homework singular or plural

paper-free learning

• conjunctions
• determiners
• interjections
• prepositions
• affect vs effect
• its vs it's
• your vs you're
• which vs that
• who vs whom
• who's vs whose
• averse vs adverse
• 250+ more...
• apostrophes
• quotation marks
• lots more...
• common writing errors
• FAQs by writers
• awkward plurals
• ESL vocabulary lists
• all our grammar videos
• idioms and proverbs
• Latin terms
• collective nouns for animals
• tattoo fails
• vocabulary categories
• most common verbs
• top 10 irregular verbs
• top 10 regular verbs
• top 10 spelling rules
• improve spelling
• common misspellings
• role-play scenarios
• favo(u)rite word lists
• multiple-choice test
• Tetris game
• grammar-themed memory game
• 100s more...

The Plural Forms of Words

What are the plural forms of words.

Forming the Plurals of Nouns

• 1 dog > 2 dogs
• 1 house > 2 houses
• 1 video > 2 videos
• How to form the plurals of nouns (spelling rules)
• How to form the plurals of compound nouns (e.g., mothers-in-law, Knights Templar)
• How to form the plurals of abbreviations (e.g., MOTs, L.R.S.s)

What Are the Plural Pronouns?

What is the plural form of a verb, what are plural demonstrative determiners.

Forming the Plurals of Foreign Words

• stadium > stadia or stadiums
• datum > data
• radius > radii or radiuses
• agendum > agenda

"Plural" Also Applies to Zero

• 0 dogs (plural)
• 1 dog (singular)
• 2 dogs (plural)
• 3 dogs (plural)
• There are no alligators in the lake.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

Learning Resources

more actions:

This test is printable and sendable

Help Us Improve Grammar Monster

• Do you disagree with something on this page?
• Did you spot a typo?

Find Us Quicker!

• When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.

You might also like...

Share This Page

If you like Grammar Monster (or this page in particular), please link to it or share it with others. If you do, please tell us . It helps us a lot!

Create a QR Code

Use our handy widget to create a QR code for this page...or any page.

< previous lesson

next lesson >

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Count and Noncount Nouns (with Plurals, Articles, and Quantity Words)

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This handout discusses the differences between count nouns and noncount nouns. Count nouns can be pluralized; noncount nouns cannot.

Section 1: Definition of Count and Noncount Nouns

Count or noncount.

The main difference between count and noncount nouns is whether you can count the things they refer to or not.

Count nouns refer to things that exist as separate and distinct individual units. They usually refer to what can be perceived by the senses.

Example sentences:

I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Just one.)

I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be counted)

I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted)

Noncount nouns refer to things that can't be counted because they are thought of as wholes that can't be cut into parts. They often refer to abstractions and occasionally have a collective meaning (for example, furniture).

I dove into the water. (How many waters did you dive into? The question doesn't make any sense; therefore water is noncountable.)

I saw the milk spill. (How many milks? Milk cannot be counted.)

I admired the foliage. (How many foliages? Foliage cannot be counted.)

Think of the batter from which a cake is made. Before you put the batter into the oven, it can't be divided into parts because it's a thick liquid. Once it has been baked, it becomes solid enough to be cut into pieces. Noncount nouns are like cake batter; count nouns are like pieces of cake

Note: Since the issue is complicated and almost no rule is absolute, there will be exceptions to the above definitions; however, we can show some general patterns. Bear in mind that what is countable in another language may not be countable in English, and vice versa.

Section 2: Uses of Count and Noncount Nouns

Pluralizing.

From the definitions of mass and count given above you may have already guessed the rule for pluralizing them:

• most count nouns pluralize with -s
• noncount nouns don't pluralize at all

This rule works for all of the nouns in the lists of examples in the first section. Check this rule for yourself before reading further.

