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Nouns (names of people, places, things, ideas) are
very important in English. They are used as
subjects
of
sentences and clauses and as objects of
verbs
and
prepositions.
There are many different
kinds
of
nouns in English,
and they may be
classified
(divided
into groups) in many
ways.
Probably the most basic classification
of nouns
is
into two broad types: countable
and uncountable.
Countable nouns have two forms--singular
(for only one of the noun) and
plural (for more
than one of the noun).
Uncountable nouns cannot
be counted in the same way as
countable nouns
because they have only one form--no
plurals.
Let's take a brief look at
countable
nouns first.
Countable
Nouns
We can divide
countable nouns into two large
groups:
regular
and irregular.
Regular Countable
Nouns
Regular countable nouns make their plurals
| 1. |
|
by adding -s
or
-es
to the singular
form; |
| |
|
|
| 2. |
|
by changing final
y
to i
and adding -es
if the singular ends
in
a consonant +
y.
Note: Nouns ending in a
vowel +
y
do
not
change y to
i and then add -es.
|
Irregular Countable
Nouns
Irregular countable nouns make their plurals
in special ways:
| 1. |
|
Some
nouns ending in f
change the
f
to v
and then add -es. |
| 2. |
|
Some nouns have the
same
singular
and plural
forms. |
| 3. |
|
Some nouns use
plural
forms from
other languages--not from English. |
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Special Note:
Singular countable nouns almost
always need
an indefinite article (a or an) or
another
determiner (this
/ that, my / your / his,
etc.)
Don't forget this important
requirement!
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