2. NOUN
A Noun is a word used to represent the name of a person, place or an object.
Eg: Ram, Delhi, and Book.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
3. Kinds of Nouns
Divided into two main classes
i) Concrete Nouns
ii) Abstract Nouns
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
4. i) Concrete Nouns
Concrete noun is a noun that can be physically experienced through one of the
five senses: taste, touch, sight, hearing or smell.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
9. Proper Noun
A Proper Noun indicates the
name of a particular person or
place.
These always begin with a
capital letter.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
10. ii) Abstract Nouns
An Abstract Noun is used to describe a certain
quality, which can only be felt but cannot be
seen.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
11. Countable Nouns
Anything that can be counted, whether
singular – a dog, a house, a friend, etc. or
plural – a few books, lots of oranges, etc. is
a countable noun.
Eg:
● Your book is on the kitchen
table.
● How many candles are on that
birthday cake?
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
12. Uncountable Nouns
Anything that cannot be counted is an
uncountable noun. Even though uncountable
nouns are not individual objects, they are always
singular and one must always use singular verbs
in conjunction with uncountable nouns.
Note: They do not have plural forms.
Eg:
❏ I need to find information about Pulitzer Prize winners.
❏ You seem to have a high level of intelligence.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
13. Note:
● Abstract Nouns are mainly uncountable nouns.
● Concrete nouns are mainly countable nouns.
● Countable nouns have a plural. They may be used with such words as one,
two, few, a few, many, several.
Eg: two mice, a few houses
● Uncountable nouns cannot be used with such words but may be used with
little, a little and much.
Eg: much dirt, a large amount of gold, a great deal of money, a
small quantity of salad
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
14. Correct Usage of Nouns
Some nouns have the same form in the
plural as in the singular.
Eg: Sheep
Deer
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
15. Several nouns used in counting, when preceded by
numerals, are unaltered in the plural. (dozen, million, pair,
couple)
Eg: This car costs sixty thousand rupees.
She bought two dozen apples.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
16. Collective nouns such as a group, a crowd, a herd, a flock, a
regiment, a fleet, a congregation are usually singular even when
followed by the adjunct, and they take a singular verb.
A group of people was standing at the gate.
A herd of cattle was grazing in the field.
The people in our village are standing at the gate.
The cattle were grazing in the field.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
17. ‘Class’ nouns such as clothing, food, furniture,
machinery, crockery, cutlery, stationery and
footwear are singular, and must therefore take a
singular verb.
Eg:
● Some stationery is required to be purchased
immediately.
● Much food is wasted in our country.
● The furniture is to be polished today.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
18. A pair of, When applied to
things when two components
are always thought of
together is singular.
Eg: That pair of scissors belongs to me.
But if we omit the word ‘ a
pair of’ and merely use the
plural word, it must take a
plural verb.
Eg: Those scissors belong to me.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
19. A lot of, a great deal of, plenty of, most of
and some of are singular when they refer to
amount or quantity, but plural when they
refer to number.
Eg: A lot of people drink tea every morning.
A lot of work still remains to be done.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
20. News, though it has a plural
form, is always used in the
singular.
Eg: This news is too good to be true.
Names of certain diseases
and certain sciences or
branches of knowledge
which end in -s are also
singular.
Eg: Physics is an important subject
these days.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
21. Advice is never used in the
plural Eg: He gave me much good advice.
Abstract nouns are generally
not used in the plural number.
Eg:
Leave off such stupidities.
Leave off such acts of stupidity.
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
22. GENDER OF NOUNS
Four genders in English
a) Masculine Gender
b) Feminine Gender
c) Neuter Gender
d) Common Gender
Mrs.A.Poornima Devi, VVV College, VNR