An Exception to the Rule

For a number of nouns, the rule needs slight revision. Certain nouns in English belong to both classes: they have both a noncount and a count meaning. Normally the noncount meaning is abstract and general and the count meaning concrete and specific. Compare:

• I've had some difficulties finding a job. (refers to a number of specific problems)
• The talks will take place in the Krannert building. (refers to a number of specific lectures)
• The city was filled with bright lights and harsh sounds. (refers to a number of specific lights and noises)
• She succeeded in school with little difficulty . (refers to the general idea of school being difficult)
• I dislike idle talk . (refers to talking in general)
• Light travels faster than sound. (refers to the way light and sound behave in general)

Note: A special case of the use of noncount nouns in a count sense has to do with classification. Sometimes a usually noncount noun can be understood as one item separate and distinct from other items of the same category. The nouns that function in this way often denote foods and beverages: food(s), drink(s), wine(s), bread(s), coffee(s), fruit(s), and so on. Examples:

• There are several French wines to choose from. (= kinds of wine)
• I prefer Sumatran coffees to Colombian. (= kinds of coffee)
• We use a variety of different batters in our bakery. (= kinds of batter)

A recent entry into this class is homework, which at least among some students has the count plural homeworks in addition to its noncount use. (For example, "You're missing three of the homeworks from the first part of the course.") Because this usage is not firmly established and is likely to be considered nonstandard, you should check with your instructor before using it in writing.

A Revision of the Rule

These exceptions require that the rule for pluralizing be revised: count nouns and nouns used in a count sense pluralize; noncount nouns and nouns used in a noncount sense do not.

The two possibilities in each half of the rule require different choices. If you know that a particular noun must be either count or noncount and cannot be both, you need to decide only if it is possible to pluralize the noun. On the other hand, if you know that a particular noun may be used in either a count or noncount sense, then you need to decide whether it is appropriate to pluralize.

To summarize, we may put the rule in a chart, like this:

Nouns and Articles

Choosing which article to use (if any) with a noun is a complex matter because the range of choices depends on whether the noun in question is 1) count or noncount and 2) singular or plural. Both count nouns (whether singular or plural) and noncount nouns take articles.

Combinations of Nouns and Articles

The following chart shows which articles go with which kinds of nouns. Notice that this , that , these , and those have been included because, like the, they mark the noun that they modify as definite, which means that the noun refers 1) to a unique individual or 2) to some person, event, or object known to both the writer and reader from their general knowledge or from what has been previously mentioned in a piece of writing.

Count Singular: I ate an apple. I rode the bus. Does she live in this house? No, she lives in that house over there.

Count Plural: I like to feed the birds. Do you want these books? No, I want those books up there. Cats are interesting pets.

Noncount: The water is cold. This milk is going sour. Music helps me relax.

Quantity Terms

The following chart shows which quantity words go with which kinds of nouns. Note that quantity words can be used in combinations such as many more, many fewer, much more, and much less, any of which can be preceded by how to form questions or relative clauses. Negatives like not and no can also be applied to many of these terms.

Count Singular: I practice every day. I'd like one donut, please.

Count Plural: Can I have some chips? She has a lot of books, and many are autographed. I have fewer pencils than you.

Noncount: Can I have some water? She has a lot of strength, and much is due to her upbringing. I have less courage than you.

• English (UK)

is ‘homework’ singular or plural ? See a translation

• Report copyright infringement

The singular is 'piece of homework'. Use 'homework' when there is more than one, however use 'pieces of homework' when you know the number. For example: I have some homework to complete for today. I have a piece of homework to complete for today. I have six pieces of homework to complete for today.

Was this answer helpful?

• Why did you respond with "Hmm..."?
• Your feedback will not be shown to other users.

• English (UK) Near fluent

uncountable noun

Homework è un termine non numerabile, non si dice homeworks Questa parola è simile al latte. Non si dice latti. Puoi dire le frasi come: The teacher gave me lots of holiday homework I have some maths homework to do I hate homework Do you have any homework? I’ve got no homework tonight

Homework is always singular: The homework that the teacher gave us is really difficult. All of my teachers gave me homework today. It's going to take ages to do.

