1.

Nouns can be formed by adding a prefix

to the base:

author
fortune
action
approval
president
knowledge
strike

co-author
misfortune
interaction
disapproval
ex-president
foreknowledge
counterstrike

2. Nouns can be formed by adding a

to the base:

play
kind
friend
arrive
develop
organise
close

play-er
kind-ness
friend-ship
arriv-al
develop-ment
organisa-tion
clos-ure

suffix

Nouns
3. A frequent way of forming nouns is by
adding -ing to a verb:
Breaking into a foreign market needs
careful preparation.
Their quarrelling over pay was the reason
for his resignation.
Making money is not everything in life.

Nouns
4. Nouns referring to people can be formed with
-er, -or, -ian, -ee, -ant, -ist:

employ
employ
supervise
guard
account
type

employer
employee
supervisor
guardian
accountant
typist

Nouns
5. Some nouns are identical to the verb:
NOUN
VERB
delay
to delay
offer
to offer
supply
to supply
demand
to demand
share
to share
support
to support

Nouns

6. Some nouns and verbs have the same form

but change their stress:
NOUN
VERB
transfer
to transfer
import
to import
increase
to increase
export
to export
conduct
to conduct
permit
to permit

Nouns
7. Some nouns and verbs have the same
form but slightly change their spelling:
NOUN
advice
practice
thief

VERB
to advise
to practise
to thieve

Nouns
Nouns can also be formed by:
CLIPPING:
phone telephone
photo
photograph
flu
influenza
BLENDING:
br(eakfast) + (l)unch
brunch
m(otor) + (h)otel
motel
sm(oke) + (f)og
smog
ACRONYMS:
cash on delivery
C. O. D.
European Currency Unit
ECU
IMF
International Monetary Fund

Nouns can be divided into:

Countable nouns:
people
animals
plants
objects
units of measurement
Uncountable nouns:
things that we cannot count
three informations
six monies
five advices

Countable nouns can be singular or plural:

The letter (countable, singular) is on your desk
and the two faxes (countable, plural) are here.
Uncountable nouns are singular:
This junk mail (uncountable, singular) is very
annoying.

We use different determiners for

countable and uncountable nouns:
Countable

Uncountable

Ive got a book for you.

Ive got some information for you.

I havent got many books

I havent got much information for you.

Ive got a few books for you.

Ive got a little information for you.

Uncountable nouns which sometimes cause

difficulty:
advice

equipment

luggage

progress

accommodation

furniture

advertising

hardware

money

room
weather
(=space)

baggage

information

news

software

cash

insurance

permission

traffic

machinery research

travel
trouble

work


RIGHT:

*He gave an advice.

He gave me some advice.

RIGHT:

*He gave two informations.

He gave two bits of information.

RIGHT:

*These informations are useful.

This information is useful.

RIGHT:

*Have you heard a news?

Have you heard the news?

A/an IS NOT used in front of an uncountable

noun.
Tom gave me some good advice. (NOT a good advice)
Have you heard the news? (NOT a news)
He gave me some information. (NOT an information)
We ordered some new equipment. (NOT a new equipment)

You cannot say:

an advice
a news
an information
an equipment
You HAVE TO say:
a piece of equipment
an item of information

an item of news
a piece of advice

Or simply: SOME equipment, information, advice,

news.

Noun plurals
Sample sentences
The information you want is in the brochure.
Your committee are expected to make a decision
as soon as possible.
The recent news about our competitors has
been very discouraging.
They unloaded the cargoes last night
There are seven appendices in this book.

