WHAT IS A NOUN?

A noun is a word that is used to refer to PEOPLE (John, Mary, Mr, Mrs, etc.), ANIMALS (cat, dog, horse, mouse, etc),
OBJECTS (house, garden, chair, hair, etc), SUBSTANCES (butter; smoke; money, rice, etc), FEELINGS (freedom; happiness,
loneliness, etc)

Countable:

A countable noun is a noun that has a singular and plural form. The plural is normally made by adding -s.

SINGULAR

PLURAL

a car

cars

a man

men (irregular)

a key

keys

a house

houses

a flower

flowers

an idea

ideas

an accident

accidents

a banana

bananas

We can use numbers with countable nouns: a car / two cars / three cars

We cant use the singular (car / man / key) alone. You need an article (a / an)

We cant get in the house without a key

NOT

We cant get in the house without key.

We can use SOME and ANY with plural countable nouns.

We sang some songs. (positive)

Did you buy any apples? (questions)

We use MANY and FEW with plural countable nouns.

We didnt take many photographs. (big numbers)

I have a few things to do. (small numbers)

Uncountable:

An uncountable noun is a noun that has no plural form.

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

milk

salt

advice

news

homework

bread

progress

weather

water

money

dirt

stuff

luggage

food

fruit

clothing

wood

music

grammar

behaviour

permission

housework

information

furniture

air

cheese

luck

equipment

traffic

mail

scenery

work

accommodatio

baggage

chaos

damage

We cant say 1 / 2 / 3 + uncountable nouns.

We cant use a / an + uncountable nouns.

Money isnt everything.

NOT

A money isnt everything.

We can use SOME and ANY with uncountable nouns.

We listened to some music. (positive)

Did you buy any apple juice? (questions)

We use MUCH and LITTLE with uncountable nouns.

We didnt do much shopping. (big numbers)

I have a little work to do. (small numbers)

Countable and Uncountable:

Many nouns can be used as countable or uncountable nouns; usually with a difference in meaning.

COUNTABLE

UNCOUNTABLE

Did you hear a noise just now? = a specific noise

I cant work here. Theres too much noise = in general

I bought a paper to read = a newspaper

I need some paper to write on = material for writing on

Theres a hair in my soup = one single hair

Youve got very long hair = all the hair on your head

You can stay with us. There is a spare room = a room in a house

You cant sit here. There isnt room = space

I had some interesting experiences while I was travelling =

specific things that happened to me.

They offered me the job because I had a lot of experience

= in general

Enjoy your trip have a good time! = the specific time while
you are away.

I cant wait. I havent got time = in general

Two coffees and an orange juice, please. = two cups of

coffee + a glass of orange juice

I dont like coffee but I love orange juice. = normally

uncountable and in general.

Compare these countable and uncountable nouns.

COUNTABLE

UNCOUNTABLE

Im looking for a job.

Im looking for work.

What a beautiful view!

What beautiful scenery!

Its a nice day today.

Its nice weather today.

We had a lot of bags and cases.

We had a lot of baggage / luggage

These chairs are mine.

This furniture is mine.

Thats a good suggestion.

Thats good advice.

Exceptions in Spelling:

The plural of a noun is usually s

tomato

tomatoes

-ies after -y

bird

birds

mistake

mistakes

baby

babies

hotel

hotels

dictionary

dictionaries

book

books

party

parties

IES

-es after s / -ss / -sh / -ch /-x

ES

-s after ay / -ey / -oy

S

bus

buses

miss

misses

day

days

wash

washed

monkey

monkeys

search

searches

boy

boys

box

boxes

-es after o
ES

potato

potatoes

go

goes

do

does

-ves after f / -fe

S

shelf

shelves

knife

knives

wife

wives

-no change
SINGULAR

-irregular
SINGULAR

PLURAL

man

men

foot

feet

goose

geese

louse

lice

mouse

mice

tooth

teeth

woman

women

child

children

person

people

deer

deer

fish

fish

means

means

offspring

offspring

series

series

sheep

sheep

species

species

cattle

cattle

-only plural these words take a plural verb : are

PLURAL

trousers

pyjamas

glasses

binoculars

scissors

shorts

jeans

tights

police

Possessive nouns:

