About this ebook
This Book Covers The Following Topics:
(I). What are Nouns
(II). Types of Nouns
A. Proper Noun
B. Common Noun
C. Collective Noun
D. Material Noun
E. Abstract Noun
F. Concrete Noun
G. Compound Noun
H-1. Countable Noun -- Singular Noun
H-2. Countable Noun -- Plural Noun
I. Uncountable or Mass Noun
J. Possessive Noun
(III-A). Countable & Uncountable Nouns – Categorization
1. always countable (both singular & plural) | no uncountable
2. always uncountable | no countable
3A. uncountable + countable (both singular & plural)
3B. uncountable + singular
4A. always singular | no plural
4B. always plural | no singular
5A. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular & plural)
5B. (a). countable (singular and plural) | (b). singular
5C. (a). countable (singular and plural) | (b). plural
5D. (a). countable (singular and plural) | (b). singular | (c). plural
5E. (a). always uncountable | (b). always singular
5F. (a). always uncountable | (b). always plural
6. (a). uncountable and countable (singular as well as plural) | (b). countable (singular as well as plural)
7. (a). uncountable | (b). uncountable + countable (singular as well as plural)
8A. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (singular as well as plural) | (c). uncountable + countable (singular as well as plural)
8B. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). singular
8C. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). plural
9A-1. countable: usually singular
9A-2. uncountable + usually singular
9A-3. (a). uncountable | (b). usually singular
9A-4. (a). uncountable | (b). usually plural
9A-5. (a). usually singular | (b). countable (both singular and plural)
9B-1. countable: usually plural
9B-2. (a). usually plural | (b). countable (both singular and plural)
9C. (a). always singular | (b). always plural
9D. (a). ‘usually singular’ | (b). ‘usually plural’
9E. Miscellaneous Patterns
10. Additional Countable and Uncountable Nouns
(III-B). Nouns with Singular/Plural Verbs
1. uncountable noun + singular/plural verb
2. singular noun + singular/plural verb
3. countable noun (in singular form) + singular/plural verb
(III-C1). Formation of Plural Nouns
(1). REGULAR PLURAL NOUNS
(2). IRREGULAR PLURAL NOUNS
(A). “-y” is changed into “-ies”
(B). “-f” and “-fe” is changed into “-ves”
(C). “-is” is changed into “-es”
(D). “-um” is changed into “-a”
(E). “-us” is changed into “-i”
(F). “-on/-ian” is changed into “-a”
(G). “-ax” / “-ex” is changed into “-ices”
(H1). Compound words without dashes
(H2). Compound words with dashes
(H3). Compound words with a verb
(H4). Double Plural
(I). “-a” is sometimes changed into “-ae”
(J). Change of vowel(s)
(J1). “-an” is changed into “-en”
(J2). “-oo” is changed into “-ee”
(J3). “-o” is changed into “-i”
(J4). “-u” is changed into “-ux”
(K). Irregular Nouns That Do Not Change When Made Plural
(L). Irregular Nouns That Change Substantially
(M). Other Irregular Plural Nouns
(III-C2). Formation of Nouns from Other Parts of Speech
C2-a. Formation of Nouns from Other Nouns
C2-b. Formation of Nouns from Adjectives
C2-c. Formation of Nouns from Verbs
(IV). Nouns and Genders
Manik Joshi
Manik Joshi was born on January 26, 1979, at Ranikhet, a picturesque town in the Kumaon region of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. He is a permanent resident of the Sheeshmahal area of Kathgodam located in the city of Haldwani in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in India. He completed his schooling in four different schools. He is a science graduate in the ZBC – zoology, botany, and chemistry – subjects. He is also an MBA with a specialization in marketing. Additionally, he holds diplomas in "computer applications", "multimedia and web-designing", and "computer hardware and networking". During his schooldays, he wanted to enter the field of medical science; however, after graduation he shifted his focus to the field of management. After obtaining his MBA, he enrolled in a computer education center; he became so fascinated with working on the computer that he decided to develop his career in this field. Over the following years, he worked at some computer-related full-time jobs. Following that, he became interested in Internet Marketing, particularly in domaining (business of buying and selling domain names), web design (creating websites), and various other online jobs. However, later he shifted his focus solely to self-publishing. Manik is a nature-lover. He has always been fascinated by overcast skies. He is passionate about traveling and enjoys solo-travel most of the time rather than traveling in groups. He is actually quite a loner who prefers to do his own thing. He likes to listen to music, particularly when he is working on the computer. Reading and writing are definitely his favorite pastimes, but he has no interest in sports. Manik has always dreamed of a prosperous life and prefers to live a life of luxury. He has a keen interest in politics because he believes it is politics that decides everything else. He feels a sense of gratification sharing his experiences and knowledge with the outside world. However, he is an introvert by nature and thus gives prominence to only a few people in his personal life. He is not a spiritual man, yet he actively seeks knowledge about the metaphysical world; he is particularly interested in learning about life beyond death. In addition to writing academic/informational text and fictional content, he also maintains a personal diary. He has always had a desire to stand out from the crowd. He does not believe in treading the beaten path and avoids copying someone else's path to success. Two things he alwa...
