STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION SECTION: Nouns

A.    Nouns

There are various types of nouns. Some nouns may fall under more than one type. This unit takes up the following types of nouns:

1.      Countable Nouns

2.      Uncountable Nouns

1.      Countable Nouns

Countable nouns can take the singular or plural form.

Singular	Plural
A cat	Cats
A man	Men
A tooth	Teeth
An egg	Eggs
An elephant	Elephants
An axe	Axes

Examples:

There is a man outside the building

There are two men outside the building

An elephant has a trunk

Elephants have trunks

a.      Singular Nouns

When a noun refers to one person or thing, it is singular.

Examples : Ineed to buy a book.

STRATEGIES

1.      Do NOT end singular nouns with –s/-es

2.      Use singular nouns after the words below.
a/an, one, this, that, a single, another, each, every

3.      Singular countable nouns usually need articles. Use the with singular countable nouns when referring to things in general or to specific things; use a/an with singular countable nouns when referring to general or nonspesific things.

b.      Plural Nouns

When a noun refers to more than one person or thing, it is plural. The plural form of most nouns is made by adding –s/es to the singular form; however, there are some exceptions.

Examples: Five lectures from this university will attend the international conference in San Francisco next week.

STRATEGIES

1.      Do NOT use a/an with plural nouns

2.      Use plural after the words below:
all, some, some (of the), a few (of), many (of), a lot of, lots of, various, these, those, every one of, each one of, each of, one of, one of, both, other, dozens of, hundreds of, thousands of, a number of, the number of, a couple of, several (of the)

3.      When words such as hundred, thousand, or million follow a number, do NOT put them in plural form

4.      Be careful of irregular plural  nouns

2.      Uncountable Nouns

Uncountablenouns are nouns that have only one form and take a singular verb.

STRATEGIES

1.      Do NOT us uncountable nouns after the words/ phrases below
a/an, another, one, a sigle, each, every, these, thpse, a few (of), many (of), every one of, each one of, each (of), one of, both, dozens of, hundreds of, thousands of, a number of, the number of, a couple of, saveral (of the).

2.      Use uncountable nouns with the words below
much, little, a little, an amount of, all, some, a lot of, lots of, plenty of

3.      Do NOT put uncountable nouns into plural form