Noun

 

Noun

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Definition

A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, idea, quality, or feeling.

Examples:

Person: Tia, teacher, doctor
Place: Delhi, school, park
Thing: pen, phone, bicycle
Idea/Feeling: honesty, love, anger, freedom

Kinds of Noun 

(FUNDAMENTAL / TRADITIONAL)

1. Proper Noun
A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, day, book, organization, etc.
It always begins with a capital letter.

Examples: Ram, India, Sunday, The Ramayana

2. Common Noun
A general name for any person, place, animal, or thing.

Examples: boy, city, fruit, book

3. Collective Noun
The name of a group of people, animals, or things considered as one unit.

Examples: class, team, bunch, crowd, army

4. Material Noun
The name of a substance or material from which things are made.

Examples: water, gold, cotton, iron

5. Abstract Noun
The name of an idea, feeling, quality, or state.
It cannot be seen or touched; it can only be felt or understood.

Examples: love, kindness, childhood, honesty

Types of Nouns 

(FUNCTIONAL / DESCRIPTIVE CLASSIFICATION)

Countable Nouns

• Can be counted

• Have singular and plural forms

• Used with: a, an, many, few, a few, a lot of, some, any, how many, a number of, the number of

• Usually belong to: Common Nouns, Proper Nouns (in certain uses), Collective Nouns

• Comparison words: more, fewer

Examples: 

apple/apples, boy/boys, book/books, chair/chairs, star/stars

Sentences:

• I have three books.

• There are many students in the class.

Uncountable Nouns

• Cannot be counted individually

• Usually have no plural form

• Not used with a/an

• Used with: much, little, a little, less, a lot of, some, any, how much, quantity of

• Usually belong to: Material Nouns and Abstract Nouns

• Comparison words: more, less

Examples: 

milk, rice, sugar, honesty, money, time, knowledge

Sentences:

• There is little water in the bottle.

• She has much knowledge.

Rules to Identify the Kind of Noun

1. If it is a special name and begins with a capital letter → Proper Noun
2. If you can use “a/an” before it → Common Noun (generally countable)
3. If it shows a feeling, idea, or quality (not touchable) → Abstract Noun
4. If it is a physical thing you can see or sense → Concrete Noun (often a common noun)
5. If it is a substance from which things are made (gold, cotton, water, oxygen) → Material Noun
6. If it names a group acting as one unit (team, class, army) → Collective Noun
7. If it is a general name of any person, place, thing, or animal → Common Noun
8. If it is uncountable and used as a material or substance → Material Noun
9. If it ends with -ness, -ment, -ship, -ity, -hood → Usually an Abstract Noun
10. If it cannot take “a/an” and is not an idea but a substance → Material Noun

Important Points

1. Nouns Always Used in Plural Form

These nouns look plural and are always used as plural. You cannot make them singular by removing “s”.

Examples:
scissors, tongs, pliers, bellows, trousers, pants, pajamas, shorts, spectacles, goggles, binoculars, eyeglasses, alms, amends, congratulations, embers, fireworks, outskirts, particulars, proceeds, savings, thanks, valuables

Sentence:

• These scissors are sharp. (Not: This scissor is sharp.)

2. Nouns That Look Plural but Have Singular Meaning

These nouns are treated as singular and take singular verbs.

Examples:
news, politics, summons, Physics, Economics, Ethics, Mathematics, Athletics

Sentences:

• The news is shocking.

• Mathematics is difficult.

(Note: “Innings” can be singular or plural depending on context.)

3. Nouns That Look Singular but Are Always Plural

These nouns are always used with plural verbs. You cannot add “-s” to them.

Examples:
cattle, infantry, poultry, peasantry, children, police, people

Sentences:

• The police are investigating the case.

• The cattle are grazing.

4. Uncountable Nouns Used Only in Singular Form

They do not take a/an and cannot be pluralized by adding -s.

Examples:
scenery, poetry, furniture, advice, information, business (in general sense), bread, mischief, stationery, luggage, postage, knowledge, wastage, breakage, equipment, evidence, fuel, cost

To show number, use expressions like piece of, item of, loaf of, etc.