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Nouns In the English Language - Manik Joshi
A Noun is a word used for naming some person, place, or things such as activities, concepts, or ideas, and animate or inanimate objects.
person: warrior, David, cousin, writer, coach
place: school, building, Paris, college, Germany, street
activities: reading, jogging, swimming
concepts or ideas: confidence, decency, kindness, pleasure, uncertainty
animate objects: ant, tiger, whale
inanimate objects: computer, bridge, canal. letters, manuscript, plastic, diamond
FUNCTIONS OF NOUN
A noun can function as a subject, a direct object, an indirect object, or a complement in a sentence.
Examples:
Flowers spread fragrance. [noun (flowers) as a subject]
He gave John a pencil [noun (John) as an indirect object; noun (pencil) as a direct object]
They are tigers. [noun (tigers) as a complement]
Noun Phrase: A noun with any sort of modifier and determiner is called a noun phrase. A noun phrase can function as a subject, a direct object, an indirect object, or a complement in a sentence in the same manner as a noun do.
Examples:
Listening to music relaxes many of us.
(Here, the noun phrase is the subject of the verb relaxes.
)
He is playing a fun video game.
(Here, the noun phrase is the direct object of the verb do.
)
They were great teams.
(Here, the noun phrase is a subject complement following the linking verb were.
)
APPOSITIVE NOUN
An appositive noun is a noun that immediately follows another noun and gives more information about it.
Example: His friend, Jacob, is a good player.
Jacob is an appositive here, giving more information about the subject of the sentence, my friend.
NOUN AND THE CASE
Noun cases refer to a noun's function within a sentence.
01. Subjective or Nominative Case: When a Noun is used as the Subject to a Verb, it is said to be in the Nominative Case. [Example: People are running.]
02. Objective or Accusative Case: When a Noun is used as the Direct Object of a Verb or as the Object to a Preposition, it is said to be in the Accusative Case. [Example: She gave me a gift.]
03. Genitive (or Possessive) Case: When a Noun is used to show ownership or possession, it is said to be in the Genitive (or Possessive) Case. [Example: His friend’s pet 6-month old.]
04. Vocative Case: When a Noun is used for the sake of address, it is said to be in the Vocative Case. [Example: Walk fast, David!]
05. Dative Case: When a Noun is used as the Indirect Object of a Verb, it is said to be in The Dative Case. [Example: We gave the student a book.]
(II). Types of Nouns
Nouns are of 10 different kinds.
1. Proper noun
2. Common Noun
3. Collective Noun
4. Material Noun
5. Abstract Noun
6. Concrete Noun
7. Compound Noun
8. Countable Noun
9. Uncountable (or Mass) Noun
10. Possessive Noun
Important Note: it is common for a noun to fit into several noun categories.
A. Proper Noun
A Proper Noun is used to indicate a particular person, place, organization, thing, or idea as different from every other.
