Nouns

Word Classes (Parts of Speech)

1. Definition

• Are naming words
• Give titles to people, places, things and ideas

2. Litmus Test

• Use the articles a, an and the
• Place an appropriate article in front of a word to see whether it’s a noun or not
  E.g Joy – the joy
  Pride – the pride
  Exultation – an exultation

3. Types of Nouns

Common Nouns
· Are general nouns – e.g magnet, car, house, subway.
· Do not start with a capital unless they start sentences.

Proper Nouns
· Refer to specific people, places or things – e.g Dmitri, Susan, Venice, Penang.
· Always begins with capital letters.

Concrete Nouns
· Nouns that can be touched or held
· E.g house, car, computer, shoe

Abstract Nouns
· Nouns that cannot be touched or held
· E.g love, fear, honesty, intrigue, regrets

4. Properties of Nouns

Gender
Refers to the classification of nouns according to sex.
- Masculine gender: male, boy
- Feminine gender: female, girl
- Common gender: animal, child
- Neuter gender: toy, apple

Number
- The number of a noun indicates how many people or objects it refers to.
- If nouns ends with a sound that melds smoothly with ‘s’, then simply add ‘s’. e.g cake – cakes
- If not, add ‘es’ – e.g wish – wishes
If the word ends with ‘y’ preceded with a consonant, change the ‘y’ into ‘i’ and add ‘-es’. e.g lady – ladies
- If the word ends with ‘y’ preceded with a vowel, add ‘s’. e.g boy – boys
- General rule, words ending in ‘f’ or ‘fe’, change the ‘f’ or ‘fe’ to ‘v’ and add ‘-es’. e.g half – halves
- General rule, words ending in an ‘o’ preceded by a consonant, add ‘-es’. e.g echo – echoes
- Exception: musical instruments that ends with ‘y’, just add ‘s’. e.g piccolo – piccolos
- Exception: zero – zeros; halo – halos; albino – albinos
- Exception: for these others with the consonant plus ‘o’ ending, add ‘s’ or ‘es’. e.g cargo – cargos, cargoes; tornado – tornados, tornadoes; hero – heros, heroes; volcano – volcanos, volcanoes.

Did you know?
Singular female graduate – alumna
Plural female graduate – alumnae
Singular male graduate – alumnus
Plural male graduate – alumni
Singular noun basis becomes bases in its plural form.

Other links: http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/nouns.html