Nouns

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Nouns are categorized as proper, count, non-count and collective.

Proper Nouns

Nouns that name specific things that are identified with an individual name are proper nouns. The first letter is capitalized.

Michael Jordan
Pepsi Cola,
New York

Count / Countable Nouns

See count / non-count nouns examples

Countable nouns are those that identify individual items, either singly or as members of groups. In other words, the single entities may be counted.

cat
tree
Dr. Adams
book
nut
bean

Determiners patterning with count nouns may be singular or plural, depending on the number of the noun.

Non-Count / Uncountable (Mass Nouns)

Uncountables identify undifferentiated mass, things that are not usually considered countable by individual items..

water
milk
grass
sand
news
money

Non-count nouns are usually singular and modified by words such as much, more, less and some.

some sugar
less water

Some Measurements:

a ton of iron
a spoonful of sugar

Collective Nouns

A collective noun is a singular noun that refers to more than one thing as a members of a single unit.

herd
bunch
company
army
family
tribe

Singular / Plural Nouns

See details on singular plural

Most of the nouns are made plural by adding an 's':

pen - pens
pencil - pencils
book - books
file - files

Nouns ending with s, ss, z, zz, x, ch, sh, and tch are made plural by adding "es" to the singular form:

wish - wishes
watch - watches
fox - foxes
bus - buses

If a noun's singular form ends with a consonant plus y, you must change the y to I and then add "es":

baby - babies
candy - candies
sky - skies
spy - spies


Warning! Proper nouns are exceptions to the rule.

the Wendys (not Wendies)
the Kennedys (not Kennedies)

Some Irregular Plural Forms:

man - men
woman - women
foot - feet
tooth - teeth
child - children
medium- media


Warning!

A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Therefore:

The media are presenting the story inaccurately.
Women are usually more sensitive than men.

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