Common error exercise - Singular and Plural Nouns

The following 10 sentences, taken from PolyU students' work, all contain an error in the use of Singular and Plural Nouns. Correct the sentences in the answerbox below.
Then click to see the correct sentence and feedback.

1.	Thirdly, firm should deal with the security problem.
	Correct sentence: Thirdly, ~~firm~~ firms should deal with security ~~problem~~ problems. Plural nouns with no article are usually used to make general statements.
2.	Cyberport will provide property and technology to meet the requirement of e-commerce companies.
	Correct sentence: Cyberport will provide property and technology to meet the ~~requirement~~ requirements of e-commerce companies. Most nouns in English are regular and countable. To make them plural we add -s to the end (requirements). Plural nouns with no article are usually used to make general statements (e- commerce companies).
3.	Now merchants do businesses online, and sign contracts via the internet.
	Correct sentence: Now merchants do ~~businesses~~ business online, and sign contracts via the internet. Uncountable nouns do not usually take a plural form. Business here refers to a process, and is uncountable.
4.	That is why most consumer and businessman avoid using e-commerce systems.
	Correct sentence: That is why most ~~consumer~~ consumers and ~~businessman~~ businessmen avoid using e-commerce systems. Plural nouns with no article are usually used to make general statements. 'Most' refers to more than one and will always be followed by a plural noun – or plural nouns.
5.	If businessmen are not careful, their data may be stolen by their competitor or by hacker.
	Correct sentence: If businessmen are not careful, their data may be stolen by their ~~competitor~~ competitors or by ~~hacker~~ hackers. Plural nouns with no article are usually used to make general statements. 'Businessmen' and 'their' are both plural already – and these two nouns must be plural as well.
6.	McCaffry and Ferrel (1995) conducted a surveys of nurses' knowledge of cancer pain management in Australia, Canada, Japan, Spain and the United States.
	Correct sentence: McCaffry and Ferrel (1995) conducted a ~~surveys~~ survey of nurses’ knowledge of cancer pain management in Australia, Canada, Japan, Spain and the United States. OR McCaffry and Ferrel (1995) conducted a surveys of nurses’ knowledge of cancer pain management in Australia, Canada, Japan, Spain and the United States. Most nouns in English are regular and countable. To make them plural we add -s to the end. Articles a/an are only used with singular nouns. The article ‘a’ and the noun ‘survey’ must agree. It will either be a survey or surveys (with no article). We cannot be sure which is in fact correct without asking the writer which meaning was intended. Was there one survey, or were there several?
7.	Many progresses have been made.
	Correct sentence: ~~Many~~ A lot of progress has been made. Uncountable nouns do not usually take a plural form. Progress is uncountable, and 'many' can only be used with countable nouns.
8.	The system is essential in kitchens of Chinese restaurant since a lot of smoke will be generated during the cooking process.
	Correct sentence: The system is essential in kitchens of Chinese ~~restaurant~~ restaurants since a lot of smoke will be generated during the cooking process. Plural nouns with no article are usually used to make general statements. The statement applies to all restaurants in this category – in this case all Chinese restaurants.
9.	A grating is an important components operated by diffraction rather than refraction.
	Correct sentence: A grating is an important ~~components~~ component operated by diffraction rather than refraction. Articles a/an are only used with singular nouns. The noun component must agree with 'A grating' (singular) and with the article 'an'.
10.	When you have chosen a goods, you have to pay for it before leaving the shop.
	Correct sentence: When you have chosen a the goods, you have to pay for them before leaving the shop. Some nouns have a plural but no singular: Goods is a plural noun .