Examples of Proper Nouns:
David (a particular man)
Rosy (a particular girl)
William Wordsworth (a poet)
Albert Einstein (a scientist)
Amazon (a particular river)
London (a particular city)
Mars / Venus / Jupiter / Pluto / Saturn / Uranus (planets)
Uncle Sam
Himalaya (a particular mountain)
France (a particular country)
Vivo (a particular company)
Deutsche Bank (a particular bank)
Oxford University (a particular institution)
Christmas (a particular festival)
Hindi (a particular language)
Monday (a particular day)
April (a particular month)
The Bible (a particular book)
Proper nouns are always written in capital letters whether they come in the starting, middle, or end of the sentence.
Some proper nouns are written with the use of 'THE'. We generally use 'the' for names of rivers, seas, oceans, famous buildings, newspaper names, unique people or objects, etc.
the Pacific Ocean
the New York Times
the Sun
the Moon
the Eiffel tower
the White House
the World Bank
Sentences with proper nouns:
Company management will host a conference call on Tuesday.
George Washington never lived in the White House.
The World Bank classifies France as a wealthy, high-income nation.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun.
B. Common Noun
A common noun does not indicate any particular person, place, organization, thing or idea, but is common to any and every person, place, organization, thing, or idea of the same kind. The ‘common nouns’ name to general items while ‘proper nouns’ name to specific ones. They are not capitalized.
Examples of Common Nouns: apple / apricot / baby / banana / bank / bear / bed / bird / book / box / boy / buffalo / building / cabbage / camera / carrot / cat / chair / child / city / coat / college / company / continent / country / cow / day / doctor / dog / driver / engineer / festival / friend / frog / girl / horse / hotel / house / institution / laboratory / language / library / lion / mall / man / mobile / month / mountain / officer / park / person / philosopher / planet / restaurant / river / school / scientist / shop / state / student / table / teacher / television / tiger / town / truck / village / wolf / woman / writer / zoo
The word ‘mountain’ does not indicate any particular mountain, such as the Himalayas but could be used for any and every mountain.
The word ‘month’ does not indicate any particular month such as April but could be used for any and every month.
The word ‘language’ does not indicate any particular language, such as Hindi, but could be used for any and every language.
The word ‘tower’ does not indicate any particular tower, such as Eifel Tower, but could be used for any and every tower.
A proper noun becomes a common noun when it indicates a class of persons, places, organizations, things, or ideas and is used descriptively.
He is the Shakespeare of our country (= He is the great playwright of our country.)
A common noun becomes a proper noun when it is personified. Personification is giving human attributes to nonhuman objects or ideas.
Death has laid his icy hands on him.
(In this sentence ‘death’ has been conceptualized as a person.)
Common nouns have their plurals: apples / apricots / babies / bananas / banks / bears / beds / birds / books / boxes / boys / buffaloes / buildings / cabbages / cameras / carrots / cats / chairs / children / cities / coats / colleges / companies / continents / countries / cows / days / doctors / dogs / drivers / engineers / festivals / friends / frogs / girls / horses / hotels / houses / institutions / laboratories / languages / libraries / lions / malls / men / mobiles / months / mountains / officers / parks / persons / philosophers / planets / restaurants / rivers / schools / scientists / shops / states / students / tables / teachers / televisions / tigers / towns / trucks / villages / wolves / women / writers / zoos
Sentences with common nouns:
Learning a language takes time.
Holi is the festival of colors.
Does anyone really need any expertise to become a philosopher?
Many children watch too much digital media.
C. Collective Noun
A Collective Noun denotes a group or collection of similar individuals, to make them one entity. For instance, there may be many mango trees in an orchard, but only one grove. Here, the mango tree is a common noun, because it may stand for any and every olive tree. But GROVE is a collective noun because it stands for all the olive trees and not for any particular olive tree taken separately.