• 'be' is singular or plural tense?
• Is "family" used in plural or singular?
• Is the word “crowd” singular or plural?
• Is music plural or singular ?
• Is discussion singular or plural? Should be singular, right?
• Can we use a singular noun to represent everything of a kind? Like "(all) babies are cute." Can t...
• What does "many" before a singular mean?
• Why are English so strict with the singular or the plural of a noun ? I feel just so strange, bec...
• https://youtu.be/KKJ-eS-5hmk?t=403 (6:45) "Sit down, or that's it." "You gonna whoop me? You a...
• Make a question or ask a question? which is correct?
• Is it correct to say "Have a nice rest of the week!" at the end of an email?
• I am confused we say 22th or 22nd?
• mai dua karta hu ke tum hamesha kamyab or khush raho in English
• Could I ask what’s the difference between hints, clues, and tips in RPGs? If you provide me with...
• In the sentence "Will you lend me your bike?" is the word will pronounced with the tip of the ton...
• 这段英文听起来自然吗？ I'm not sure if I have one specific favorite type of music, to be honest. For me, mu...
• Hello i dont understand how to use négation for the verb « to be » in English. How i know if i ne...
• Hi guys, what should I say in case I was very sleepy but at the very end I couldn't sleep anymore...
• "My favorite book was made into a movie, so I watched it. But I was disappointed because the stor...
• Today was my day off, so I went to shopping at the mall. I ate soba and chawanmushi at lunch in J...
• Could you give me some advice? Is the following sentence incorrect? The twins take after e...
• Can anyone please show me some example sentences with "What's he like ...?" I learned "What's he...
• 😊Does this sound natural? 👉The Japanese media reported on the foreigners' love for cherry blossom...
• How do you say this in Korean? good morning
• How do you say this in Turkish? long time no see

The Language Level symbol shows a user's proficiency in the languages they're interested in. Setting your Language Level helps other users provide you with answers that aren't too complex or too simple.

Has difficulty understanding even short answers in this language.

Can ask simple questions and can understand simple answers.

Can ask all types of general questions and can understand longer answers.

Can understand long, complex answers.

Show your appreciation in a way that likes and stamps can't.

By sending a gift to someone, they will be more likely to answer your questions again!

If you post a question after sending a gift to someone, your question will be displayed in a special section on that person’s feed.

Ask native speakers questions for free

Solve your problems more easily with the app!

• Find the answer you're looking for from 45 million answers logged!
• Enjoy the auto-translate feature when searching for answers!
• It’s FREE!!

• is ‘homework’ singular ...

• Rules/Help/FAQ Help/FAQ
• Members Current visitors
• Interface Language

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

• Spanish-English / Español-Inglés
• Spanish-English Grammar / Gramática Español-Inglés

A homework/ a piece of homework

• Thread starter Wilson Díaz
• Start date Dec 5, 2019

Wilson Díaz

Senior member.

• Dec 5, 2019

Good evening to you all! I've been studying uncountable and plural nouns. Surprisingly, I noticed homework, as an uncountable noun, must be accompanied by "a piece of" when talking about an individual item. However, I've heard people say <<a homework>>. Is it also right or are they wrong? Thanks a lot in advance!  

In my opinion, it is wrong to say "a homework". Who are the people you have heard say this? How old are they, where are they from, what is their native language and dialect?  

fenixpollo said: In my opinion, it is wrong to say "a homework." Click to expand...

Thank you very much! Maybe interferences from Spanish have made both American teenagers and English learners to miss in that expression.  

I agree. Fenixpollo and gengo are correct. Also: The teacher gave us a homework assignment. (just one bit of homework of unspecified nature) The teacher gave us homework. (very general, could be singular or plural assignments) The teacher gave is history homework ("history" specifies the kind of homework).  

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Nouns: countable and uncountable

Countable nouns.

