Noun | Be expert in noun

NOUN:

 The name of a person, place or a thing is called a noun.

Usage of noun:

1. non-countable nouns as singular:

• I enjoyed many sceneries of Kashmir. (Wrong).
• I enjoyed the scenery of Kashmir. (Right)
• Ali gave me an information. (Wrong)
• Ali gave me a piece of information. (Right)

List:

    A piece of, a word of, an item of, a slice of, loaves of .

• She bakes bread. (Right)
• She bakes two breads. (Wrong)
• She bakes two slices of bread. (Right)

2. Nouns ending with "s" used as singular:

List:

       Physics, mathematics, statistics, politics, civics, economics ..... billiards, gymnastics, athletics, sports ..... United States, west Indies, Maldives, The United Arab Emirates, United Nations, Gallows, mumps, measles, The Arabian Knights, Daffodils.

• Statistics is not an easy subject.

Exceptions:

• His politics are not interested for us.
• His mathematics are not easy to understand.

3. Plural nouns donating distance/ time/ measurements/ quantity and amount used as singular.

• Ten miles is a long distance.
• Twenty rupees is not a big amount.

4. Noun in singular form used as plural:

List:

    Alphabet, vacation, vermin.

• English alphabet are twenty six.
• Vermin were destroyed by chemical spray.

Exceptions:

• Summer and winter vacations are good.
• English and Arabic alphabets are used.

5. Nouns having same singular and plural:

List:

     Sheep, deer, paisa, gross, Heathen, yoke, pair, swine, head, moose, grouse, fish and its its variety, aircraft, space craft, hover craft, dice, fruit, offspring, species, series, innings, corps.

• I saw two deer. (Right)
• Give me two paisa. (Right)
• I bought forty cattles. (Wrong)
• I bought a head of forty cattles. (Right)

6. Nouns ending with "s" used as plural:

List:

     Trousers, shorts, pyjamas, sleeves, knickers, pants, jeans, tights ..... Scissors, tweezers, shears, tongs, pliers, pincers, spectacles, glasses, goggles, thanks, congratulations, belongings, outskirts.

• This glasses is/are broken.
• Your trousers are/is tight.

7. Numeral noun:

List:

    Dozen, score, hundred, thousand, million, billion, trillion.

  When noun + "of" --------> Add s/es

   Adjective ----------> s/es.

• Millions of stars are wondering in the sky.
• Three millions stars are there in the sky.

8. Noun as modifier is usually singular:

• F.Sc is a two years programme.

Exceptions:

     A clothes brushes, goods train, Two-thirds majority, an accounts officer, customs officer.

9. Foreign names:

       Some plural foreign names are given below:

    Criteria, data, fungi, stimuli, algae, Bacteria, phenomena.

10. Pairs of noun:

(1) Cloth/ clothes:

  Cloth means a piece of fabric while clothes means garments.

• I visited a cloth shop.
• The tailor is stitching clothes/ cloth.

(2) vegetable/ vegetables:

     Vegetable is used for any plant while while vegetables means eatable plants.

• We eat vegetables/ vegetable.
• Brinjal is my favourite vegetable.
• Cabbage and lady fingers are my favorite vegetables.

(3) odd/ odds:

     Odd means strange while odds means chances/ conditions.

• I dislike your odd habits.
• Odds are against you.

(4) Compliment/ compliments:

     Compliment means remarks of admiration/ respect/ praise while compliments is used for greetings/ best wishes.

• Pay my compliment to the chef on preparing delicious food.
• Pay my compliments to your parents at home.

(5) Regard/ regards:

     Similar to point (4).

(6) hair/ hairs:

 Hair is used for uncountable things and singular verb is used/ hairs is used for countable things and plural verb is used.

• Your hair are/ is white.
• Your two hairs are/ is white.

(7) Remain/ remains:

     Remain means continue while remains means left overs/ Remaining parts.

• Much remain to be done.
• Mrs. Wickett came to clear away the remains of the party.

(8) Room/ rooms:

   Room is used for buildings while rooms is used for rented house.

• Ali is in his room.
• Mr. Chips took his rooms with Mr. Wickett.

(9) Wood/ woods:

     Wood is a material while woods means forests.

• This chair is made of wood.

(10) Water/ waters:

     Water (H2O) is a drinking liquid while waters means river/ waterbody.

11. Nouns vs verbs:

      Affect (V), effect (N)/ Advise (V), advice (N)/ practice (N), practise (V)/ breathe (V), breath (N)/ wreath (N), wreath (V).

12. Nouns and possessive:

• This is Ali's book.
• This is waqas's book.
• This is waqas' book.
• This is boy's book.
• This is boys's book. (Wrong)
• This is boys' book. 
• This is children's book.
• For justice's sake. 

List:

• Time: yesterday's newspaper.
• Country name: Pakistan's nuclear program.
• City: BWP's culture.
• World: unemployment is world's biggest problem.
• Animals: Cat's favorite food.
• Organization/ company: Johnson's lotion.

13. Collective noun:

(a) Confirmed plural:

     Poultry, cattle, police, people, gentry, clergy.

NOTE:

   Other collective nouns will depend on context.

List:

   Team, army, family, committee, jury.

     If above nouns are used in positive sense then singular verb is used but if used in negative sense then plural verbs are used.

• The jury were divided in their opinion.
• The jury was unanimous in its decision.
• This team was announced.