Examples of Collective Nouns:
an armada of vessels
an army of soldiers
an array of services
an assortment of gifts
a band of musicians
a bale of paper
a barrage of complaints
a batch of images
a bevy of laws
a board of directors
a brigade of troops
a brood of foxes
a bunch of grapes
a bundle of sticks
a caravan of camels
a chain of islands
a choir of singers
A class of Students
a cloud of locusts
a clump of bushes
a cluster of stars
a contingent of athletes
a convoy of trucks
a crate of bananas
a crew of sailors
a drove of tourists
a fleet of buses
a flight of birds
a flock of hens
a gaggle of geese
a galaxy of stars
a gang of criminals
a hail of bullets
a heap of rubble
a herd of deer
a horde of patients
a jumble of ideas
a litter of puppies
a mound of sand
a pack of hounds
a pair of shoes
a panel of artists
a pile of books
a posse of policemen
a set of rules
a squad of players
a swarm of locusts
a torrent of complaints
a volley of questions
The collective noun may be singular or plural, depending on how it’s used.
Sentences with collective nouns:
Farmers tried to scare away a swarm of locusts from their fields.
A building collapsed into a heap of rubble.
We came across a herd of deer trying to cross from one side to the other.
The president answered a volley of questions posed by young leaders from across the country.
D. Material Noun
A Noun of Material denotes the matter or substance of which things are made. The same word can be a Material Noun or a Common Noun according to the context.
The average chicken may live for five to ten years. (Chicken: Common Noun)
Is chicken good for health? (Chicken: Material Noun)
In the first sentence, the Noun denotes individual chicken or chickens and is, therefore, a Common Noun. In the second it denotes the matter of which the bodies of chicken is made and is, therefore, a Material Noun. Material nouns are generally uncountable.
Examples of Material Nouns:
air / brass / brick / bronze / calcium / cement / clay / cloth / coal / copper / cotton / diamond / earth / fiber / glass / gold / iron / jute / lead / leather / marble / metal / oil / paper / plastic / rain / rock / rubber / salt / sand / silk / silver / steel / stone / sunlight / water / wood / wool
Sentences with material nouns:
These are superior quality bricks and are used in the construction of tall towers.
The predominant type of cotton grown is upland, which accounts for about 97 percent of U.S. production.
The term wool is generally used to describe fiber obtained from sheep or lambs.
E. Abstract Noun
An Abstract Noun speaks of the action, state, quality, concept, etc. which cannot be seen, heard, touched, smelt, or tasted. we cannot recognize them through our senses. They are intangible ideas. We can only feel them such as emotions, concepts, traits, etc. The names of Arts and Sciences are also Abstract Nouns. Abstract nouns can be countable (such as ‘a noise’) or uncountable (such as pleasure)
Examples of Abstract Nouns:
Action — movement, walk, flight, retribution, justice
State — adulthood, bondage, excitement, deficiency, happiness, infancy, sadness, satisfaction, uncertainty
Quality — gentleness, honesty, intelligence, loyalty, modesty, tallness, tint, quickness
Arts and Sciences — physics, sociology, music
Some More Examples of Abstract Nouns:
adoration / advancement / adventure / allegiance / amazement / annoyance / anxiety / approval / arrogance / autocracy / beauty / belief / bravery / brilliance / brutality / capacity / charity / chilliness / clarity / comfort / communication / compassion / compliance / confidence / courage / culture / curiosity / deceit / dedication / defeat / democracy / depression / desolation / despair / determination / disorder / disquiet / distrust / disturbance / dreams / education / elation / energy / enhancement / enthusiasm / exhilaration / failure / fascination / favoritism / fear / forgiveness / fragility / frailty / freedom / friendship / frustration / generosity / goodness / gossip / gratification / grief / honesty / honor / hospitality / humility / humor / idea / imagination / immorality / impression / inanity / inflation / information / information / insistence / integrity / intelligence / jealousy / joblessness / joy / justice / kindness / laughter / leisure / liberation / liberty / life / love / luck / luxury / madness / maturity / memory / mercy / motivation / movement / nervousness / opinion / opportunity / pain / patience / patriotism / peace / peculiarity / pleasure / poverty / power / principle / reality / refreshment / relaxation / relief / resentment / riches / romance / rumor / sanity / sensitivity / service / shock / silliness / skill / slavery / sleep / sophistication / sorrow / speculation / speed / strength / strictness / stylishness / success / surprise / sympathy / talent / thought / thrill / tiredness / tolerance / triumph / trouble / trust / trust / truth / truthfulness / uncertainty / unreality / wariness / warmth / weakness / wealth / weariness / wisdom / worry
Sentences with abstract nouns:
Most people think of generosity in terms of money.
