Nouns

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Nouns - count nouns Nouns - uncount nouns Nouns - count/uncount nouns - common problems Nouns - Proper nouns count nouns uncount nouns common problems with count/uncount nouns proper nouns

count nouns
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Count nouns have two forms: singular and plural. The singular form refers to one person or thing: a book a teacher a wish an idea The plural form refers to more than one person or thing: books teachers wishes ideas
Singular count nouns

!ingular count nouns cannot be used alone. The" must have a determiner: the book that #nglish teacher a wish my latest idea or a quantifier: some new books a few teachers lots of good ideas

or a numeral: two new books three wishes

Plural forms:

$e usuall" add s to make a plural noun: book % books school % schools friend % friends $e add -es to nouns ending in &ss -ch -s -sh -x class % classes watch % watches gas % gases wish % wishes box % boxes $hen a noun ends in a consonant and -y we make the plural in -ies... lady % ladies country % countries party % parties 'but if a noun ends in a vowel and -y we simpl" add -s: boy % boys day % days play % plays !ome common nouns have irregular plurals: (an % men woman % women child % children foot % feet person % people Plural count nouns do not have a determiner when the" refer to people or things as a group: Computers are ver" expensive. )o "ou sell old books*

uncount nouns
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!ome nouns in #nglish are uncount nouns. $e do not use uncount nouns in the plural and we do not use them with the indefinite article+ a/an.

$e ate a lot of foods % $e ate a lot of food $e bought some new furnitures % $e bought some new furniture That,s a useful information % That,s useful information $e can use some quantifiers with uncount nouns: -e gave me some useful advice. The" gave us a lot of information. .ncount nouns often refer to:

Substances: food; water; wine; salt; bread; iron Human feelings or qualities: anger; cruelty; happiness; honesty; pride; Activities: help; sleep; travel; work Abstract ideas: beauty; death; fun; life

Common uncount nouns

There are some common nouns in #nglish+ like accommodation+ which are uncount nouns even though the" have plurals in other languages:
advice knowledge baggage equipment luggage machinery furniture money homework news information traffic

/et me give "ou some advice. How much luggage have "ou got* 0f we want to make these things countable+ we use expressions like:
a piece of... pieces of... a bit of... bits of... an item of... items of...

/et me give "ou a piece of advice. That,s a useful piece of e1uipment. $e bought a few bits of furniture for the new apartment. !he had six separate items of luggage. but we do not use accommodation+ money and traffic in this wa".

common problems with count/uncount nouns

backnext 1: Uncount nouns used as count nouns

2lthough substances are usuall" uncount nouns... $ould "ou like some cheese* Coffee keeps me awake at night. Wine makes me sleep. ... the" can be also used as count nouns:
Id like a coffee please. "ay I have a white wine. #hey sell a lot of coffees. I prefer white wines to red. #hey had over twenty cheeses on sale. #his is an excellent soft cheese. = Id like a cup of! coffee. = "ay I have a glass of! white wine. = #hey sell a lot of different kinds of! coffee. = I prefer different kinds of! white wine to red. = #hey had over twenty types of! cheese on sale. = #his kind of! soft cheese is excellent.

2: Some nouns have both a count and an uncount form:

$e should alwa"s have hope. 3eorge had hopes of promotion. ravel is a great teacher. $here did "ou go on "our travels*
3: Nouns with two meanings

!ome nouns have two meanings+ one count and the other non count: -is life was in danger. There is a serious danger of fire. /inguistics is the stud" of language. 0s #nglish a difficult language*

0t,s made of paper. The Times is an excellent paper. 4ther words like this are:
business tax death time industry victory marriage use power work property

4: Uncount nouns that end in -s

!ome uncount nouns end in -s so the" look like plurals even though the" are singular nouns. These nouns generall" refer to:
Subjects of study: $ctivities: &ames: 'iseases: mathematics, physics, economics, etc. gymnastics% athletics% etc. cards% darts% billiards% etc. mumps% measles% rabies% etc.

#conomics is a ver" difficult sub5ect. 6illiards is easier than pool or snooker.

5: Grou nouns

!ome nouns+ like army+ refer to groups of people+ animals or things+ and we can use them either as singular nouns or as plural nouns.
army family media audience flock public committee gang regiment company government staff crew group team enemy herd

$e can use these group nouns either as singular nouns or as plural nouns:

"y family is very dear to me. I have a large family. They are very dear to me. (= #he members of my family)*

#he government is very unpopular. #he government are always changing their minds.

!ometimes we think of the group as a single thing:

#he audience always enjoys the show. #he group consists of two men and three women.

!ometimes we think of the group as several individuals

#he audience clapped their hands. #he largest group are the boys.

The names of man" organisations and teams are also group nouns+ but the" are usually plural in spoken #nglish:

+arcelona are winning ,-.. #he /nited 0il 1ompany are putting prices up by 2,3.

!: "wo# art nouns

2 few plural nouns+ like binoculars, refer to things that have two parts.
glasses py4amas trousers 4eans scissors twee5ers knickers shorts pincers spectacles pants tights pliers trainers

These binoculars were ver" expensive Those trousers are too long. To make it clear we are talking about one of these items+ we use a pair of 0 need a new pair of spectacles. 0,ve bought a pair of blue 5eans. 0f we want to talk about more than one+ we use pairs of : $e,ve got three pairs of scissors+ but the" are all blunt. 0 alwa"s carr" two pairs of binoculars.

proper nouns
backnext Names of people+ places and organisations are called proper nouns. $e spell proper nouns with a capital letter: (ohammed 2li 6irmingham China 4xford .niversit"+ the .nited Nations $e use capital letters for festivals: Christmas )eepawali #aster 7amadan Thanksgiving $e use a capital letter for someone,s title: 0 was talking to !octor $ilson recentl". #ver"thing depends on "resident 4bama. $hen we give the names of books+ films+ pla"s and paintings we use capital letters for the nouns# ad$ectives and verbs in the name: 0 have been reading 8The 4ld (an and the !ea,. 6eatrix Potter wrote 8The Tale of Peter 7abbit, 9ou can see the (ona /isa in the /ouvre. !ometimes we use a person,s name to refer to something the" have created: 7ecentl" a %an &ogh was sold for fifteen million dollars. $e were listening to 'o(art. 0,m reading an )gatha Christie.