Singular Sense:

• a piece of advice

• an item of furniture

• a loaf of bread

• a piece of information

• a piece of luggage

Plural Sense:

• two pieces of advice

• three items of furniture

• four loaves of bread

• several pieces of information

• many pieces of luggage

5. Nouns with Same Singular and Plural Form

Examples:
deer, sheep, fish, series, species, aircraft

Sentences:

• One deer is running.

• Five deer are running.

Important: “Fishes” is used only when referring to different species of fish.

6. Collective Nouns (Special Note)

crew, team, jury are collective nouns.
They can take singular or plural verbs depending on meaning.

Examples:

• The team is winning. (acting as one unit)

• The team are arguing. (members acting separately – mainly British usage)

7. Hyphenated Nouns Used as Modifiers

When used before another noun, they do not take plural form.

Examples:
a hundred-rupee note
a five-star hotel

8. Commonly Used but Incorrect Expressions

cousin brother/sister ❌ → cousin ✔️
good name ❌ → name ✔️
big/small blunder ❌ → blunder ✔️
strong breeze ❌ → strong wind ✔️
bad dream ❌ → nightmare ✔️

9. Words Like Hundred, Thousand, Dozen, Million, Billion, Pair, Score

After an exact number → singular form (no -s)

Examples:
two hundred rupees
three dozen pencils
five million people
four pairs of shoes

Without an exact number → plural form (-s added)

Examples:
hundreds of people
dozens of women
millions of rupees
many pairs of shoes

10. Measurement Nouns Used Before Another Noun

When nouns showing length, distance, time, weight, money, or number come after a numeral and before another noun, they remain singular. They act like adjectives.

Examples:
a five-year degree course
a ten-meter rope
a two-hour meeting
a hundred-rupee note
a three-foot table
a five-million-dollar project
a ten-year-old child

When used alone, add “-s” if plural.

Examples:
The course lasts five years.
The rope is ten meters long.
She waited for two hours.

11. Repetition After Preposition

If a noun is followed by a preposition and the same noun is repeated, the second noun is singular.

Examples:
Town after town was devastated.
He enquired from door to door.

12. Common-Gender (Dual-Gender) Nouns

These nouns can refer to both males and females.

Examples: teacher, student, child, clerk, advocate, worker, writer, leader, musician

Traditionally, singular pronouns “he/his” were used, but modern usage prefers gender-neutral forms.

Sentences:

• Every leader should perform their duty.

• A teacher should perform their duty sincerely.

13. Noun Used as an Adjective

When a noun is used before another noun to describe it, it remains singular.

Examples:
a book shop (not books shop)
a shoe factory
a five-year plan

14. Noun–Number Agreement After “Of” Expressions

After one of, each of, either of, neither of, some of, many of, few of, a few of, several of, most of, all of, any of, none of, both of — the noun after “of” depends on its type.

1. If countable → plural noun

2. If uncountable → singular noun

Examples:
All of the students are present.
Some of the books are missing.
All of the water is wasted.
Most of the information is correct.
Each of the students is present.
Either of the answers is correct.
Neither of the boys was late.
Most of the people agree with this idea.
Both of the players were injured.

15. Subject–Verb Agreement

A singular noun takes a singular verb.

Examples:
The boy is playing.
My friend likes music.

A plural noun takes a plural verb.

Examples:
The boys are playing.
My friends like music.

Noun Gender

1. Masculine Gender
Denotes a male or something personified as male.

Examples: tiger, father, king, lion, uncle, boy, man

(Personification examples in literature: the Sun, Time, Death, Ocean — sometimes treated as masculine.)

2. Feminine Gender
Denotes a female or something personified as female.

Examples: tigress, mother, queen, woman, lioness, girl, aunt

(Personification examples: Nature, Earth, Peace — sometimes treated as feminine.)