Most words simply get s (apostrophe)

The box belonging to Steve = Steves box

The bedroom of the child = the childs bedroom

Plural nouns ending in s; simply get (s)

The box belonging to the girls = the girls box

The bedroom of the kids = the kids bedroom

For irregular plurals, add s

The coats of the women = the womens coats

The jackets of the children = the childrens jackets

For names ending in s, add s or alternatively just add (s)

The cat belonging to Charles = Charless cat

The cat belonging to Charles = Charles cat

The jacket of the Phyllis = Phylliss jackets

The jacket of the Phyllis = Phyllis jackets

We use of for things, places etc.

Look at the roof of that building.

We didnt see the beginning of the film.

Whats the name of this village?

Do you know the cause of the problem?

You can sit in the back of the car.

Madrid is the capital of Spain

PLURAL

EXERCISES:
1. Underline the nouns in the following sentences.
1.

Kittens and cats make fun pets.

2.

Terry has a beautiful garden.

3.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.

4.

Mr & Mrs. Ingalls built a little house on the prairie.

5.

I read some very interesting articles in that magazine.

6.

Shawn plays football every Saturday.

7.

My cat isnt allowed to sit on the table.

8.

Where is your book?

9.

The children like ice cream.

10. Ms. Mallory is the teacher of English.com.

11. Our teacher handed out the papers.
12. The bus went own the wrong road.
13. That dog chased the boys up a tree
14. My mom and dad helped me with my homework.
15. The doctor visited the patient at the hospital.
16. Our team won the big game!

2. What are these things? Some are countable and some are uncountable. Write a / an if necessary.
bucket / envelope / milk / salt / spoon / toothpaste / egg / jug / money / sand / toothbrush / wallet

3. Some of these sentences are right, but some of them need a / an. Put in a / an where necessary.
1.

I havent got watch.

9.

Jamaica is island.

2.

Do you like cheese?

10. I dont need key.

3.

Ann never wears hat.

11. Everybody needs food.

4.

Are you looking for job?

12. Ive got good idea.

5.

Mary doesnt eat meat.

13. Can you drive car?

6.

Mary eats apple every day.

14. Do you want cup of coffee?

7.

Im going to party tonight.

15. I dont like coffee with milk.

8.

Music is wonderful thing.

16. Dont go out without umbrella.

4. What are the things in the pictures? Write a or for each picture. Use the words in the boxes.
bar

cup

loaf

bread

milk

tea

bottl

glass

piece

chocolate

paper

water

jar

piece

honey

soup

wood

e
bowl

7.

1.

4.

2.

5.

8.

3.

6.

9.

5. Some of these sentences need a / an. Correct the sentences where necessary.
1.

Joe goes everywhere by bike. He hasn't got car

2.

Helen was listening to music when I arrived.

3.

We went to very nice restaurant last weekend.

4.

I clean my teeth with toothpaste.

5.

I use toothbrush to clean my teeth.

6.

Can you tell me if there's bank near here?

7.

My brother works for insurance company in London.

8.

I don't like violence.

9.

Can you smell paint?

10. When we were in Rome, we stayed in big hotel.

11. We need petrol. I hope we get to petrol station soon.

12. I wonder if you can help me. I have problem.

13. I like your suggestion. It's very interesting idea

14. John has got interview for job tomorrow.

15. I like volleyball. It's good game.

16. Liz doesn't usually wear jewellery.

17. Jane was wearing beautiful necklace.

6. Complete the sentences using the following words. Use a / an where necessary.
accident / biscuit

/ blood

/ coat

/ decision

/ electricity / interview

/ key

/ sugar
1.

It wasn't your fault. It was

2.

Listen! Can you hear ?

3.

I couldn't get into the house because I didn't have .

4.

It's very warm today. Why are you wearing ?

5.

Do you take in your coffee?

/ moment

/ music / question

6.

Are you hungry? Would you like with your coffee?

7.

