16.1 Classes of nouns
1.
2.
3.
4.
Proper nouns
Count nouns
Non-count nouns
Nouns that can be both count nouns or non-count nouns
What?
1.
Proper nouns = eigennamen
Denote the name of a person, an animal, a place or a thing. They are spelt with a CAPITAL LETTER.
Gert, Webster, Arnhem, Big Ben, May, Christmas
2.
Count nouns/Countable nouns = telbare zelfst. naamwoorden.
Nouns that can be counted. It can also take a ‘’a/an’’ and it has a plural.
A girl
A dog A town -
two girls
ten dogs
a few towns
3.
Non-count nouns/Uncountable nouns = ontelbare zelfst. naamwoorden.
Nouns that cannot be counted. It cannot take ‘’a/an’’ and have no plural.
Music, milk, luggage, rice
4.
Nouns that can be both count nouns or non-count nouns.
There are many non-count nouns which can be used as count nouns; in this case a special meaning is
expressed:
a.
To denote different kinds
b.
To intensify the meaning
a.
To denote different kinds
We sell various wines. ? ‘kinds of wine’
This material can be worn in all weathers. ? ‘ kinds of weather, storm, rain etc.’
b.
To intensify the meaning
The sands of the desert
The rains in the tropics
How to make the plural?!
16.2 How to make the plural
Regularly a plural is formed by adding –s.
Book
Table
Cliff
-
Books
Tables
Cliffs
However, when the noun ends in a hissing sound you add –es.
Bus
Fish
Ditch
-
Buses
Fishes
Ditches
After –e only –s is added.
Bridge Change Mouse -
Bridges
Changes
Mouses
16.3 Plural of nouns ending in –y
When the noun ends in a consonant + y, the y changes into ie.
Spy
Spies
Penny Pennies
But!, when the nouns is preceded by a vowel not.
Boy
Boys
Day
Days
16.4 Plural of nouns ending in –o
When the noun ends in a consonant + o, the plural is formed by adding -es:
Hero-heroes
Potato- potatoes
Tomato-tomatoes
BUT! There are exceptions:
Video-videos
Radio-radios
Studio-studios
Folio-Folios
A number of nouns ending in a consonant + o only add –s.
Piano-pianos
Kilo-kilos
Hippo-hippos
Eskimo-Eskimos
But there are a few words were you can add –es or –s:
Banjo-banjoes/banjo
Volcano-volcanoes/volcanos
Buffalo-buffaloes/buffalos
Torpedo-torpedoes/torpedos
16.5 Plural formed by ‘s
With letters the plural is formed by adding ‘s with abbreviations and numerals the plural is formed by ‘s,
but s is more common.
Your t’s look like l’s.
Mp’s ( but usually: MPs )
The 1980’s ( but usually 1980s )
16.6 The plural of noun ending in –f/fe
As to the plural of nouns ending in –f/fe, the following points should be noted:
- Plural in –ves ( with the following nouns –f/fe becomes –ves )
Calf –calves
Half – halves
Elf – elves
- Plural in –fs or –ves ( the following nouns form their plural in –fs or –ves )
Handkerchief – handkerchiefs / handkerchieves
Hoof – hoofs / hooves
Scarf – scarfs / scarves
Wharf – wharfs / wharves
- Plural in –fs only (all other nouns ending in –f form their plural in the regular way )
Belief – beliefs
Proof – proofs
Roof – roofs
Safe – safes
16.7 Irregular plurals
In the following cases the plural is not formed in the regular way.
- Vowel change ( the following nouns form their plural by changing the vowel )
Man – men ( Englishmen )
Woman – women
Goose – geese
Foot – feet
Tooth – teeth
- Plural in –en ( two plural nouns end in –en )
Child – children
Ox – oxen
- Penny / pence
The plural of penny is pence when the price is referred to. When we refer to the coins, the plural is
pennies.
- Plural of nouns ending in –is / -us / -um / -on
A number of ‘’foreign’’ nouns have a plural form in –es, -i or –a.
Some of them also have a regular plural.
Basis – bases
Crisis – crises
Oasis – oases
Stimulus – stimuli
Cactus – cactuses
Aquarium – aquariums/aquaria
Criterion – criteria
Phenomenon – phenomena ( less common: phenomenons )
- But there are exceptions: Album – Albums , Museum – Museums
16.8 Nouns having one form for singular and plural
Some nouns have only one form for both the singular and the plural, the most important are mentioned below:
 Names of some animals (deer, sheep, grouse, plaice)
 A number of nouns ending in –s (alms, barracks, means, series, etc.)
 A number of nouns denoting inhabitants of a country or a town (Japanese, Chinese, Swiss, etc.)
 The word craft (aircraft, hovercraft, spacecraft, etc.).