Demonstrate your ability to turn challenges into opportunities.
Tiredness that goes on for a long time is not normal.
Lifting people out of poverty ought to be on top of the government's priority.
F. Concrete Noun
A concrete noun is something that can be perceived through one of the five senses. For instance, a cake is something you can see, touch or smell so it is a concrete noun. There is a long list of concrete nouns as there are many objects that we can experience through our senses.
Examples of Concrete Nouns:
Things we can touch: ball, taxi, furniture, bird
Things we can smell: aroma, fragrance, odor
Things we can hear: music, song, voice
Things we can see: sky, tree, ocean
Things we can taste: sweetness, sourness
Sentences with concrete nouns:
Most people are attracted to a pleasing fragrance.
What are the best stores for buying furniture online
My apartment has a strange odor I have been unable to identify.
G. Compound Noun
A compound noun combines two words in one. When they are connected by a hyphen and called hyphenated compounds (e.g.: load-shedding). When they have a space between them, they are called open compounds (e.g.: inner ear). When they have no space they are called closed compounds (e.g.: healthcare)
Examples of Compound Nouns:
afterword / aircrew / arrowhead / art-house / atom bomb / backsliding / bandwidth / blood bank / boardroom / buzzword / caretaker / catch-up / claw-back / cold cream / craftsman / damage control / deadweight / dipstick / double-booking / double-dealing / ear-piercing / eggplant / electric shock / end-user / eye-opener / faint-hearted / father-in-law / figure of speech / fly-by / flying-post / free-hold / game-changer / get-together / goalkeeper / gold-digger / groundwater / half-hour / hang-gliding / healthcare / hostage-taker / house-warming / iced water / identity theft / inner ear / insider trading / inverted commas / jackpot / job description / job-sharing / joint family / junk mail / keyboard / know-all / know-how / know-it-all / knuckle-dragger / ladyfinger / lady-in-waiting / lifeblood / load-shedding / lunchroom / machine-gun / man-eater / moonlight / mother-of-pearl / mudslide / needlepoint / nervous system / news-stand / nightlife / nuclear family / off day / oil painting / old-timer / operations room / oxygen mask / parents-in-law / playtime / power walking / press release / pullback / question tag / queue-jumping / raincoat / remote access / roll-over / rubber stamp / rulebook / salesman / secondary school / sell-off / shorthand / side view / sunshade / tablecloth / tie-up / travel agency / troubleshooter / typewriter / upper case / username / video game / viewpoint / virtual reality / walk-through / waterfall / woodland / world war / write-up / yearbook / yellow line / youth club / zero hour
Categories of Compound Nouns with examples:
adjective + adjective: blue-red
adjective + noun: whiteboard
adjective + verb: highlight
adverb + noun: overtime
adverb + verb: input
gerund + noun: looking glass
noun + adjective: homesick
noun + gerund: house cleaning
noun + noun: timetable
noun + preposition: passer-by
noun + verb: snowfall
noun + verb: hand shake
preposition + adjective: under-ripe
preposition + noun: underground
preposition + preposition: within
preposition + verb: overthrow
verb + adjective: tumbledown
verb + noun: jump rope
verb + preposition: lookout
Sentences with compound nouns:
You should learn how to prepare for landslides before, during, and after they occur.
The first manufactured typewriters resembled sewing machines
Healthcare refers to the organized provision of medical care to people and communities.
Schools are the lifeblood of any community.
H-1. Countable Noun -- Singular Noun
A countable noun is one that you can count. Countable noun answers for the question ‘how many’
Examples:
table, pen, road, book
Countable Nouns are of Two Types: Singular and Plural
A singular noun indicates just one thing.