Our lives would be very difficult without .

8.

'I had for a job yesterday.' 'Did you? How did it go?'

9.

The heart pumps through the body.

10. Excuse me, but can I ask you ?

11. I'm not ready yet. Can you wait , please?
12. We can't delay much longer. We have to make soon.

7. Complete the sentences using the following words. Sometimes the word needs to be plural (-s), and sometimes you
need to use a / an.
air / day / friend / language / letter / patience / people / photograph

/ queue

/ space

/ meat

1.

I had my camera, but I didn't take any ?

2.

There are seven in a week.

3.

A vegetarian is a person who doesn't eat .

4.

Outside the cinema there was of people waiting to see the film.

5.

I'm not very good at writing .

6.

Last night I went out with some of mine.

7.

There were very few in town today. The streets were almost empty.

8.

I'm going out for a walk. I need some fresh .

9.

Gary always wants things quickly. He hasn't got much .

/ umbrella

10. I think it's going to rain. Do you have I could borrow?

11. Do you speak any foreign ?
12. Our flat is very small. We haven't got much .

8. Which of the highlighted parts of these sentences is correct?

1.

'Did you hear noise-/ a noise just now?' 'No, I didn't hear anything.'

2.

a If you want to know the news, you can read paper / a paper.
b I want to print some documents, but the printer is out of paper / papers.

3.

a I thought there was somebody in the house because there was light / a light on inside.
b Light / A light comes from the sun.

4.

a I was in a hurry this morning. I didn't have time / a time for breakfast.
b 'Did you enjoy your holiday?' 'Yes, we had wonderful time / a wonderful time.'

5.

This is nice room / a nice room. Did you decorate it yourself?

6.

Sue was very helpful. She gave us some very useful advice / advices.

7.

Did you have nice weather / a nice weather when you were away?

8.

We were very unfortunate. We had bad luck / a bad luck.

9.

Is it difficult to find a work / job at the moment?

10. Our travel/journey from Paris to Moscow by train was very tiring.
11. When the fire alarm rang, there was total chaos / a total chaos.
12. I had to buy a / some bread because I wanted to make some sandwiches.
13. Bad news don't / doesn't make people happy.
14. Your hair is / Your hairs are too long. You should have it / them cut.
15. The damage / the damages caused by the storm will cost a lot to repair.

9. Complete the sentences using the following words. Use the plural (-s) where necessary.
advice / chair / experience / experience / furniture / hair

/ information

/ job

/ luggage

/ permission

progress /

work

1.

I didn't have much - just two small bags.

2.

They'll tell you all you want to know. They'll give you plenty of

3.

There is room for everybody to sit down. There are plenty of .

4.

We have no , not even a bed or a table.

5.

'What does Alan look like?' 'He's got a long beard and very short '

6.

Carla's English is better than it was. She's made .

7.

Mike is unemployed. He can't get a .

8.

Mike is unemployed. He can't get .

9.

If you want to leave early, you have to ask for .

10. I didn't know what to do. So I asked Chris for .

11. I don't think Dan will get the job. He doesn't have enough .
12. Paul has done many interesting things. He could write a book about his .

10. Choose the correct form of the verb. Singular or plural. In one sentence either the singular or plural verb is
possible.
1.

Gymnastics is /are my favourite sport.

2.

The trousers you bought for me doesn't / don't fit me.

3.

The police want / wants to interview two men about the robbery last week.

4.

Physics was / were my best subject at school.

5.

Can I borrow your scissors? Mine isn't / aren't sharp enough.

6.

Fortunately the news wasn't / weren't as bad as we expected.

7.

Where does / do your family live?

8.

Three days isn't / aren't long enough for a good holiday.

9.

I can't find my binoculars. Do you know where it is / they are?

10. It's a nice place to visit. The people is / are very friendly.
11. Does / Do the police know how the accident happened?
12. I don't like very hot weather. Thirty degrees is / are too hot for me.

11. Most of these sentences are wrong. Correct them where necessary.
1.

Three years are a long time to be without a job.

2.

The government want to increase taxes.

3.

