Nouns at a glance
teacher, city, phone, water
Read the rule, inspect the example, then check yourself.
Overview
A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, animal, idea, substance, event, or group.
Nouns can be concrete or abstract
Concrete nouns name things you can see or touch.
Abstract nouns name ideas, qualities, states, and feelings.
- teacher, city, phone, water
- freedom, kindness, progress, fear
Main Rules
Most noun rules are about number, countability, and whether the noun is specific.
Use plural forms for countable nouns
Most countable nouns add -s or -es in the plural.
- one lesson -> two lessons
- one box -> three boxes
Some nouns are uncountable
Uncountable nouns do not normally use a/an or a plural -s.
Use some, much, a piece of, a bottle of, or another measure when needed.
- some advice
- a piece of information
- two cups of coffee
Patterns
Nouns often work with articles, determiners, adjectives, and prepositions.
Common noun patterns
| Pattern | Example | Use |
|---|---|---|
| article + noun | a student, the answer | shows whether the noun is general or specific |
| adjective + noun | clear rules | adds description before the noun |
| noun + preposition | reason for, access to | connects the noun to more information |
| noun + noun | grammar practice | uses the first noun like an adjective |
Examples
Look at the noun and its role in the sentence.
The teacher explained the rule.
Teacher is a person; rule is a thing or idea.
I need an advice.
I need some advice.
Advice is uncountable in standard English.
This course gives useful informations.
This course gives useful information.
Information is uncountable and does not take plural -s.
Common Mistakes
Many noun mistakes come from translating countability directly from another language.
She has many experiences.
She has a lot of experience.
Experience is usually uncountable when it means knowledge from doing things.
There are three childs in the room.
There are three children in the room.
Child has the irregular plural children.