Count nouns have two forms: singular and plural.
Singular count nouns refer to one person or thing:
| a teacher | a book | a wish | an idea |
Plural count nouns refer to more than one person or thing:
| teachers | books | wishes | ideas |
Singular count nouns
Singular count nouns cannot be used alone. They must have a determiner:
| the English teacher | that book | a wish | my latest idea |
- Singular count nouns 1
- Singular count nouns 2
Plural count nouns
We usually add –s to make a plural noun:
| book | > | books |
| school | > | schools |
| friend | > | friends |
We add –es to nouns ending in –s, –ch, –sh, –ss, –x and –o:
| class | > | classes |
| watch | > | watches |
| gas | > | gases |
| wish | > | wishes |
| box | > | boxes |
| potato | > | potatoes |
When a noun ends in a consonant and –y, we make the plural with –ies:
| lady | > | ladies |
| country | > | countries |
| party | > | parties |
If a noun ends in a vowel and –y, we simply add –s:
| boy | > | boys |
| day | > | days |
| play | > | plays |
Some common nouns have irregular plurals:
| man | > | men |
| woman | > | women |
| child | > | children |
| person | > | people |
| foot | > | feet |
- Plural count nouns 1
- Plural count nouns 2
Plural count nouns do not have a general determiner when they refer to people or things in general:
Computers are very expensive.
Do you sell old books?
But they may have a specific determiner:
Those computers are very expensive.
The books in that shop are very expensive.
Her sisters live there.
or a quantifier:
| some new books | a few teachers | lots of good ideas |
or a numeral:
| two new books | three wishes |
- Plural count nouns 3
- Plural count nouns 4
- Plural count nouns 5
Comments
Dear Sir,
This is about noun phrases.
Following phrases are noun phrases. Do we need to use comma between noun phrases when using it with actual sentence?
an eight-year, old boy with a gun, who tried to rob a sweet shop
that girl over there, in a green dress, drinking a Coke
Hello Chekytan,
I'd say your question is more about punctuation than about noun phrases. Punctuation is usually something done at the level of the sentence -- in other words, I'd need to see the complete sentences these phrases are a part of to be able to recommend adequate punctuation.
But, at a glance, I can say that the second one would probably be OK in many situations. The second one would probably be punctuated something like 'an eight-year-old boy with a gun who tried to rob a sweet shop'. But as I said, it depends on the complete sentence it is a part of.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Dear sir,
which group of sentences is correct, especially about the usage of punctuation?
Some people saw an eight-year old boy, with a gun, who tried to rob a sweet shop.
I love that girl over there, in a green dress, drinking a Coke.
or
Some people saw an eight-year old boy with a gun who tried to rob a sweet shop.
I love that girl over there in a green dress drinking a Coke.
Hello CHEKYTAN,
In your second sentence you should say 'the green dress' rather than 'a green dress'.
As far as punctuation goes, I think the most likely option for the first sentence is this:
For the second sentence there are various possibilities. You could have no comma:
Alternatively, you could include one or more commas:
It really depends on the context and the author's intention and style.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Dear Sir,
Great, Thanks!
This is really helpful.
Hello,
I would like to ask which of the following is correct
1.The house has got a lot of windows or
2. The house has got lots of windows?
Thank you in advance
Hello
I would like to ask which of the following is correct
1.The house is close to shops, schools and mall Or
2.The house is close to the shops, the schools and a mall?
Thank you in advance
Hello agie,
Neither is incorrect. As is often the case with articles, it depends upon the context in which the sentence is used and what knowledge is already shared between the interlocutors.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
I would like to ask you which of the following is correct
When we sell a house we say.
1.The good/bad thing is that it has a small garden and a small kitchen or
2. The good /bad things are the..and the..
Thank you in advance
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