Susan was wearing a black jeans.

4.

Brazil are playing Italy in a football match next week

5.

I like Martin and Jane. They're very nice persons.

6.

I need more than ten pounds. Ten pounds aren't enough

7.

I'm going to buy a new pyjama.

8.

The committee haven't made a decision yet.

9.

There was a police directing traffic in the street.

10. What is the police going to do?

11. This scissors isn't very sharp.

12. What did you buy? Use the pictures to make sentences. (I bought).

1.

3.

2.

4.

13. Write sentences with Would you like a ? or Would you like some?

1.

4.

2.

5.

3.

6.

14. Put in a / an or some.

1.

I read book and listened to music.

2.

I need money. I want to buy food.

3.

We met interesting people at the party.

4.

Im going to open window to get fresh air.

5.

She didnt eat much for lunch only apple and bread.

6.

We live in big house. Theres nice garden with beautiful trees.

7.

Im going to make a table. First I need wood.

8.

Listen to me carefully. Im going to give you advice.

9.

I want to write a letter. I need paper and pen.

15. Which is right?

1.

Im going to buy some new shoe / shoes.

2.

Martin has got brown eye / eyes.

3.

Paula has got short black hair / hairs.

4.

The tourist guide gave us some information / informations about the town.

5.

Were going to buys some new chair / chairs.

6.

Were going to buy some new furniture / furnitures.

7.

Its difficult to get a work / job at the moment.

8.

We had lovely weather / a lovely weather when we were on holiday.

16. Write the plural?

1.

flower

11. holiday

21. cat

2.

boat

12. potato

22. dog

3.

woman

13. person

23. song

4.

city

14. mouse

24. basket

5.

umbrella

15. tooth

25. girl

6.

address

16. man

26. dish

7.

knife

17. child

27. kiss

8.

sandwich

18. wolf

28. watch

9.

family

19. fish

29. box

20. leaf

30. buzz

10. foot

17. Look at the pictures and complete the sentences?

1.

There are a lot of in the field.

2.

George is cleaning his

3.

There are thee at the bus stop.

4.

Jill has two

5.

There are a lot of in the river.

6.

The are falling from the tree.

18. Some of these sentences are right but most are wrong. Correct the sentences that are wrong.
1.

Im going to buy some flowers.

8.

He put on his pyjama and went to bed.

2.

I need a new jeans.

9.

We went fishing but we didnt catch many fish.

3.

Its a lovely park with a lot of beautiful tree.

10. Do you know many persons in this town?

4.

There was a woman in the car with two mens.

11. I like your trouser. Where did you buy it?

5.

Sheep eat grass.

12. The town centre is usually full of tourist.

6.

David is married had three childs.

13. I dont like mice. Im afraid of them.

7.

Most of my friend are student.

14. This scissor isnt very sharp.

19. Which is right?

1.

Its a nice place. Many people go / goes there for a holiday.

2.

Some people is / are always late.

3.

The president is not popular. The people dont / doesnt like him.

4.

A lot of people watch / watches TV every day.

5.

Three people was / were injured in the accident.

6.

How many people live / lives in that house?

7.

Do / Does the police carry guns in your country?

8.

The police is / are looking for the stolen car.

I need m glasses but I cant find it / them.

9.

10. Im going to buy a / some new jeans today.

20. Countable or Uncountable?

MAN

CASH

EQUIPMENT

WOMAN

EXPENSE

APPLE

AIR

ORANGE

DOLLAR

WATER

PERSON

SUN

BEER

ORANGE JUICE

NEWSPAPER

MONEY

BANANA

KNOWLEDGE

DESK

OIL

OXYGEN

MILK

PETROL

TENNIS

CAR

FURNITURE

CONCRETE

CHAIR

NEWS

SEAT

BATHROOM

COFFEE

CURRENCY

HORSE

COTTON

ADVERT

FINGER

COMPUTER

CHILD

HOUSE

BUS

HEAT

LESSON

DOOR

KNIFE

RICE

FLAT

ADVICE

BUTTER

ROAD

INFORMATION

21. Which is the correct plural?

1.

