Hello reader! In this article, we shall discuss the various Nouns Rules and example sentences used in English grammar. We all know that nouns are the names of persons, places, things, or animals, and are one of the parts of speech in the English language. There are various Rules of Nouns so that there will be no grammatical errors associated with nouns.
Nouns Rules in English Grammar
Rule 1: Plurals of Nouns
Generally, we can form the plural forms of nouns by adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ to the singular form of the nouns. For example,
- Boy- Boys
- Ship- Ships
- Vehicle- Vehicles
- Cassette- Cassettes
- Pen- Pens
- Movie- Movies
Rule 2: Nouns that are always Singular
Some nouns are always written in the singular. They are known as uncountable nouns. For example,
Work, Air, water, machinery, dust, traffic, electricity, baggage, postage, wastage, money, hair, furniture, information, wisdom, knowledge, advice, baggage, postage, crockery, etc.
Rule 3: Nouns that are always plural
Some nouns are always written in the plural form and cannot be written in a singular way. For example,
Cattle, police, archives, scissors, binoculars, goggles, surroundings, fireworks, belongings, eyeglasses, etc.
Rule 4: Nouns with the same form
Some nouns have the same form in both singular and plural. Examples: Fish, sheep, deer, crew, family, pike, aircraft, species, swine, Team, etc.
For such nouns, based on the context, the corresponding verb should be used. Go through the following sentences
- The team has taken the decision to withdraw from the match (Team is considered singular here and hence a singular verb is used)
- The team are wearing their uniforms (Team is considered plural here and hence a plural verb is used)
Rule 5: Nouns Expressing numbers
We should always use the Nouns expressing numbers in a singular form with numerical adjectives in the sentence. For example,
Couple, pair, hundred, billion, dozen, thousand, etc.
- Sam bought a dozen eggs.
- She ate a couple of apples.
Rule 6
Whenever we use ‘one of’, ‘either of’, ‘neither of’, or ‘each of’ in the sentences, the noun must be in the plural form. For example,
- Neither of my brothers attended the funeral.
- One of those players will score a century today.
- Either of those men is the murderer.
Rule 7: Proper Nouns as Common Nouns
If we take the example “John is the Gandhi of the college”, the word Gandhi doesn’t represent Mahatma Gandhi, but the principles he is known for, i.e., truth and non-violence. So, the proper noun Gandhi is used as a common noun in this case. This is another of the important rule of Nouns you must learn.
Note: Whenever such a case arises, we should always use the article ‘the’ before the common noun.
Rule 8: Gender of the Collective Nouns
One should always write the collective nouns in the neuter gender even if they talk about living beings. For example,
- The mob has been creating a lot on nuisance. The Mayor asked the police to look after it.
- I have a herd of cows. I appointed an assistant to help me with its management.
These are some important nouns rules that one should keep in mind while using Nouns in sentences
Also, Read The 10 types of Nouns in Grammar
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