Singular or plural in IELTS exam
Here is your English Lesson about Singular or plural in IELTS exam.
1 Tick the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a There are several problem with this idea.
b There are several problems with this idea.
2 a Many charity organizations provide a great deal of help.
b Many charity organization provides a great deal of help.
If you use a plural noun, you must use a plural verb. The verb must 'agree' with the noun:
In my country there are very few cars that use leaded petrol. (plural verb + plural noun)
I like studying during the day but my friend prefers studying at night. (singular noun + singular verb)
Answer key:
1.1 b
1.2 a
We use a plural noun with:
• plural verbs: are, were, have, do, play, etc.: There are a lot of books on the table.
• numbers greater than one: 30 cars, 100 students
• many: It is annoying that so many buses drive past because they are full.
• the number of: The number of buses on our roads has increased each year
* Note that we use a plural noun but a singular verb after the number of.
We use a singular noun with:
• singular verbs: is, was, has, does, plays, etc.: There is only one bedroom in the flat.
• a/an or one: a car, one student
* Note that some nouns can look plural but are singular (news, mathematics) and some nouns have a different form in the plural (children, men, women, people).
2 Underline the correct word in each sentence.
1 The childs / children are playing in the street.
2 The number of men / man studying science has decreased.
3 There are a lot of persons / people in my class.
4 I enjoyed studying mathematics a lot; I found it / them very interesting.
5 The news were / was very upsetting.
6 How many classes / class do you have today?
7 A person / people I really admire is my uncle.
8 My father watch / watches a lot of sport on TV.
Answer key:
2.1 children
2.2 men
2.3 people
2.4 it
2.5 was
2.6 classes
2.7 person
2.8 watches
Meetings in Business English
Whether you are holding a meeting or attending a meeting, it is important that you understand key English phrases and expressions related to meetings. A successful meeting has no surprises. With proper preparation and careful organization, a meeting can run smoothly. The most typical complaint about meetings is that they run too long. Meetings that run longer than necessary can be very costly to a company or business. As the famous business expression says: Time is money. Setting goals and time limits, keeping to the agenda, and knowing how to refocus, are key components of an effective meeting. This may sound simple in your own native language, but it is a little trickier when you or the participants do not speak fluent English. These pages will help you hold or attend a meeting with success. Review the vocabulary, read through the lessons, and then check your understanding.
Business English Vocabulary - (16 Words) - More available on website
|
Word
Part of speech |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
|
allocate
verb |
assign roles/tasks to certain people |
I forgot to allocate someone to bring refreshments. |
|
brainstorm
verb |
thinking to gather ideas |
Let's take a few minutes and brainstorm some ways that we can cut costs. |
|
chairperson/chair
noun |
the person who leads or presides at a meeting |
As chair, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. Allan Davis. |
|
commence
verb |
begin |
We will commence as soon as the last person signs the attendance sheet. |
|
comment
verb or noun |
express one's opinions or thoughts |
If you have a comment, please raise your hand rather than speak out. |
|
conference call
noun |
telephone meeting between three or more people in different locations |
Please make sure I have no interruptions while I'm on the conference call. |
|
confidential
adjective |
private; not to be shared |
Any financial information shared during this meeting should be kept confidential. |
|
deadline
noun |
due date for completion |
The deadline for buying tickets to the conference is May 25th. |
|
designate
verb |
assign |
If no one volunteers to take the minutes I will be forced to designate someone. |
|
implement
verb |
make something happen; follow through |
It's not a question of whether or not we're going to use this idea, it's whether or not we know how to implement it. |
|
mandatory
adjective |
required |
It is mandatory that all supervisors attend Friday's meeting. |
|
motion
noun |
a suggestion put to a vote |
The motion to extend store hours has been passed. |
|
recommend
verb |
suggest |
I recommend that you sit closer to the front if you have trouble hearing. |
|
show of hands
noun |
raised hands to express an opinion in a vote |
From the show of hands it appears that everyone is in favour of taking a short break. |
|
vote
verb or noun |
to express (the expression of) an opinion in a group by voice or hand etc |
We need to vote for a new vice chairperson now that Jerry is retiring. |
|
wrap up
verb |
finish |
Let's wrap up here so that we can get back to our desks. |