Examples of Singular Nouns:
ability / activist / amulet / authoress / bandage / barbecue / battleship / behalf / birdcage / brew-up / canary / caravan / chariot / conductress / deejay / delta / dwelling / elective / entity / farm / fiduciary / gazetteer / glossary / hamlet / handkerchief / inch / landlady / magus / / half / analysis / psychosis / glottis / continuum / dictum / sternum / thesaurus / codex / soapbox / cochlea / chairman / goose / child / plus / posse / predictor / process / quiz / replay / shoe / skull / snippet / sphere / tamarind / tomato / usurer / variant / vertex / weirdo
Sentences with singular nouns:
He put a handkerchief over the glass and moved it over.
Try out our quiz to test your knowledge of current affairs.
H-2. Countable Noun -- Plural Noun
A plural noun indicates more than one of something.
Examples of Plural Nouns:
abilities / activists / amulets / authoresses / bandages / barbecues / battleships / behalves / birdcages / brew-ups / canaries / caravans / chariots / conductresses / deejays / deltas / dwellings / electives / entities / farms / fiduciaries / gazetteers / glossaries / grand / hamlets / handkerchiefs / inches / landladies / magi / halves / analyses / psychoses / glottises / continua / dicta / sternums / thesauri / codices / soapboxes / cochleae / chairmen / geese / starfish / children / pluses / posses / predictors / processes / quizzes / replays / shoes / skulls / snippets / spheres / tamarinds / tomatoes / usurers / variants / vertexes / weirdos
Most of the singular nouns just need an ‘-s’ added at the end to make them plural (e.g., house becomes houses). If a singular noun itself ends with an ‘-s’, you may need to add -es to the end to make their plural forms (e.g., gas becomes gases). Both of these types are called ‘Regular Nouns’.
Many English nouns don’t make their plurals by adding either -s or -es. They make their plural in other ways and thus are said to be ‘Regular Nouns’. (e.g., tooth becomes teeth, wolf becomes wolves).
Plural countable nouns may be preceded by many, these, not many, etc.
Many pens
not many books
these tables
Sentences with plural nouns:
The age and marital status of your children are important factors in the immigration process.
How many tables are there?
There is a need to improve the public health infrastructure in villages?
I. Uncountable or Mass Noun
An uncountable or a mass noun is one that cannot be counted. They are quantified by an amount rather than a number. They have only one form.
Examples of Uncountable or Mass Nouns:
absolutism / accountability / bathing / bedtime / birdsong / cannabis / cardboard / decay / depravity / dogmatism / duration / eligibility / endurance / expertise / extinction / ferocity / fission / flora / genocide / gerontology / gluten / grandeur / health / heroin / housework / impartiality / inaction / infancy / judo / kerosene / lamplight / legitimacy / leverage / linguistics / magnificence / maternity / mucus / mud / muslin / nausea / nectar / nightlife / occupancy / ordnance / overproduction / palmistry / parenthood / pessimism / phishing / plumage / polio / pollution / precision / progress / quarantine / quiet / recruitment / rehabilitation / resolve / robotics / sabotage / saliva / sanitation / saturation / schooling / sediment / septicemia / silicon / sincerity / smoking / spirituality / stamina / steel / subversion / suppression / taxation / teatime / tenure / typesetting / unrest / upkeep / vermicelli / vinegar / wax / welfare / wooliness / wreckage
You can’t use indefinite article 'a' or 'an' just before the uncountable nouns. But in order to express the quantity of an uncountable noun, you can use the following phrases comprising indefinite articles to show the measurement.
a bag of (a bag of rice)
a bottle of (a bottle of milk)
a cup of (a cup of tea)
a glass of (a glass of water)
a grain of (a grain of wheat)
a great deal of (a great deal of money)
a handful of (a handful of flour)
a piece of (a piece of news)
a pinch of (a pinch of salt)
you can also use the words such as any, some, little, much before the uncountable nouns to show the measurement
some air
much nectar
not much housework
Sentences with uncountable nouns:
Typesetting is what makes your book look professional and neat.
With so many types of flour available these days, it's hard to know which to use in what recipe. Palmistry is the art of reading hands.
J. Possessive Noun
A possessive noun shows ownership
Formation of singular possessive nouns
The possessive of a singular noun is formed by adding an apostrophe (‘) and s to the noun, whether the singular noun ends in s or not.