CHILD

a.

CHILDS

b.

CHILDS

c.

CHILDREN

2.

HALF

a.

HALFS

b.

HALVES

c.

HALFS

3.

POTATO

a.

POTATOS

b.

POTATOES

c.

BOTH

4.

FISH

a.

FISH

b.

FISHES

c.

BOTH

5.

GOOSE

a.

GEESES

b.

GEESE

c.

GOOSES

6.

AIRCRAFT

a.

AIRCRAFT

b.

AIRCRAFTS

c.

BOTH

7.

CHURCH

a.

CHURCHES

b.

CHURCH

c.

CHURCHS

8.

WOMAN

a.

WOMANS

b.

WOMEN

c.

BOTH

9.

FLY

a.

FLYS

b.

FLIES

c.

FLYS

10. SHEEP

a.

SHEEP

b.

SHEEPS

c.

SHEEPS

11. FOOT

a.

FOOT

b.

FEET

c.

FOOTS

12. OX

a.

OX

b.

OXES

c.

OXEN

13. BOX

a.

BOX

b.

BOXES

c.

BOXEN

14. MOUSE

a.

MOUSESS

b.

MOUSES

c.

MICE

22. Look at the

about the people

family tree. Write sentences

in the family.

1.

(Brian / husband)

2.

(Julia / mother)

3.

(Mary / wife)

4.

(James / brother)

5.

(James / uncle)

6.

(Julia / wife)

7.

(Mary / grandmother)

8.

(Julia / sister)

9.

(Paul / husband)

10. (Paul / father)

11. (Daniel / nephew)

23. Look at the pictures and answer the questions. Use one word only.

Whose is this?

Whose is this?

Whose is this?

Whose is this?

Whose is this?

Whose is this?

24. Are these sentences ok? Correct the sentences where necessary.
1.

I stayed at the house of my sister.

2.

What is the name of this village?

3.

Do you like the colour of this coat?

4.

Do you know the phone number of Bill?

5.

The job of my brother is very interesting.

6.

Write your name at the top of the page.

7.

For me the morning is the best part of the day.

8.

The favourite colour of Paula is blue.

9.

When is the birthday of your mother?

10. The house of my parents isnt very big.

11. The walls of this house are very thin.

12. The car stopped at the end of the street.

13. Are you going to the party of Silvia next week?

14. The manager of the hotel is on holiday at the moment.

15. Who is the owner of this restaurant?

16. Where are the children of Chris?

17. Is this the umbrella of your friend?

18. Ive never met the daughter of Charles.

19. Have you met the son of Mary and Dan?

20. We dont know the cause of the problem.

21. Do we still have the newspaper of yesterday?

22. Whats the name of this street?

23. What is the cost of a new computer?

24. The friends of your children are here.

25. The garden of our neighbours is very nice.

26. I work on the ground floor of the building.

27. The hair of Bill is very long.

28. I couldnt go to the party of Catherine.

29. Whats the name of the woman who lives next door?

30. Have you seen the car of the parents of Mike?

31. What the meaning of this expression?

32. Do you agree with the economic policy of the government?

25. What is another way of saying these things? Use s.

1.

a hat for a woman

2.

a name for a boy

3.

clothes for children

4.

a school for girls

5.

a nest for a bird

6.

a magazine for women

26. What is the correct plural of the word?

1.

How many (person) study English as a second language?

2.

Five (woman) opened a computer services company.

3.

Even (child) enjoy learning on the Internet.

4.

Most basketball players are 6 (foot) tall or more.

5.

Which breed of (sheep) produces the finest wool?

6.

My (tooth) are sensitive to the cold.

7.

At daylight savings time, we have to change our (watch)

8.

The boy went fishing and caught 10 (fish)

9.

There are 10 (man) in the Maintenance Department.

10. The (wife) keep their (knife) on the (shelf)

27. Complete the sentences with the correct possessive noun.

1.

the house belonging to Julie

That is house.

2.

the name of the cat

My name is Maggie.

3.

the car belonging to my friend

My car.

