 'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles, which means they refer to any one thing of a particular type. We use 'a' before words that start with a consonant sound and 'an' before words that start with a vowel sound. For example, 'a cat' and 'an apple.' 'The' is a definite article, which means it refers to a specific thing or things. We use 'the' when we are talking about a specific person, place, or thing. For example, 'the cat in the tree.'

Many Japanese English-learners struggle with the concept of making nouns plural and using the correct articles in English. In Japanese, there is no concept of plurals or articles, so these English language concepts can be particularly challenging to grasp. However, with practice and exposure, learners can gain a solid understanding of these concepts. So... don't miss out on this great opportunity to learn and have fun with our LIVE event on the 23rd of February !

Download the How to make plural cheat sheet here.

Download the how to use a,an,the cheat sheet here.