Examples:
David’s laptop.
Henry’s house.
James’s dress
Boss’s cabin.
Formation of plural possessive nouns
The possessive of a plural noun is formed by adding only an apostrophe (‘) to the noun when it ends in -s.
Examples:
Students’ money.
Girls’ dolls.
Birds’ nest.
The possessive of a plural noun is formed by adding both an apostrophe and -s to the noun when it ends in a letter other than -s.
Examples:
Children’s toys.
Servicemen’s quarters.
(III-A). Countable & Uncountable Nouns -- Categorization
Codes:
C-SP: Countable- Singular + Plural
U: Uncountable
C-S: Countable- Singular
C-P: Countable- Plural
Every Noun is Either Countable or Uncountable. They Can Be Put Into Different Groups based on the Following Criteria:
1. always countable (both singular & plural) | no uncountable
There are nouns that are always used as countable (both singular and plural) for all their meanings. They aren’t generally used as uncountable. -- [C-SP]
2. always uncountable | no countable
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for all their meanings. They aren’t generally used as countable (singular or plural). -- [U]
3A. uncountable + countable (both singular & plural)
There are nouns that are used both as uncountable and countable (singular as well as plural) for all their meanings -- [U] + [C-SP]
3B. uncountable + singular
There are nouns that are used as uncountable as well as singular for all their meanings. They have no plurals. -- [U] + [C-S]
4A. always singular | no plural
There are nouns that are always used as singular only for all their meanings. They have generally no plurals -- [C-S]
4B. always plural | no singular
There are nouns that are always used as the plural for all their meanings. They have generally no singular form. -- [C-P]
5A. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular & plural)
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but also always used as countable (both singular & plural) for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [U] | 2. [C-SP]
5B. (a). countable (singular and plural) | (b). singular
There are nouns that are always used as countable (singular as well as plural) for one or more particular meanings but also always used as only singular for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [C-SP] | 2. [C-S]
5C. (a). countable (singular and plural) | (b). plural
There are nouns that are always used as countable (singular as well as plural) for one or more particular meanings but also always used as the plural for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [C-SP] | 2. [C-P]
5D. (a). countable (singular and plural) | (b). singular | (c). plural
There are nouns that are always used as countable (singular as well as plural) for one or more particular meanings but also always used as the singular for one or more particular meanings and also always used as the plural for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [C-SP] | 2. [C-S] | 2. [C-P]
5E. (a). always uncountable | (b). always singular
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but also always used as singular for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [U] | 2. [C-S]
5F. (a). always uncountable | (b). always plural
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but also always used as the plural for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [U] | 2. [C-P]
6. (a). uncountable and countable (singular as well as plural) | (b). countable (singular as well as plural)
There are nouns that are used both as uncountable and countable (singular as well as plural) for one or more particular meanings but also always used as countable (singular as well as plural) for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [U] [C-SP] | 2.[C-SP]
7. (a). always uncountable | (b). uncountable + countable (singular as well as plural)
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but also used both as countable (singular as well as plural) and uncountable for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [U] | 2. [C-SP][U]
8A. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (singular as well as plural) | (c). uncountable + countable (singular as well as plural)
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but also always used as countable (singular as well as plural) for one or more particular meanings and also used as both uncountable and countable (singular as well as plural) for one or more particular meanings) -- 1. [U] | 2. [C-SP] | 3. [U] [C-SP]
8B. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). singular
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but also used as only countable (both singular and plural) for one or more particular meanings and also always used as the only singular for one or more particular meanings -- 1. [U] | 2. [C-SP] | 3.[C-S]
8C. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). plural
There are nouns that are always used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but also used as countable (both singular and plural) for one or more particular meanings and also always used as the plural for one or more particular meanings) -- 1. [U] | 2. [C-SP] | 3. [C-P]
