common errors in nouns

NOUNS

A noun is a word that names a person, a place or a thing.

Examples:Sarah, lady, cat, New York, Canada, room, school, football, reading.

Example sentences:People like to go to the beach.Emma passed the test.My parents are traveling to Japan next month.

NOUNS

• Abstract Nouns• An abstract noun is a noun that names an

idea, not a physical thing.

Examples:Hope, interest, love, peace, ability, success, knowledge, trouble.

NOUNS

• Abstract Nouns are formed –1) From Adjectives as - kind - kindness

honest - honesty2) From Verbs as - obey - obedience

grow - growth3) From Common - child - childhood

Nouns slave - slavery

NOUNS

• Concrete Nouns• A concrete noun is a noun that names a

physical thing.

Examples:Boy, table, floor, coffee, beach, king, rain, children, professor.

NOUNS• Common Nouns• A common noun is a noun that names a general thing, not a specific thing.

Examples:Boy, girl, city, country, company, planet, location, war.

•Proper Nouns

• A proper noun is a noun that indicates the specific name of a thing. It begins with a capital letter.

Examples:Robin, Alice, London, Sweden, Google, Earth, Eiffel Tower, Civil War.(Compare these examples to ones in the "Common nouns" section to see the difference.)

NOUNS

• Collective Nounsa crowd of people a team of playersa herd of cattle a flock of sheepa fleet of ships a squadron of aeroplanes

Government, Parliament, Assemly, Council, committee, army, crew, staff, jury fleet, crowd,majority, mob, family, nation etc.

NOUNS

• Material Nouns:

NOUNS

• Countable Nouns• A countable noun is a noun that indicates something you could

actually count.

For example, you could count pigs: one pig, two pigs, three pigs... However, you couldn't count water: one water, two water – no, it doesn't work...

A countable noun has both a singular and a plural form, and it can be used with the indefinite articles (a/an).

Examples:Window, teacher, tree, lion, eye, cloud, pencil, heart, movie.

NOUNS• Uncountable Nouns• An uncountable noun is a noun that indicates something you cannot

count.

For example, you could count pigs: one pig, two pigs, three pigs... However, you couldn't count water: one water, two water – no, it doesn't work...

An uncountable noun has only one form (no plural), and it cannot be used with the indefinite articles (a/an).

Examples:Furniture, advice, mail, news, equipment, luggage, work, coffee, information.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

Incorrect: I would like to buy some furnitures.Correct: I would like to buy some furniture.

Incorrect: Have you got any informations?Correct: Have you got any information?

Incorrect: Have you packed your luggages?Correct: Have you packed your luggage?

Incorrect: Is there any breads?Correct: Is there any bread? OR Are there any loaves?

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Explanation: Nouns like scenery, furniture,

news, information, luggage and bread are

always used in the singular. They do not have

a plural form.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Incorrect: He told these news to me.Correct: He told me this news.

Explanation: The noun news is only used in the singular. So, we cannot use these before news. When a verb (e.g. told) takes two objects, we prefer to put the indirect object (e.g. me) before the direct object (e.g. this news). Note that the indirect object is usually a person as in the above example.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Incorrect: The government should pay attention to the problems of the poors.

Correct: The government should pay attention to the problems of the poor.

Incorrect: He provided the blinds with food.Correct: He provided the blind with food.

Explanation: Expressions like the poor, the dead, the blind, the unemployed are always plural. You don’t have to say the poors or the blinds.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS• Incorrect: Kashmir is known for its sceneries.

Correct: Kashmir is known for its scenery.•

Incorrect: We have bought some furnitures.Correct: We have bought some furniture.

•Incorrect: Have you received any informations?Correct: Have you received any information?

•Incorrect: We must buy some breads.Correct: We must buy some bread. OR We must buy some loaves.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Incorrect: Have you packed your luggages?Correct: Have you packed your luggage?

Incorrect: Could you give me some advices?Correct: Could you give me some advice?

Reason• Some nouns have only a singular form. Examples are:

furniture, wheat, happiness, gratitude, abuse, information, clothing, gossip, poetry, scenery, advice and news.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Incorrect: He wore a white trouser.Correct: He wore white trousers.

•Incorrect: We must buy a binocular.Correct: We must buy a pair of binoculars.

Reason• Some nouns have only a plural form. Examples are:

police, cattle, oats, tweezers, pants, remains, scissors, binoculars, shorts, trousers, drawers and socks. It is wrong to say a pant or a trouser.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS• Incorrect: The rich should help the poors.

Correct: The rich should help the poor.•

Incorrect: He provided the blinds with food and clothes.Correct: He provided the blind with food and clothes.

•Incorrect: The unemployed is losing hope.Correct: The unemployed are losing hope.

Reason• The phrases the blind, the rich, the poor, the employed, the dead

etc. are always plural and should be followed by plural verbs. It is therefore wrong to say the blinds or the poors.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS• Man and Gentleman• Incorrect: I met a tall gentleman.

Correct: I met a tall man.

Reason• ‘I met a tall gentleman’ is of course correct English. But gentleman

is a difficult word to use correctly in standard English. Students are therefore advised to use gentleman only when they are referring to a man’s character. Say ‘He is a gentleman’ if you want to praise his character. Say ‘He is not a gentleman’ if you want to criticize his character. To denote an adult of the male sex, simply use ‘man’.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Woman, female and lady• Incorrect: I saw two females.

Correct: I saw two women.

Reason• We don’t say I saw a male. Similarly we don’t

say I saw a female.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Incorrect: I saw a beautiful lady.Correct: I saw a beautiful woman.

• Reason• ‘I saw a beautiful lady’ is of course correct

English. But woman is the usual word to denote an adult of the female sex. Say ‘She is a lady’ when you mean that she is a woman of particularly good birth and taste.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Cousin• Incorrect: He is my cousin brother.

Correct: He is my cousin.

• Cousin means any child of any uncle or aunt. Phrases like cousin brother and cousin sister are wrong in standard English.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Expressions that take singular verbs• Some common expressions take singular verbs

even though they may contain a plural noun. Examples are: bacon and eggs; cheese and biscuits; fish and chips etc.

• Bacon and eggs was served for breakfast.• Where is the cheese and biscuits?• Fish and chips is popular in England.

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Pants and trousers

• Pants means underclothes covering the upper part of the leg. Trousers means outer garment for the legs, reaching from waist to ankles.

• Students should wear white trousers. (NOT ... white pants)

COMMON ERRORS IN NOUNS

• Dress• The word dress is generally used with

reference to women's attire.• He was wearing a new suit. (NOT He was

wearing a new dress)• But note that we do say 'a man in full dress' or

'evening dress'.