Main points
*Count nouns have two form, singular and plural.
*They can be used with numbers.
*Singular count nouns always take a determiner.
*Plural count nouns do not need a determiner.
*Singular count nouns take a singular verb and plural count nouns take a plural verb.
In English, some things are thought of as individual items that can be counted directly. The nouns which refer to these countable things are called count nouns. Most nouns in English are count nouns.
a) Count nouns have two form. The singular form refer to one thing or person.
- ...a book.
- ...the teacher.
The plural form refers to more than one thing or person.
- ...books.
- ...some teachers.
b) You add ‘-s’ to form the plural of most nouns.
book --> books school --> schools
You add ‘-es’ to nouns ending in ‘-ss’, ‘-ch’, ‘-s’, ‘-sh’, or ‘-x’.
class --> classes watch --> watches gas --> gases dish --> dishes fox --> foxes
Some nouns ending in ‘-o’ add ‘-s’, and some add ‘-es’.
photo --> photos piano --> pianos hero --> heroes potato --> potatoes
Nouns ending in a consonant and ‘-y’ change to ‘-ies’.
country --> countries lady --> ladies party --> parties victory --> victories
Nouns ending in a vowel and ‘-y’ add an ‘-s’.
boy --> boys day --> days key --> keys valley --> valleys
Some common nouns have irregular plurals.
child --> children foot --> feet man --> men mouse --> mice tooth --> teeth woman --> women
Remember that some nouns that end in ‘-s’ are uncount nouns, for example ‘athletics’ and ‘physics’.
c) Count nouns can be used with numbers.
-...one table.
-...two cats.
-...three hundred people.
d) Singular count nouns cannot be used alone, but always take a determiner such as ‘a’, ‘another’, ‘every’, or ‘the’.
- We’ve killed a pig.
- He was eating another apple.
- I parked the car over there.
e) Plural count nouns can be used with or without a determiner. They do not take a determiner when they refer to things or people in general.
- Does the hotel have large rooms?
- The film is not suitable for children.
Plural count nouns do take a determiner when they refer precisely to particular things or people.
- Our computers are very expensive.
- These cakes are delicious.
f) When a count noun is the subject of a verb, a singular count noun takes a singular verb.
- My son likes playing football.
- The address on the letter was wrong.
A plural count noun takes a plural verb.
- Bigger cars cost more.
- I thought more people were coming.
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Top Tips Abz Ingles: Part A - Part B
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See also:
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