The noun Types of nouns
Proper Nouns |
Common Nouns |
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Bill Clinton Christmas The British Isles
1.2. Proper nouns names people, institutions, places, times, etc. They have unique reference, and in writing they begin with a capital letter. Proper names are non-count: they have no contrast in number. Generally, they have a singular form, but some place-names have only a plural form:
the AIds The British Isles The Bahamas
1.6. Proper names are treated as common nouns when they do not have unique references, though they retain capitals in writing:
I’m busy on Sundays. I have a lot of Julians in my class. |
Countable/Count Nouns |
Uncountable/Noncount Nouns |
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concrete |
abstract |
concrete |
abstract |
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a book |
an idea |
clothing |
courage |
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1.3. Count nouns have both a singular and a plural and they can be introduced by determiners that accompany distinction in number:
a two one several every box few boxes either many this these |
1.4. Noncount nouns indicate entities that are viewed as uncountable. They are singular in form and are treated as singular for subject-verb agreement. They are introduced by a restricted number of determiners:
the my this whose some news what advice any which no whatever
1.5. Like plural count nouns, noncount nouns may be used with the zero article: Honesty is appreciated a lot.
1.7. We can often achieve countability with noncount nouns (especially concrete ones) through partitive expressions. There are general partitive expressions, such as a
piece/pieces of, a bit of/bits of:
a piece of bread a bit of advice some pieces of news
• Some partitive expressions tend to go only with certain noncount nouns: a lump of sugar/ a bar of chocolate/soap/gold a glass of water/soda/whisky
• We can also use measurements.
Two pounds of sugar, a ton of coal |
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Some common uncountable nouns
The following nouns are commonly used as uncountable nouns. Many other nouns can be used as uncountable nouns. This list serves only as a sample: |
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1. WHOLE GROUPS made up of similar items: |
baggage, clothing, equipment, food, fruit, furniture, garbage, hardware, jewelry, mail, makeup, money/cash/change, postage, scenery, traffic |
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2. FLUIDS: SOLIDS GASES: PARTICLES: |
water, coffee, milk, oil, soup, gasoline, blood, etc.
ice, bread, butter, cheese, meat, gold, iron, silver, glass, wood, cotton, wool, etc.
steam, air, oxygen, hydrogen, smoke, nitrogen, pollution, etc.
rice, chalk, corn, dirt, dust, flour, grass, hair, pepper, salt, sand, sugar, wheat, etc. |
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3. ABSTRACTIONS |
• beauty, confidence, education, enjoyment, fun, happiness, health, help, honesty, importance, intelligence, justice, knowledge, laughter, luck, music, patience, peace, pride, progress, significance, sleep, truth, violence, wealth, etc. • advice, information, news, evidence, proof etc. • time, space, energy • homework, work • grammar, slang, vocabulary |
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3. ABSTRACTIONS
LANGUAGES FIELDS OF STUDY
RECREATION:
GENERAL ACTIVITIES: |
• beauty, confidence, education, enjoyment, fun, happiness, health, help, honesty, importance, intelligence, justice, knowledge, laughter, luck, music, patience, peace, pride, progress, significance, sleep, truth, violence, wealth, etc. • advice, information, news, evidence, proof, etc. • time, space, energy • homework, work • grammar, slang, vocabulary Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, etc. chemistry, engineering, psychology, etc.
baseball, soccer, tennis, chess, poker, bridge, etc.
driving, studying, swimming, traveling, walking ( and other gerunds) |
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4. NATURAL PHENOMENA |
weather, dew, fog, hail, heat, humidity, lightning, rain, sleet, show, thunder, wind, darkness, precipitation, sunshine, fire, gravity, electricity |
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