Collins Cobuild English Grammar

…the refusal of dockers to use fork-lift trucks.

For full information about the plural forms of countable nouns, see the Reference Section.

Compound nouns that are directly related to phrasal verbs usually have a plural form ending in -s.

Nobody seems disturbed about cover-ups when they are essential to the conduct of a war.

Naturally, I think people who drive smarter, faster cars than mine are show-offs.

A few compound nouns are less directly related to phrasal verbs, and consist of a countable noun and an adverb. In these cases, the plural form of the countable noun is used before the adverb when the compound noun is plural.

For example, the plural of runner-up is runners-up, and the plural of summing-up is summings-up.

Passers-by helped the victim, who was unconscious.

Compound nouns that consist of two nouns linked by the prepositions of or in, or a noun followed by to-be, have a plural form in which the first noun in the compound is plural.

I like birds of prey and hawks particularly.

She was treated with contempt by her sisters-in-law.

Most mothers-to-be in their forties opt for this test.

Some compound nouns have been borrowed from other languages, mainly French and Latin, and therefore do not have normal English plural forms.

Agents provocateurs were sent to cause trouble.

The nouveaux riches of younger states are building palatial mansions for themselves.

1.92    Compound nouns are fixed expressions. However, nouns can always be used in front of other nouns in order to refer to something in a more specific way. For the use of nouns as modifiers, see paragraphs 2.169 to 2.174.

Talking about people and things without naming them: pronouns

1.93    When you use language, both in speech and writing, you constantly refer to things you have already mentioned or are about to mention.

You can do this by repeating the noun phrase, but unless there is a special reason to do so, you are more likely to use a pronoun instead.

Pronouns make statements less repetitive.

John took the book and opened it.

Deborah recognized the knife as hers.

Shilton was pleased with himself. This is a very busy place.

However, if you have mentioned two or more different things, you usually have to repeat the noun phrase to make it clear which thing you are now talking about.

Leaflets and scraps of papers were scattered all over the floor. I started to pick up the leaflets.

I could see a lorry and a car. The lorry stopped.

For other ways of talking about things that have already been mentioned, see paragraphs 10.2 to 10.39.

types of pronoun

1.94    There are several different types of pronoun:

personal pronouns. See paragraphs 1.95 to 1.106.

possessive pronouns. See paragraphs 1.107 to 1.110.

reflexive pronouns. See paragraphs 1.111 to 1.118.

generic pronouns. See paragraphs 1.119 to 1.123.

demonstrative pronouns. See paragraphs 1.124 to 1.127.

indefinite pronouns. See paragraphs 1.128 to 1.141.

reciprocal pronouns. See paragraphs 1.142 to 1.145.

relative pronouns. See paragraphs 1.146 to 1.150.

interrogative pronouns. See paragraphs 1.151 to 1.153.

There are a few other words that can be used as pronouns. For more information about these, see paragraphs 1.154 to 1.161.

Talking about people and things: personal pronouns

1.95    You use personal pronouns to refer to yourself, the people you are talking to, or the people or things you are talking about.

There are two sets of personal pronouns: subject pronouns and object pronouns.

subject pronouns

1.96    Subject pronouns refer to the subject of a clause.

Here is a table of subject pronouns:

  singular plural 1st person I we 2nd person you 3rd person he

she

it they

I

1.97    You refer to yourself by using the pronoun I. I is always written with a capital letter.

I don’t know what to do. I think I made the wrong decision.

May I ask why Stephen’s here?

you

1.98    You refer to the person or people you are talking to as you. Note that the same word is used for the singular and the plural.

You may have to wait a bit.

Would you come and have a drink?

How did you get on?

You is also used to refer to people in general, rather than to the person you are talking or writing to. For more information on this, see paragraph 1.120.

If you want to make it clear that you are addressing more than one person, you can create a plural form by using you followed by a determiner, a number or a noun. Forms like this can also be used in object position.

My granddad wants you both to come round next Saturday.

As you all know, this is a challenge.

Here is a list of the most common plural forms of you.

you all

you guys

you lot

you two

you three

you both

You guys and you lot are more frequent in informal English. You lot is not commonly used in American English.

I love working with you guys.

You guys are great!

So you lot will have to look after yourselves.

Note that people often use you lot when they are being very direct with a group of people, as in the last example above.

     Some varieties and dialects of English have developed particular forms of plural you. In American English, particularly Southern American English, y’all is sometimes used, especially in speech.

What did y’all eat for breakfast?

I want to thank y’all.

In some dialects of British and American English, yous and youse are used as plural forms: I know what some of yous might be thinking.