English Language Arts
Grade 7
15 min
Form and use plurals of compound nouns
Form and use plurals of compound nouns
What you'll learn
- Identify at least 8 out of 10 compound nouns presented in a sentence.
- Correctly form the plural of 7 out of 10 given singular compound nouns by applying the appropriate pluralization rule.
- Explain, in writing, the rule used to pluralize 3 different compound nouns, justifying the choice with grammatical reasoning.
- Apply the rules of pluralization to correctly rewrite 5 sentences containing singular compound nouns, changing them to plural form.
Tutorial Preview
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify different types of compound nouns (open, closed, hyphenated).
Apply the correct rules for pluralizing closed compound nouns.
Apply the correct rules for pluralizing open compound nouns.
Apply the correct rules for pluralizing hyphenated compound nouns.
Correctly use plural compound nouns in their writing.
Distinguish between singular and plural forms of various compound nouns.
Recognize the 'head noun' in a compound noun to determine its plural form.
Ever wondered how to talk about more than one 'sister-in-law' or a group of 'passersby'? 🤔 Pluralizing compound nouns can be tricky!
In this lesson, you'll learn the specific rules for forming plurals of different types of compound nouns. Mastering these rules w...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Compound NounA noun made up of two or more words that function together as a single noun.firefighter, ice cream, mother-in-law
Closed Compound NounA compound noun formed by joining two words together without a space or hyphen.toothbrush, keyboard, notebook
Open Compound NounA compound noun formed by two words separated by a space, but functioning as a single noun.ice cream, high school, tennis shoe
Hyphenated Compound NounA compound noun formed by two or more words joined by a hyphen.mother-in-law, well-being, editor-in-chief
Head NounThe main noun in a compound noun, which typically receives the plural ending. It's the word that names the 'who' or 'what' of the compound.In 'sister-in-law,' 'sister' is the head noun. In &#...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Pluralizing Closed Compound Nouns
Add -s or -es to the end of the entire closed compound noun.
Treat closed compound nouns like single words when forming their plurals. The plural ending is always at the very end of the combined word.
Pluralizing Open Compound Nouns
Add -s or -es to the head noun (the main noun) of the open compound.
In open compound nouns, the first word often acts as an adjective describing the second word. Therefore, only the main noun (usually the second word) is pluralized.
Pluralizing Hyphenated Compound Nouns
Add -s or -es to the head noun of the hyphenated compound.
For hyphenated compound nouns, identify the most significant noun in the phrase (the 'head noun') and pluralize only that word. This is often the first word, but sometim...
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Challenging
The plural of 'passerby' is 'passersby' because 'passer' is the head noun. Which of the following hyphenated compound nouns follows this same structural rule, where the head noun is not the final word?
A.merry-go-round
B.mother-in-law
C.jack-in-the-box
D.get-together
Challenging
A student argues that the plural of 'ice cream' should be 'ices cream' because 'cream' is the head noun. Why is this reasoning incorrect, and what makes 'ice creams' the accepted plural?
A.The reasoning is correct; 'ices cream' is the formal plural.
B.The reasoning is flawed because 'ice cream' has evolved to be treated like a closed compound noun, where the plural is added to the end.
C.The reasoning is flawed because 'ice' is the head noun, not 'cream'.
D.The reasoning is flawed because 'cream' is an uncountable noun and can never be plural.
Challenging
The plural of 'attorney general' is 'attorneys general'. The plural of 'sergeant major' is 'sergeants major'. Based on this pattern, what is the most likely plural of the formal title 'poet laureate'?
A.poets laureate
B.poet laureates
C.poets laureates
D.poet laureate's
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What grade level is "Form and use plurals of compound nouns"?
Form and use plurals of compound nouns is a Grade 7 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Form and use plurals of compound nouns?
You'll be able to: Identify at least 8 out of 10 compound nouns presented in a sentence; Correctly form the plural of 7 out of 10 given singular compound nouns by applying the appropriate pluralization rule; Explain, in writing, the rule used to….
Is "Form and use plurals of compound nouns" free to practice?
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How many practice questions are included with Form and use plurals of compound nouns?
This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.