Some nouns refer to things which, in English, are treated as separate items which can be counted. These are called countable nouns. Here are some examples:

a car , three cars

my cousin , my two cousins

a book , a box full of books

a city , several big cities

Singular and plural

Countable nouns can be singular or plural. They can be used with a/an and with numbers and many other determiners (e.g. these, a few ):

She’s got two sisters and a younger brother .

Most people buy things like cameras and MP3-players online these days .

These shoes look old now.

I’ll take a few magazines with me for the flight .

Determiners ( the, my , some , this )

Singular and plural nouns

Uncountable nouns

In English grammar, some things are seen as a whole or mass. These are called uncountable nouns, because they cannot be separated or counted.

Some examples of uncountable nouns are:

Ideas and experiences: advice, information, progress, news, luck, fun, work

Materials and substances: water, rice, cement, gold, milk

Weather words: weather, thunder, lightning, rain, snow

Names for groups or collections of things: furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage

Other common uncountable nouns include: accommodation, baggage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, research, traffic, travel .

These nouns are not used with a/an or numbers and are not used in the plural.

We’re going to get new furniture for the living room.

Not: We’re going to get a new furniture for the living room . or We’re going to get new furnitures for the living room .

We had terrible weather last week.

Not: We had a terrible weather last week .

We need rice next time we go shopping.

Some nouns always have plural form but they are uncountable because we cannot use numbers with them.

I bought two pairs of trousers .

Not: I bought two trousers .

Other nouns of this type are: shorts, pants, pyjamas, glasses (for the eyes), binoculars, scissors .

Some nouns which are uncountable in English are countable in other languages (e.g. accommodation, advice, furniture, information ):

They can give you some information about accommodation at the tourist office.

Not: They can give you some informations about accommodations at the tourist office .

Can you give me some advice about buying a second-hand car?

Not: Can you give me some advices about buying a second-hand car?

A good learner’s dictionary will tell you whether a noun is countable or uncountable.

Quantity expressions ( a bit/piece )

To refer to one or more quantities of an uncountable noun , expressions such as a bit of, a piece of , an item of or words for containers and measures must be used:

He bought a very expensive piece of furniture for his new apartment.

Maggie always has some exciting bits of news when she comes to see us.

I think we’ll need five bags of cement for the patio.

There’s a litre of milk in the fridge for you. And I bought you a bar of chocolate .

Determiners ( my, some, the )

Uncountable nouns can be used with certain determiners (e.g. my, her , some, any , no , the, this, that ) and expressions of quantity (e.g. a lot of, (a) little ):

They gave me some information about courses and scholarships and things.

Have you heard the news ? Fran’s getting engaged.

She’s been studying hard and has made a lot of progress .

There’s no work to do here, so you can go home if you like.

This milk ’s a bit old, I’m afraid.

Countable phrases for uncountable nouns

We can sometimes use countable noun phrases to talk about an individual example of the thing an uncountable noun refers to.

Finding a place to live is difficult if you’re a student and you’ve got no money. (or Finding accommodation … )

Not: Finding an accommodation …

She brought two big suitcases and a rucksack with her.

Not: She brought two big luggages …

I read a poem once about someone riding a horse at night.

Not: I read a poetry …

We went on a trip to the Amazon when we were in Brazil.

Not: We went on a travel …

Countable and uncountable nouns with different meanings

Some nouns can be used either countably or uncountably, but with different meanings.

Uncountable nouns used countably

Measures and examples.

Sometimes uncountable nouns are used countably, to mean ‘a measure of something’ or ‘a type or example of something’:

Can I have two teas and one coffee , please? (two cups of tea and one cup of coffee …?)

A: How many sugars do you want in your tea? (How many spoonfuls/lumps of sugar?) B: Just one, please .

To some degree we tend to eat the foods that we ate as children. (i.e. types of food)

Abstract nouns

Some abstract nouns can be used uncountably or countably. The uncountable use has a more general meaning. The countable use has a more particular meaning.