3. Common Gender
Can refer to either male or female.

Examples: child, baby, teacher, servant, student, cousin, neighbour, thief

4. Neuter Gender
Neither male nor female; refers to non-living things and abstract ideas.

Examples: book, table, room, television, copy, honesty, time, summer, thunder, violence 

Rules for forming Feminine from Masculine Nouns

1. By Adding –ess

Many masculine nouns form the feminine by adding –ess.

actor → actress
poet → poetess
host → hostess
lion → lioness
tiger → tigress

Examples:

• The actor performed well.

• The actress received praise.

Note: Modern English often prefers gender-neutral forms like “actor” for both.

2. By Changing the Word Completely (Different Words)

Some nouns have entirely different masculine and feminine forms:

man → woman
boy → girl
father → mother
king → queen
uncle → aunt
husband → wife
brother → sister
son → daughter
nephew → niece

Examples:

• The king addressed the nation.

• The queen followed him.

3. By Changing the Ending (–or / –er to –ress in some cases)

waiter → waitress
emperor → empress
actor → actress

Note: Many of these feminine forms are less common today.

4. By Using Male / Female Before the Noun

When the noun does not change form, gender is shown by adding male or female.

male teacher / female teacher
male nurse / female nurse
male student / female student

Examples:

• She is a female pilot.

• He is a male dancer.

5. By Using He- / She- Before the Noun (Animals)

he-goat / she-goat
he-bear / she-bear

This usage is now less common.

6. By Different Names for Animals

bull → cow
horse → mare
cock → hen
dog → bitch
gander → goose

Examples:

• The mare is running fast.

• The horse is strong.

7. Foreign Words (Gender Forms from Other Languages)

Some nouns borrowed from French, Spanish, Italian, etc., already have separate masculine and feminine forms:

hero → heroine
duke → duchess
prince → princess
czar → czarina
executor → executrix
testator → testatrix

Example sentences:

• She is my fiancée.

• The heroine saved the child.

8. Common Gender (Same Word for Both)

Some nouns are used for both males and females:

teacher
student
doctor
leader
child
cousin
neighbour

Example:

• The doctor is very kind. (Male or female)

Modern English strongly prefers these gender-neutral nouns.

9. Neuter Gender

Names of non-living things and abstract ideas are neuter:

book
table
room
honesty
time
summer

Examples:

• The table is wooden.

• Honesty is important.

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Modern English avoids unnecessary gender marking.

2. Many feminine forms like authoress, poetess, conductress are rarely used today.

Noun Number

Number shows whether a noun refers to one or more than one.

1. Singular Number

A noun that refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

Examples:
boy, girl, book, city, apple, teacher

Sentences:

• The boy is playing.

• She bought a book.

• This apple is sweet.

2. Plural Number

A noun that refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

Examples:
boys, girls, books, cities, apples, teachers

Sentences:

• The boys are playing.

• She bought three books.

• These apples are sweet.

Rules for Forming Plurals

1. Add –s to most nouns

book → books
pen → pens
chair → chairs
star → stars

2. Add –es to nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z

bus → buses
class → classes
brush → brushes
watch → watches
box → boxes

3. Nouns ending in consonant + y → change y to i and add –es

city → cities
baby → babies
lady → ladies

But if vowel + y → add –s only

boy → boys
toy → toys
key → keys

4. Nouns ending in -f or -fe → change to -ves (in many cases)

leaf → leaves
knife → knives
wife → wives

Exceptions (add –s only):
roof → roofs
chief → chiefs
belief → beliefs

5. Nouns ending in -o

Many take –es:
potato → potatoes
tomato → tomatoes
hero → heroes

Some take –s:
photo → photos
piano → pianos
radio → radios

6. Irregular Plurals (change in spelling)

man → men
woman → women
child → children
tooth → teeth
foot → feet
mouse → mice
goose → geese

7. Same Form in Singular and Plural

deer → deer
sheep → sheep
fish → fish
series → series
species → species
aircraft → aircraft

Examples:

• One deer is running.

• Ten deer are running.

