NOUNS:

What is a Noun?
A noun is a word that names a person, animal, place, thing, idea, or concept. There are more n

EXAMPLES
Persons:girl, boy, instructor, student, Mr. Smith, Peter, president
Animals:dog, cat, shark, hamster, fish, bear, flea
Places:gym, store, school, Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, village, Europe
Things:computer, pen, notebook, mailbox, bush, tree, cornflakes
Ideas:liberty, panic, attention, knowledge, compassion, worship

Singular and Plural Nouns

Formation of Plural Nouns
Singular means one of something. Plural means more than one.

1.You can make most nouns plural by just adding-s

one tree - four trees

one boat a river full of boats

2.If the noun ends with-s, -ch, -sh, -x, or-z, add-es to make it plural.

witnesswitnesses
church churches
dish dishes
fox - foxes
buzz buzzes

3.If the noun ends with-yand the letter before the-yis a vowel, add-sto make the n

boyboys
bay bays
key keys
toy - toys
4.If the noun ends with-yand the letter before the-yis a consonant, change the-yto

army armies
supply- supplies
sky- skies

5.Nouns ending in-ffbecome plural by adding-s

tariff - tariffs
sheriff - sheriffs
plaintiff - plaintiffs

6.The inconsistency of rules is shown in the plurals of nouns which ends infor-feSom

knife- knives
wife- wives
half- halves
leaf- leaves

7.Other nouns ending in-for-febecome plural by only adding-s

belief - beliefs
proof - proofs
chief - chiefs
pt. There are more nouns in the English Language than any other kind of words.

add-sto make the noun plural.

nt, change the-yto-iand add-esto make the noun plural.

ends infor-feSome become plural by replacing the-fto-vand adding-sor-es

IRREGULAR NOUNS
Change the spelling of the singular noun to make it plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL
A L
addendum addenda
alga algae
alumna alumnae M
alumnus alumni
analysis analyses
antenna antennas,antennae
apparatus apparatuses
appendix appendices,appendixes
axis axes
B
bacillus bacilli
bacterium bacteria
basis bases N
beau beaux
bison bison
buffalo buffalos,buffaloes
bureau bureaus O
bus busses,buses
C
cactus cactuses,cacti
calf calves
child children P
corps corps
corpus corpora,corpuses
crisis crises
criterion criteria
curriculum curricula
D R
datum data
deer deer S
die dice
 dwarf dwarfs,dwarves
diagnosis diagnoses
E
echo echoes
elf elves
ellipsis ellipses
embargo embargoes
emphasis emphases
erratum errata
F
fireman firemen
fish fish,fishes
focus focuses T
foot feet
formula formulas
fungus fungi,funguses
G
genus genera
goose geese
H
half halves
hero heroes V
hippopotamus hippopotami,hippopotamuses
hoof hoofs,hooves
hypothesis hypotheses
I W
index indices,indexes
K
knife knives
L
leaf leaves Z
life lives
 SINGULAR PLURAL

loaf loaves
louse lice

man men
matrix matrices
means means
medium media
memorandum memoranda
millennium millenniums,milennia
moose moose
mosquito mosquitoes
mouse mice

nebula nebulae,nebulas
neurosis neuroses
nucleus nuclei

oasis oases
octopus octopi,octopuses
ovum ova
ox oxen

paralysis paralyses
parenthesis parentheses
person people
phenomenon phenomena
potato potatoes

radius radii,radiuses

scarf scarfs,scarves
 self selves
series series
sheep sheep
shelf shelves
scissors scissors
species species
stimulus stimuli
stratum strata
syllabus syllabi,syllabuses
symposium symposia,symposiums
synthesis syntheses
synopsis synopses

tableau tableaux
that those
thesis theses
thief thieves
this these
tomato tomatoes
tooth teeth
torpedo torpedoes

vertebra vertebrae
veto vetoes
vita vitae

watch watches
wife wives
wolf wolves
woman women

zero zeros,zeroes
EXERCISES

Circle the nouns in the sentences below:

1. I want to go to the department store.

2. The doctor and the teacher are in the car.

3. There is a big book in the classroom.

4. My cat likes to sit on the bed.

5. My house is in England.

6. I want to buy some medicine.

7. You can see animals in a zoo.

8. Hi Elle. Your dress is very cute.