9A-1. countable: usually singular
There are nouns that are always usually used in singular forms. They do have plural forms but they are generally not used (e.g.: the noun ‘abysses’ is plural in form but it is usually used in a singular form which is ‘abyss’). They are generally also not used as uncountable. [C-usy.-S]
9A-2. uncountable + usually singular
There are some nouns that are used as both uncountable as well as usually singular for a particular meaning. They do have plural forms but they are generally not used. [U] [C-usy.-S]
9A-3. (a). uncountable | (b). usually singular
There are some nouns that are used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but can also be used as usually singular for one or more particular meanings. They do have plural forms but are generally not used. [U] | [C-usy.-S]
9A-4. (a). uncountable | (b). usually plural
There are some nouns that are used as uncountable for one or more particular meanings but can also be used as usually plural for one or more particular meanings. They do have singular forms but they are generally not used. [U] | [C-usy.-Pl]
9A-5. (a). usually singular | (b). countable (both singular and plural)
There are some nouns that are usually used singular for one or more particular meanings but also used in both singular and plural forms for one or more particular meanings. [C-usy.-S] | [C-SP]
9B-1. countable: usually plural
There are nouns that are usually used in plural forms. They do have singular forms but they are generally not used (e.g.: the noun ‘appurtenance’ is singular in form but it is usually used in a plural form which is ‘appurtenances’). [Note: Some of the following Countable Nouns in Singular Form can also be used as Uncountable Nouns.
9B-2. (a). usually plural | (b). countable (both singular and plural)
There are some nouns that are usually used in plural form for one or more particular meanings but also used in both singular and plural forms for one or more particular meanings.
9C. (a). usually singular | (b). usually plural
There are nouns that are usually singular
for one or more particular meanings but also ‘usually plural’ for one or more particular meanings
9D. Miscellaneous Patterns
01. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). usually-singular
02. (a). uncountable + countable (both singular and plural) | (b). usually-singular
03. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). usually-singular
04. (a). countable (both singular and plural) | (b). uncountable + countable (both singular and plural) | (c). usually-singular
05. (a). countable (both singular and plural) | (b). singular | (c). usually-singular
06. (a). uncountable + countable (both singular and plural) | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). singular
07. (a). uncountable | (b). countable (both singular and plural) | (c). uncountable + singular
08. (a). uncountable | (b). uncountable + singular
09. (a). uncountable | (b). singular
10. (a). uncountable + singular | (b). countable (both singular and plural)
11. (a). countable (usually singular) | (b). countable (singular)
10. Additional Countable and Uncountable Nouns
A detailed list of nouns under each of the above categories are as follows (VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: I HAVE GENERALLY CATEGORIZED ALL THE NOUNS BASED ON THEIR USUAL MEANINGS/SENSES. YOU MAY FIND SOME VARIATION WITH THE OTHER RESOURCES.):
1. always countable (both singular & plural) | no uncountable
There are nouns that are always used as countable (both singular and plural) for all their meanings. They aren’t generally used as uncountable. -- [C-SP]
Example 1: Adult
[meaning ‘1’ of Adult: a fully grown person who is legally responsible for their actions]
Use of Adult
as a Singular countable noun
Autism is very challenging if the person being diagnosed is already an adult.
Use of Adult
as a Plural countable noun
Most older adults are now well-versed with technology.
[meaning ‘2’ of Adult: a fully grown animal]
Use of Adult
as a Singular countable noun
His puppy matured into an adult at about 15 months,
Use of Adult
as a Plural countable noun
Baby animals undergo many changes to become adults.
The word Adult
can’t be used as an uncountable noun.
Example 2: Medal
[meaning of Medal: a small metal disc, carrying a design, usually on both sides, given as a prize in a sporting event or as an award for bravery]
Use of Medal
as a Singular countable noun
I still can't believe the match is over and I won a medal.
Use of Medal
as a Plural countable noun
A few athletes have competed and won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
The word Medal
can’t be used as an uncountable noun.
Detailed List of Such nouns
[always countable (both singular & plural) | no uncountable]
1(a). Alphabet - A
Singular Form -- Plural Form
abacus -- abacuses
abattoir -- abattoirs
abbess -- abbesses
abbey -- abbeys
abbot -- abbots
abdomen -- abdomens
abductee --