Nouns of this type include: education, experience, hatred, help, knowledge, life, love, sleep, time, understanding .

Word of the Day

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

a type of singing in which four, usually male, voices in close combination perform popular romantic songs, especially from the 1920s and 1930s

Alike and analogous (Talking about similarities, Part 1)

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists

Add ${headword} to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

is   Plural

• is   Plural Dictionary
• Plural Rules

Is homework plural

Homework is both plural and singular plural singular plural both plural and singular both plural and singular singular singular plural .

The plural of homework is homework .

How to say homework: How to pronounce homework

Cite This Source

Not sure why homework is both plural singular plural both both singular singular plural ?   Contact Us !   We'll explain.

1.  What makes words plural? 2.  What makes a word singular? 3.  How to make acronyms plural.

directs daydream unsteadying anthological chutzpahs

happily alcheringa anticonceptionist submiliary supereminently

Grammar Quiz

Which should you use its or it's ?

Take the Grammar Quiz

is   Plural, Plural or Singular, is   Plural Dictionary, and is   Singular are all trademarks of Plural Of.

About Us   |   Terms   |   Privacy   |   Contact

© 2024 Plural Of. All rights reserved.

Terms   |   Privacy   |   Contact

What is the plural form of homework?

Homework is a mass noun and uses singular verbs. There is no plural.

To express a plural, you could use a number or similar adjective, such as "piece."

- One piece of homework

- Two pieces of homework

Add your answer:

What is the plural form of home work?

How do you write the vous form for do your homework in french.

To do one's homework is "faire ses devoirs".You (plural) do your homework is 'vous faites vos devoirs'.Imperative mood, you plural: faites vos devoirs.

What is plural possessive for teacher?

The plural form for the noun teacher is teachers. The plural possessive form is teachers'.Example: The teachers' committee voted to permanently ban homework.

What is the plural possessive form for teachers?

The possessive form for the plural noun teachers is teachers'.Example: The teachers' committee voted to permanently ban homework.

What is the plural form of the word homework?

The collective noun for the noun 'homework' is a slew of homework.

Can an inanimate object have a plural possessive?

Yes, a word for an inanimate object can have a plural form and a plural possessive form; for example:pencil; pencils; the pencils' casehot dog; hot dogs; the hot dogs' bunshomework; the homework's due date (homework is an uncountable noun)tire; tires; the tires' replacementschair; chairs; the chairs' upholstery

What are sentences using is or are?

(The form of the verb to be include is, 3rd person singular, and are, 2nd person singular, or any person plural.)She is doing her homework. The cat is on the sidewalk.They are doing their homework. The cats are on the sidewalk.We are doing our homework. Are you doing your homework? They are done with their homework.

What is the singular possessive form for the teacher?

The singular form of the plural noun teachers is teacher.The singular possessive form is teacher's.Example: I put my homework on the teacher's desk.

Who and when do we use does do and did?

Do and does are present tense and did is past tense.Use do when the subject is I or a plural nounegI do my homework. The boys do their homework. -- 'The boys' is a plural subject.Use does for when he/she/it or a singular noun is the subject egShe does her homework. The boy does his homework. -- 'The boy' is a singular noun.Use did for all subjects - singular or plural - if you are writing about something in the past egI did my homework last night.The boys did their homework yesterday.She did her homework last week.The boy did his homework last night.

What is the difference between do and does?

Do and Does are both verbs from the verb to do. Do is used for the first person singular&amp; plural I Do, we do, and the second person singular &amp; second person plural you do, you guys do. Now the third person singular would be he/she does, different from the third person plural which is they do. example: I do my homework everyday we do our homework everyday you do your homework everyday you guys do your homework everyday Tommy does his homework everyday They do their homework everyday

Plural form of bridge?

Bridges is the plural form of bridge.

What is the singular possessive form of computer?

singular possessive = computer's The computer's screen is broken. plural possessive = computers' The computers' screens are broken

Top Categories