The noun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc-ukN1Rvb8

Classes of nouns• 1. proper nouns • denote the name of a person, an animal, a place or a thing

• 2. count (countable) nouns• Can be counted, therefore take a / an and have a plural form • 3. non-count (uncountable) nouns • have no plural form• music, art, love, happiness, rice, sugar, butter, water • advice, information, furniture, luggage, money

A shoplifter was caught red-handed trying to steal a Rolex watch from a store that sold exclusive jewellery. "Listen," said the shoplifter, "I know you don't want any trouble either. What do you say I just buy the watch, and we forget about this?"

The manager, not wanting to create a scene, agreed and wrote up the sales slip. The crook looked at the slip and said, "This is a little more money than I had intended to spend. Could you show me something less expensive?"

Can you find the three non-count nouns in the joke?

4. Nouns that can be both count and noncountNormally the noncount meaning is abstract and general and the count

meaning concrete and specific.

• Count • He committed three different crimes in one evening.  • She has three loves--song, dance, and English grammar.  • The city was filled with bright lights and harsh sounds. (refers to a

number of specific lights and noises)

• Non-count• Crime doesn't pay. • Love makes the world go round. • Light travels faster than sound. (refers to the way light and sound

behave in general)

• Note: A special case of the use of non-count nouns in a count sense

has to do with classification. • There are several French wines to choose from. (= kinds of wine) • I prefer Sumatran coffees to Colombian. (= kinds of coffee) • We use a variety of different batters in our bakery. (= kinds of batter)

Exercise I1. Are the following nouns count or non-count? Put an N next to the

non-count nouns and a C next to the count nouns. If the noun can be either non-count or count depending on the context, put a D next to it.

world textbook acid smoking poetry applause thought banana conduct progress biology essay experience hair equipment study

Answersworld C textbook C acid D smoking Npoetry Napplause Nthought D banana C conduct Nprogress Nbiology Nessay C experience Dair Dequipment Nstudy D (watch out!)

Exercise IIChoose two of the words below as the most likely ways of completing

each sentence.For one answer you’ll need to make the word plural, and for the other

you will need to make no change.

accommodation; bag; equipment; house; jewellery; job; luggage; painting; shower; sunshine; tool; work

1. On the weather forecast they said there would be……….this afternoon.

2. The room was so full of people and their………, there was no place to sit.

3. Repairing car engines is easy if you’ve got the right………4. In London at the moment there is a great exhibition of ………from

the 19th century.5. Both of my brothers are looking for……..6. The price of………...has increased by 12% this year alone.

The most likely answers are given. Other possibilities are given in brackets.

1. sunshine / showers

2. luggage (equipment) / bags

3. equipment / tools

4. jewellery (equipment) / paintings

5. work / jobs

6. accommodation (equipment) / houses

How to make the plural 1. Most nouns become plural by adding “s”.2. Nouns that end in a hissing sound “ch”, “sh”, “x”, add “es”. Trivia: this kind of consonant is called a sibilant church - churches | box - boxes | gas - gases | bush - bushes | ass – asses

An ass is, of course, an animal.

3. If a noun ends in a single “z”, the plural is formed by adding “zes”) quiz – quizzes

4. Nouns that end in a consonant + “y”, drop the “y” and add “ies”. party - parties | lady - ladies | pony – ponies | story – stories | bully - bullies

5. Most nouns ending in “o” preceded by a consonant form their plurals by adding “es”

potato - potatoes | tomato - tomatoes | volcano – volcanoes

6. However many words and words that end in “o” just add an “s”. photo - photos | piano - pianos | portico – porticos

Apostrophes and plurals: danger zone!

When do we use an apostrophe to make a plural?• Basic rule: never!• Exceptions:

with letters: there are no i’s in my name

with abbreviations: MP’s, ELL’s (but MPs and ELLs is more common!

with years: 1990’s (but 1990s is more common!)

• Using an apostrophe to make a plural is one of the BIGGEST errors that students (and our pupils make, and people LOVE to make fun of it:

Did bad grammar lose the election?

No, apostrophe abuse is everywhere…

In the USA…

and in the UK....

Some more rules 7. Most nouns ending in “f” or “fe”, add “ves”.

• calf - calves | half - halves | wolf - wolves

8. Some nouns form their plural in “fs”or “ves”

• scarf – scarfs/scarves | dwarf – dwarfs/dwarves l

9. There are many common nouns that have irregular plurals.

• child - children | person - people | foot - feet | mouse - mice | tooth - teeth

• analysis - analyses | crisis - crises | ox - oxen | index - indices or indexes

10. Some nouns have one form for singular and plural

• aircraft - aircraft | fish - fish | headquarters - headquarters | sheep - sheep | species - species

Exercise: fill in the missing words •

English – Dutch differences

English plural –Dutch singular• shorts

• binoculars  (verrekijker)

• trousers

• glasses

• pants / trousers

• spectacles / glasses  (bril)

• jeans

• compasses

• overalls

•  scissors

•  tights

• scales (weegschaal)

•  pyjamas

• Waar is mijn verrekijker? • Where are my binoculars?• Er ligt een schaar op de tafel. 

• There’s a pair of scissors on

the table.

English – Dutch differences II

• English singular Dutch plural

• Progress

• Business

• Furniture

• Information

• Property

• Strength

• "The business of America is business" Calvin Coolidge.

• The two countries should do

business with each other • The police force has been at

half strength since the

budget cuts. • “Are there any disasters my

property insurance won't cover?” Yes

Translate:

1. Heb je je bril gebroken? Ja, maar ik heb er nog een.

2. Dammen is een spel waar ik niet van houd.

3. Wij hebben al onze meubels vorig jaar in Utrecht gekocht.

4. Zijn krachten waren uitgeput.

5. Heb je de Balkan weleens bezocht?

6. Waar is mijn pyjama?

7. Deze weegschaal is niet goed.

Answers:

1. Have you broken your glasses? Yes, but I have another pair.

2. Draughts/checkers is a game I do not like.

3. We bought all our furniture in Utrecht last year.

4. His strength was exhausted.

5. Have you ever visited the Balkans?

6. Where are my pyjamas?

7. These scales are no good / This scale is no good.

Collective nouns: singular or plural?The team is…. The team are….

The answer, of course, is both. • A collective noun is the word used for a

group of people or things. (couple, jury, army, team, government, flock, swarm, number, herd, crowd)

• You need to consider the intent of the word. If the noun is referring to a unit, use the singular verb form.

1. The jury is at an impasse.

2. The couple is waiting to come in.

3. The class is going on a field trip.• If the noun is referring to a group of

individuals acting as individuals, use the plural verb form.

1. The jury were debating the merits of the case.

2. The couple were asked to introduce themselves.

3. The class were running in all directions.

Gender nouns – neuter nouns• neuter nouns do not distinguish the sex (gender) of the noun • gender nouns distinguish the sex (gender) of the noun

• Some words may be either gender nouns or neuter nouns, according to their use.

- "A little child shall lead them.” (neuter: no gender at all)

- “I have seen a curious child ... applying to his ear The convolutions of a smooth-lipped shell” (gender: he)

• Sometimes a neuter noun will be used as a gender noun for a certain effect.

- “Death is cruel, and he is as certain as tomorrow.” (neuter moon used as a gender noun: he)

Gender shown by different words

• In some of these pairs, the feminine and the masculine are entirely different words; others have in their origin the same root.

• drake—duck • earl—countess • father—mother • gander—goose • hart—roe • horse—mare • husband—wife • king—queen • lord—lady • wizard—witch • nephew—niece • ram—ewe