3. Nouns

A noun is the name of a person, place, or thing. Nouns are divided into five different kinds :
- Proper Nouns
- Common Nouns
- Collective nouns
- Material Nouns
- Abstract Nouns

A Proper Noun is the name of a particular person, place, or thing.
eg : John ( person ) ; Palm Beach County ( place ) ; The Chinese ( people ); Books ( thing )

A Common Noun is a name that can be given to any person or thing of the same kind.
eg : Man, boy, table, dog

A Collective Noun is singular in form though denoting more than one.
eg : Herd, army, flock.

A Material Noun is the name of a substance
eg : Milk, iron, wood.

An Abstract noun is the name of a quality.
eg : Love, truth, color.

Number of Nouns :

# Number shows whether one is meant, or more than one. There are two Numbers :

- The Singular Number
- The Plural Number

* The Singular number denotes only one object.
boy, girl

* The Plural number denotes more than one object.
boys, girls.

-- The Plural is generally formed by adding s to the Singular :
- pen pens                          chair chairs
- book books                     garden gardens

-- When the noun ends in s, x, ch, or sh, the Plural is formed by adding es to the Singular :
- glass glasses                    watch watches
- box boxes                       dish dishes

-- If the noun ends in y, and the y has consonant going before it, the Plural is formed by changing y into ies :
- duty duties                       army armies
- fly flies                            lady ladies

-- But if the y has vowel going before it, the Plural is formed by simply adding s :
- day days                          key keys
- boy boys                         monkey monkeys

-- Most nouns ending in f or fe form the Plural by changing f or fe into ves :
- calf calves                       life lives
- knife knives                    wife wives
- leaf leaves                       thief thieves

-- If the noun ends in o, and the o is preceded by a consonant, the Plural is generally ( not always ) formed by adding es to the Singular :
- cargo cargoes                 negro negroes
- hero heroes                    potato potatoes

-- But if the o is preceded by a vowel, the Plural is formed by simply adding s to the singular :
- bamboo bamboos           curio curios
- cuckoo cuckoos              studio studios

-- Some nouns from their Plurals irregularly :
- man men                         tooth teeth
- woman women               mouse mice
- foot feet                          ox oxen
- goose geese                    child children

-- Some Nouns have the same from in the Plural as in the Singular :
- deer deer                        fish fish ( fishes )
- sheep sheep                   dozen dozen ( dozens )