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⛺ Summer Camp & Holiday Club Grammar

Number + Noun Adjectives

Learn how to join numbers and nouns together to describe things cleanly and correctly.

Example Pattern

"My sister goes to a ten-day camp every summer."

💡 How to use this lesson

👨‍🏫 For Teachers

Explain the 4 short rules below in about 4 minutes. Then, let students complete the 12 practice items and check answers together as a class.

🎓 For Learners

Read the 4 simple rules first to see how numbers and nouns fit together. Next, complete the 12 short practice activities below to test your knowledge!

📋 The 4 Easy Rules

Read each rule and check out the examples from summer camp.

Always Use Singular Nouns Before Another Noun

When a number and a noun describe another noun, the first noun stays singular. We say a six-day camp and never a six-days camp.

Examples:

• "We slept in a two-room cabin near the lake."

• "Our counsellor gave us a three-hour break."

Use a Hyphen (-) and Pick "a" or "an"

Put a hyphen between the number and the noun. Pick a or an based on the sound at the start of the whole phrase (e.g. a ten-minute walk, an eight-week course).

Examples:

• "My cousin took an eight-metre rope to the woods."

• "She packed a five-litre rucksack for the hike."

After a Verb vs. Before a Noun

After a verb, use a plural noun with no hyphen ("lasts two hours", "is ten years old"). Before a noun, use a singular hyphenated word ("a two-hour class", "a ten-year-old girl").

Examples:

• "My uncle's flight lasts nine hours, and he does not like a nine-hour flight."

• "The archery lesson was two hours, so it was a two-hour lesson."

Money and Measurements

Use the exact same pattern for money and distance. The unit word stays singular even when the number is more than one (e.g. a ten-euro note, a two-kilometre walk).

Examples:

• "Each camper brings a twenty-pound note for the shop."

• "We walked a two-kilometre path to get back."

✅ What to DO (Correct)

✓ a five-day trip
✓ a ten-year-old girl
✓ a twenty-pound note
✓ an eight-metre rope

⚠️ What to AVOID (Mistakes)

✗ a five-days trip
✗ a ten-years-old girl
✗ a twenty-pounds note
✗ a eight-metre rope

PRACTICE

Test Your Knowledge (12 Items)

Complete all 4 exercise types below.

A Type 1: Choose the correct sentence

1. Which sentence about summer camp is correct? (singular)

____ a. Our camp counsellors planned a four-day trip to the mountains. ____ b. Our camp counsellors planned a four-days trip to the mountains.

2. Which sentence describes the camper correctly? (hyphen)

____ a. Emma is a nine-years-old girl who loves archery. ____ b. Emma is a nine-year-old girl who loves archery.

3. Which sentence correctly talks about money at camp? (unit)

____ a. I bought snacks at the canteen with a five-euro note. ____ b. I bought snacks at the canteen with a five-euros note.

B Type 2: Rewrite the sentence

4. Rewrite the sentence using a number + singular noun: (hyphen)

"The walk to the canteen takes twenty minutes."

It is a ____ .

5. Rewrite the sentence using a number + singular noun: (singular)

"The bonfire event lasted four hours."

It was a ____ .

6. Rewrite the sentence using a number + singular noun: (pattern)

"The sleepover lasts one night."

It is a ____ .

C Type 3: Fill in the gaps

7. Complete the gap with the correct number phrase (4 inches / knot): (singular)

We tied a ____ during the camp workshop.

8. Complete the gap with the correct number phrase (2 words / nickname): (hyphen)

My counsellor gave me a ____ on our first day.

9. Complete the gap with the correct number phrase (5 centimetres / marshmallow): (unit)

We roasted a ____ over the fire.

D Type 4: Correct the error in a short message

10. Write the corrected adjective phrase: (singular)

"Hi! I am having so much fun at a four-weeks holiday club!"

Corrected phrase: ____

11. Write the corrected adjective phrase: (hyphen)

"We survived a seven hours rainstorm yesterday!"

Corrected phrase: ____

12. Write the corrected adjective phrase: (unit)

"My counsellor bought a ten-pounds bag of ice for our drinks."

Corrected phrase: ____

Number + Noun Adjectives

Number + Noun Adjectives

💡 How to use this lesson

📋 The 4 Easy Rules

Always Use Singular Nouns Before Another Noun

Use a Hyphen (-) and Pick "a" or "an"

After a Verb vs. Before a Noun

Money and Measurements

✅ What to DO (Correct)

⚠️ What to AVOID (Mistakes)

Test Your Knowledge (12 Items)

A Type 1: Choose the correct sentence

B Type 2: Rewrite the sentence

C Type 3: Fill in the gaps

D Type 4: Correct the error in a short message

Related lessons

Reading: The First Scout Camp

Speaking Practice: Summer Camps and Holiday Clubs

Vocabulary: Summer Camps and Holiday Clubs

Writing: Summer Camps and Holiday Clubs

Past Simple: Regular and Irregular Verbs

Must, Mustn't and Have To