NOUNS
Using nouns correctly in English is relatively simple, with standard rules and only a few exceptions. Use this page to learn about the English grammar rules for gender, plurals, countable and uncountable nouns, compound nouns, capitalization, nationalities, and forming the possessive.
Noun Gender
Nouns answer the questions "What is it?" and "Who is it?" They give names to things, people, and places. Examples
dog
bicycle
Mary
girl
beauty
France
world
In general there is no distinction between masculine, feminine in English nouns. However, gender is sometimes shown by different forms or different words when referring to people or animals. Examples
Many nouns that refer to people's roles and jobs can be used for either a masculine or a feminine subject, like for example cousin, teenager, teacher, doctor, student, friend, colleague Examples
Mary is my friend. She is a doctor.
Peter is my cousin. He is a doctor.
Arthur is my friend. He is a student.
Jane is my cousin. She is a student.
It is possible to make the distinction for these neutral words by adding the words male or female. Examples
Sam is a female doctor.
No, he is not my boyfriend, he is just a male friend.
I have three female cousins and two male cousins.
Infrequently, nouns describing things without a gender are referred to with a gendered pronoun to show familiarity. It is also correct to use the gender-neutral pronoun (it). Examples
I love my car. She (the car) is my greatest passion.
France is popular with her (France's) neighbours at the moment.
I travelled from England to New York on the Queen Elizabeth; she (the Queen Elizabeth) is a great ship.
Singular and Plural Nouns
Regular Nouns
Most singular nouns form the plural by adding -s. Examples
SingularPluralboatboatshousehousescatcatsriverrivers A singular noun ending in s, x, z, ch, sh makes the plural by adding-es. Examples SingularPluralbusbuseswishwishespitchpitchesboxboxes
A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y and adding-ies. Examples SingularPluralpennypenniesspyspiesbabybabiescitycitiesdaisydaisies
Irregular nouns There are some irregular noun plurals. The most common ones are listed below. Examples SingularPluralwomanwomenmanmenchildchildrentoothteethfootfeetpersonpeopleleafleavesmousemicegoosegeesehalfhalvesknifekniveswifewiveslifeliveselfelvesloafloavespotatopotatoestomatotomatoescactuscactifocusfocifungusfunginucleusnucleisyllabussyllabi/syllabusesanalysisanalysesdiagnosisdiagnosesoasisoasesthesisthesescrisiscrisesphenomenonphenomenacriterioncriteriadatumdata Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural. Examples SingularPluralsheepsheepfishfishdeerdeerspeciesspeciesaircraftaircraft Irregular verb/noun agreement Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb. Plural nouns used with a singular verbSentencenewsThe news is at 6.30 p.m.athleticsAthletics is good for young people.linguisticsLinguistics is the study of language.dartsDarts is a popular game in England.billiardsBilliards is played all over the world.Some nouns have a fixed plural form and take a plural verb. They are not used in the singular, or they have a different meaning in the singular. Nouns like this include: trousers, jeans, glasses, savings, thanks, steps, stairs, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages, spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits Plural noun with plural verbSentencetrousersMy trousers are too tight.jeansHer jeans are black.glassesThose glasses are his.
Pronouns
Pronouns replace nouns. A different pronoun is required depending on two elements: the noun being replaced and the function that noun has in the sentence. In English, pronouns only take the gender of the noun they replace in the 3rd person singular form. The 2nd person plural pronouns are identical to the 2nd person singular pronouns except for the reflexive pronoun.
Subject Pronouns Subject pronouns replace nouns that are the subject of their clause. In the 3rd person, subject pronouns are often used to avoid repetition of the subject's name. Examples
I am 16.
You seem lost.
Jim is angry, and he wants Sally to apologize.
This table is old. It needs to be repainted.
We aren't coming.
They don't like pancakes.
Object Pronouns Object pronouns are used to replace nouns that are the direct or indirect object of a clause. Examples
Give the book to me.
The teacher wants to talk to you.
Jake is hurt because Bill hit him.
Rachid recieved a letter from her last week.
Mark can't find it.
Don't be angry with us.
Tell them to hurry up!
Possessive Adjectives (Determiners) Possessive adjectives are not pronouns, but rather determiners. It is useful to learn them at the same time as pronouns, however, because they are similar in form to the possessive pronouns. Possessive adjectives function as adjectives, so they appear before the noun they modify. They do not replace a noun as pronouns do. Examples
Did mother find my shoes?
Mrs. Baker wants to see your homework.
Can Jake bring over his baseball cards?
Samantha will fix her bike tomorrow.
The cat broke its leg.
This is our house.
Where is their school?
Possessive Pronouns Possessive pronouns replace possessive nouns as either the subject or the object of a clause. Because the noun being replaced doesn't appear in the sentence, it must be clear from the context. Examples
This bag is mine.
Yours is not blue.
That bag looks likeĀ his.
These shoes are not hers.
That car is ours.
Theirs is parked in the garage.
Reflexive & Intensive Pronouns Reflexive and intensive pronouns are the same set of words but they have different functions in a sentence.
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the clause because the subject of the action is also the direct or indirect object. Only certain types of verbs can be reflexive. You cannot remove a reflexive pronoun from a sentence because the remaining sentence would be grammatically incorrect. Examples
I told myself to calm down.
You cut yourself on this nail?
He hurt himself on the stairs.
She found herself in a dangerous part of town.
The cat threw itself under my car!
We blame ourselves for the fire.
The children can take care of themselves.