Nouns

Classification:
 Common: cat, dog
 Proper: Jane, Alice

 Countable: house, book

 Uncountable: money, information

 Regular: pencil, desk

 Irregular: man-men, women-women, mouse-mice

 Concrete: table, chair

 Abstract: courage, beauty, love

 Simple: cat, dog

 Compound: sister-in-law, travel agent

 Collective/ group: team, family, class

Pairs of nouns (people)

- Boy-Girl Pairs of nouns (animals)
- Gentleman- Lady
- Bull-Cow
- Husband- Wife
- Cock-Hen
- Man – Woman
- Stallion-Mare
- Bridegroom- Bride
- Lion-Lioness
- Widower- Widow
- Ram-Ewe
- Duke- Duchess
- Earl-Countess
Plurals
 Adding -s to the singular (pronounced /s/ after p, k, f, otherwise /z/). When
placed after ce, ge, se, ze -an extra syllable /iz/ is added to the spoken word
(houses)
 Nouns ending in o, ch, sh, ss, x add -es: churches, kisses, boxes. Exc: word
of foreign origin: pianos, sopranos, kilos, photos, kimonos
 Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant drop the y and add -ies: ladies,
babies. If y is preceded by a vowel, then we add -s in the plural: days, guys.
 Nouns ending in -f or -fe and adding -ves: loaves, wives, wolves. Exc: cliffs,
roofs, beliefs, safes, reefs.
 Vowel change in foot-feet, goose-geese, louse-lice, man-men, mouse-mice,
tooth-teeth, child- children, ox- oxen.
 No change in the plural: fish, deer, sheep

 Collective/ group nouns (crew, family, team, audience, class, public, staff,
army, crowd) can take a singular verb (a single group or unit: Our team is
the best.) or a plural verb (a number of individuals: Our team are wearing.)
 When a possessive adjective is necessary, a plural verb with ‘their’ is more
usual than a singular verb with ‘its’, but sometimes both are possible: The
jury is considering its verdict. / The jury are considering their verdict.
 Names of subject ending in -ics are singular: Mathematics is his favorite
subject.
 Words plural in from but singular in meaning include mews (The news is
good.) , mumps, games such as billiards, darts.
 Words retaining their original Greek or Latin forms: crisis- crises /kraisis-
kraisi:z/; darum- data, axis-axes, basis-bases.
 Two plural forms with different meaning: appendix- appendixes
(anatomical)- appendices (addition to a book), index-indexes (book)- indices
(mathematics).

Compound nouns
 Normally the last word in made plural: travel, agents BUT men drivers,
women drivers.
  The first word is made plural with compounds formed of verb +er nouns+
adverbs: lookers-on and with compounds of noun+ preposition +nouns:
sister-in-law.
 Initial can be made plural: MPs, VIPs
Uncountable nouns
 Abstract nouns: beauty, courage
 Food products considered generally: bread, tea, jam. Coffee
 Nouns such as: furniture, luggage, baggage, damage, information,
knowledge, advise, news, (work) experience.
 Uncountable nouns are singular and are not used with a/an: I don’t want
advice or help. I want some information.
 These nouns are often preceded by some, any, no, a little or by nouns such
as a bit/piece/slice of: a piece of cake, a loaf of bread, a lump of sugar, a bar
of soap, a piece of chalk, a sheet of paper, a piece of advice, a pieces/an item
of information/news
Possessive
 The possessive case is manly used with people, countries, animals +in time
expression (today’s paper, a week’s holiday, ten minute’s break/ a ten
minute break, two hours’ delay/ a two- hour delay. He is going to the
dentist’s. We met at Ann’s.)
 Manes ending in -s can take’s or the apostrophe alone: Mr. Jones’s/ Jones’
house.
 With compounds the last word takes the -s: my brother-in-law’s house, The
Prince of Wales’s wife.
 The walls of the town= the town walls