8. Plural of Compound Nouns

Add –s to the main word.

brother-in-law → brothers-in-law
passer-by → passers-by
mother-in-law → mothers-in-law

If there is no main noun, add –s at the end:

grown-up → grown-ups

9. Plural of Letters, Numbers, and Symbols

Add –s (use apostrophe only when needed for clarity):

1990s
MPs
A’s (for clarity)

10. Nouns Always Used in Singular Form

news
furniture
advice
information
scenery

Examples:

• The news is shocking.

• The furniture is new.

11. Nouns Always Used in Plural Form

scissors
trousers
spectacles
police
cattle

Examples:

• The scissors are sharp.

• The police are investigating.

Important Agreement Rule

Singular noun → singular verb
Plural noun → plural verb

Examples:

• The student is present.

• The students are present.

Apostrophe ( ’ )

The apostrophe is mainly used to show:

1. Possession
2. Omission (contractions)
3. Certain special plural forms

1. Apostrophe for Possession

A. Living Things (People & Animals)
We normally use ’s with living beings:

Rita’s book
the dog’s tail
the bird’s nest

Sentences:

• The child’s toy is broken.

• The horse’s leg is injured.

B. Personification (Non-living Treated as Living)
When non-living things are personified, we use ’s:

Nature’s beauty
Fortune’s smile

Sentence:

• Nature’s power is unstoppable.

C. Time Expressions

Used with time words:

a day’s work
a week’s leave
a year’s experience
a moment’s silence

Sentence:

• I need a month’s salary in advance.

D. Place Names

Used with places, countries, cities, institutions:

India’s culture
Delhi’s pollution
the school’s library
the company’s policy

Sentence:

• India’s economy is growing.

E. Weight, Distance, Money (Measure Words)

a kilo’s weight
a mile’s distance
a rupee’s value

Sentence:

• The stone has a kilo’s weight.

(Note: More commonly used in fixed expressions like “a mile’s walk.”)

F. Court, Government, and Institutional Use

Used in legal or official expressions:

the court’s decision
the government’s policy
the company’s rules

Sentence:

• The court’s order was strict.

G. Globe / World / Earth Type Words

Words referring to the world or universe can take ’s.

the earth’s surface
the sun’s rays
the moon’s light
the world’s population

Sentence:

• The earth’s rotation causes day and night.

H. Abstract / Natural Forces

Some abstract nouns can take ’s, especially in formal or literary style:

peace’ value (rare, literary)
justice’ demand
nature’s law
earth’s beauty

Sentence:

• Justice’ voice cannot be ignored.

I. Titles and Compound Nouns

Add ’s to the main word:

commander-in-chief → commander-in-chief’s order
mother-in-law → mother-in-law’s advice
brother-in-law → brother-in-law’s car

Sentence:

• The commander-in-chief’s decision was final.

J. Indefinite Pronouns

Add ’s

anybody’s guess
someone’s bag
nobody’s fault
everyone’s duty

Sentence:

• It is nobody’s mistake.

2. Non-Living Things

Normally, non-living things use “of” structure instead of ’s.

Correct (more natural):
the leg of the table
the roof of the house
the door of the car

Less common but sometimes acceptable:
the car’s engine
the table’s surface

3. Joint and Separate Possession

Ram and Shyam’s shop (one shop)
Ram’s and Shyam’s shops (two different shops)

4. Plural Possession

Plural ending in -s → add only ’
teachers’ room
players’ uniforms

Irregular plural → add ’s
children’s park
men’s hostel

5. Contractions (Omission of Letters)

do not → don’t
cannot → can’t
I am → I’m
it is → it’s

Important:
its = possessive
it’s = it is / it has

6. Apostrophe Not Used

Do NOT use apostrophe:

• For simple plurals → books, girls
• For possessive pronouns → his, hers, yours, ours, theirs, its
• For years → 1990s
• For abbreviations → MPs

Use ’s with:
✔ Living beings
✔ Personification
✔ Time, distance, weight, money
✔ Places, countries, organizations
✔ Indefinite pronouns
✔ Compound titles

Use “of” with:
✔ Ordinary non-living objects

Example comparison:
The boy’s bag ✔
The leg of the table ✔