Noun plurals
1. The plural of the nouns is formed by
adding -s, or -es (when the word ends in
s, ss, sh, ch, x).
report - reports
letter - letters
box - boxes
bus - buses
match - matches
miss - misses

Noun plurals
2. Nouns ending in -o form their plural by
adding -es:

cargo - cargoes
hero - heroes
potato - potatoes
tomato - tomatoes

BUT: pianos
photos
studios

Noun plurals
3. Nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant
form their plural by changing y into i and adding
-es:

baby - babies
country - countries
lorry - lorries
secretary - secretaries
company - companies

BUT: boys
delays
joys

Noun plurals
4. Nouns ending in -f form their plural by
changing f into v and adding -es:

leaf - leaves
loaf - loaves
scarf - scarves
thief - thieves
wife - wives

BUT: chiefs
cliffs
gulfs
proofs
roofs

Noun plurals
5. Some nouns have irregular plural:

child - children
foot - feet
man men
woman - women
mouse - mice
ox - oxen
tooth - teeth

Noun plurals
6. Some nouns of Latin or Greek origin have
irregular plural:

analysis - analyses
hypothesis - hypotheses
basis - bases
crisis crises
thesis - theses

Noun plurals
6. Some nouns of Latin or Greek origin have
irregular plural:

datum - data
medium - media
memorandum memoranda
stratum - strata

Noun plurals
6. Some nouns of Latin or Greek origin have
irregular plural:

index indices
appendix - appendices
criterion criteria
phenomenon - phenomena
stimulus stimuli
formula - formulae

Noun plurals
7. Some nouns with irregular plural have two forms of
plural, the foreign one and English one. In some cases
the two plurals have different meanings:
index
genius

formula
medium

indexes = tables of contents

indices = mathematical signs
geniuses = persons of unusually great
mental powers
genii = good or evil spirits
formulas = forms of words
formulae = mathematical terms
mediums = people claiming
communication with spirits
media = means, agencies

Noun plurals
8. Some nouns have only a plural form:

archives
assets
contents
customs
funds
headquarters
premises
savings

surroundings
earnings
goods
valuables
clothes
refreshments
outskirts
rabies

Noun plurals
9. The plural of some nouns has two or more meanings,
one similar to the singular meaning, the other different
from it:
customs

quarters

spirits

premises

1. habits
2. taxes on imported goods
1. fourth parts
2. lodgings
1. souls
2. alcoholic liquors
3. mental or moral attitude ("in
high/low spirits")
1. things assumed as true as
basis for an argument
2. buildings, offices

Noun plurals
"News" is not plural!!!
The news is very depressing today.
NOT:
NOT The news are very depressing today.

Some nouns can be used as countable or as

uncountable. Usually there is a difference in
meaning:

I bought a paper. (= newspaper)

I bought some paper. (= material for writing on)
We had many experiences during our holiday. (=
adventures)
You need experience for this job. (= previous
practice)

Some nouns end in -s, but they are not usually

plural: mathematics, economics, athletics,
physics...

Economics is the science of choice.

Physics was my favourite subject at
school.
Politics has never been my favourite
subject.

Sometimes these nouns have different

meaning:
statistics (with a singular verb) = a branch of
science
Statistics is a branch of economics.
statistics (with a plural verb) = a collection of
numbers representing facts or
measurements statistical data
Statistics are ready for publication.

Some nouns end in -s, but can be

singular or plural (the form is the same):

means
series
species

a means of transport many means of transport

a television series
two TV series
a species of bird
200 species of birds

Sometimes, a singular countable noun can take a

plural verb when the noun refers to 'more than one
person':

The Government have decided in favour of

the law. (the government = members of the
government)
The board are discussing the proposal now.
(the board = more than one person)
The staff aren't happy with their working
conditions. (the staff = employees)

ALSO:

team
family
committee
company
personnel
management
public
staff

army
audience
data
group
media
press
union

We always use a plural verb with

the police:
The police have arrested John.
Are the police well-paid?

The plural of person is:

PEOPLE
There were three people at the meeting.
persons very formal

Sometimes we use a plural noun with a singular verb

(a sum of money, a period of time, a distance):

Five thousand pounds was stolen in the

robbery. (NOT were stolen)
Three years is a long period to be without
a job. (NOT are a long period)
Three kilometres is long way to go from
here. (NOT are a long way to go)

We say 'a holiday of three weeks' BUT 'a

three-week holiday'.

ALSO:
ALSO
a note of ten pounds - a ten-pound note
An English course that lasts four weeks - fourweek English course
a man who is 36 years old a 36-year-old man
a journey which lasts six hours - a six-hour
journey