4.

the newspaper from yesterday

Did you read newspaper?

5.

the restroom for ladies

Where is the restroom?

6.

the cars belonging to my friends

I saw my cars in the parking lot.

7.

the tests taken by the students

The teacher will return the tests after lunch.

8.

the restroom for men

Where is the restroom?

9.

the choice of the people

Vote for this candidate. He is the choice.

10. the tracks of the geese

It was easy to follow the tracks in the snow.

11. the house belonging to Mr. Janis

Where is house?

12. the shoes belonging to Curtis

Those are shoes.

13. the sister of Ross

Monica is sister.

28. Choose the correct possessive noun for each sentence.

1.

I met Mrs. Browns daughter / Mrs. Browns daughter / Mrs. Brownss daughter.

2.

Welcome to our home. You may sleep in my sons bedroom / my sonss bedroom / my sons bedroom tonight. (one son)

3.

I met Franks sister / Franks sister / Frankss sister at a party last week.

4.

Why are you reading yesterdays newspaper / yesterdays newspaper / yesterdays newspaper?

5.

The bicycles child / childs bicycle / childss bicycle is damaged.

6.

Sara is my wifes name / my wifes name / my names wife.

7.

I heard the cowss bell / the cows bell / the bells cow ringing earlier.

8.

Pauls friend / Paulss friend / Pauls friend is about to leave.

9.

On Thanksgiving, a turkeys life / a turkeys life / a turkeyss life is short. (the life of a turkey)

10. Abraham Lincoln was Americas 16

th

President / Americass 16th President / Americas 16th President.

29. Decide whether to use much or many.

1.

She has so many / much friends!

2.

Too many / much cooks spoil the broth.

3.

Hurry up. I dont have so many / much time.

4.

We went to a dairy yesterday. I had never seen so many / much cows before.

5.

Its also quite amazing how many / much milk these cows produce every day.

6.

You have too many / much money. Wont you share it with me?

7.

There are so many / much poor people in the world.

8.

There are to many / much children in the house.

9.

My father doesnt drink many / much coffee.

10. How many / much of you have ever been to London?

Spelling Plural Nouns ADDING S

Rule 1. MOST NOUNS

To pluralize most nouns, simply add S.
Examples: a. one cat two cats
b. one lake two lakes
c. one boy two boys

Rule 2. CONSONANT + Y
To pluralize consonant + Y nouns, change Y to IES.
Examples: a. one city two cities
b. one baby two babies

Exercise 1. Write the plural nouns.

ONE
TWO
E.g. telephone
telephones

Exercise 2. Write the plural nouns.

ONE
TWO
E.g. family
families

* * *NOTE: Vowel + Y follows Rule 1.

1. friend

1. dictionary

2. banana

2. toy

3. television

3. body

4. piano

4. discovery

5. computer

5. holiday

Rule 3. NOUNS WITH F

To pluralize nouns with F, change F to VES.
Examples: a. one shelf two shelves
b. myself ourselves

***NOTE: This rule does NOT work with:

roof, hoof, chief, belief, cliff

Rule 4. ADD ES
To pluralize nouns ending in -ch -sh -s -x -z add ES.
Examples: a. one church two churches
b. one wish two wishes
c. one kiss two kisses
d. one box two boxes
e. one buzz two buzzes

Exercise 3. Write the plural nouns.

ONE
TWO
E.g. wife
wives

Exercise 4. Write the plural nouns.

ONE
TWO
E.g. fax
faxes

1. knife

1. wristwatch

2. life

2. batch

3. roof

3. dish

4. belief

4. blintz

5. half

5. mix

Exercise 5. Write the plural nouns.

ONE

TWO

ONE

1. cherry

11. donkey

TWO

ONE
21. loaf

TWO

2. dog

12. laboratory

22. room

3. day

13. bus

23. wolf

4. berry

14. beach

24. boss

5. love

15. student

25. class

6. boyfriend

16. lady

26. factory

7. sweetheart

17. sister

27. monkey

8. university

18. rash

28. fox

9. song

19. thief

29. match

10. leaf

20. glass

30. brother