16.9 Nouns that are plural in English but singular in Dutch
Some nouns are always plural in English whereas they are singular in Dutch. The most important among these are:
 Nouns denoting an object consisting of two equal parts
(schaar – scissors
Pyjama – pyjamas
Spijkerbroek – jeans
Broek – shorts)
Note:
- When the indefinite article or a numeral precedes, the word pair is used.
- In compound nouns a singular form is used.
 Other nouns that are always plural
Many nouns that cannot be said to belong to a certain category are plural (ashes, contents, customs, proceeds,
savings, etc.)
Note: - the words billiards, darts, dominoes and draughts are plural in form, but they are followed by a singular
verb form
- as nouns in –ics can always be followed by a singular verb, but not always by a plural verb, the surest
way to avoid mistakes is to use a singular verb
- The United States and The United Nations are followed by a singular verb form.
16.10 Nouns that are singular in English but plural in Dutch
A number of English nouns are always singular whereas their Dutch equivalent is plural.
 Progress (vorderingen)
 Business (zaken)
 Furniture (meubelen)
 Property (bezittingen)
The nouns ‘property’ and ‘business’ can be made plural!
16.11 Collective nouns
Collective nouns are nouns that denote a group of people or animals; among them the following distinction should
be made:
 Collective nouns followed by a singular or plural verb
They take a singular verb when they’re thought of as a unit and they take a plural verb when the individual
members of the group are thought of.
 Collective nouns that are always followed by a plural verb
(people, police, clergy, cattle, etc.)
But: people can also be a count noun in the meaning of nation (They are a hard-working people)
16.12 Plural noun when more than one
In general the plural is used when the number is more than one; Dutch usage varies:
Het is tien uur/weken/maanden/jaar geleden gebeurd
 It happened ten hours/weeks/months/years ago.
De jongens hadden hun gezicht niet gewassen
 The boys had not washed their faces
The singular is used, however, when the noun is preceded by a numeral+hyphen:
- a five-pound note
- a two-mile walk
- the eight-hour day
16.13 Masculine/feminine/neuter
In general, nouns denoting male persons or animals are masculine (mannelijk)
Masculine nouns are referred to by he, him and his.
Nouns denoting female persons or animals are feminine (vrouwelijk)
Feminine nouns are referred to by she and her .
Ships, planes, cars, motorbikes may be referred to as feminine to express an affectionate attitude:
How’s your new motorbike? ‘Terrific. She’s going like a bomb.’
Names of countries can be referred to as feminine when they denote political, economical or cultural
units: Russia has increased her trade with the USA.
All other nouns are neuter (onzijdig)
Neuter nouns are referred to by it and its.
Nouns denoting animals are neuter when the sex is unknown or does not matter: The rat its tail caught
in a trap
Names of countries are treated as neuter when they denote geographical units: travelling through
Russia, you realize what a large country it is.
16.14 Different nouns for male and female beings
In a number of cases there are two different words to denote male and female beings. Some examples:
man
woman
boy
girl
waiter waitress
Words ending in –‘person’ can be used in situations where it is felt to be desirable not to refer to the sex
of the person. Example: spokesman/spokeswoman --> spokesperson.
16.15 One noun for men and woman
Many nouns have the same form for men and women e.g. child, cousin, teacher, doctor, dancer,
journalist.
If desired or necessary, the question whether a man or a woman is meant can be expressed in the
following ways:
a. By putting a masculine or feminine noun before the noun:
- girl friend
- boy friend
- woman driver
The plural of the compound with ‘woman’ is formed by putting both elements in the plural: woman
doctor --> women doctors
b. By putting male or female before the noun
- A female monkey
- male nurse
- A male model
Practice test:
PART A: Read each sentence below. Locate each noun that you find and say whether it is a “proper
noun”, a “count noun”, a “non-count noun” or “nouns that can be both count nouns” or “noun-count
nouns”.
1. The girl and her friend could not find the newspaper.
2. Farmers in the United States grow vegetables, fruit, and wheat.
3. Each student should have a pen, pencil, and two folders.
4. Her mother took Jason to the airport.
5. Jan was planning a trip to a camp in Ohio.
6. Every Wednesday, Mrs. Janders delivers magazines to people who live on Main Street.
7. There were some real beaties in that rose garden.
Key PART A:
1. The girl: count noun, her friend: count noun, the newspaper: count noun.
2. Farmers: count noun, United States: proper noun, vegetables: count noun, fruit: non-count noun,
wheat: non-count noun.
3. student: count noun, pen: count-noun, pencil: count noun, folders: count noun.
4. mother: count noun, Jason: proper noun, airport: count noun.
5. Jan: proper noun, trip: count noun, camp: count noun, Ohio: proper noun.
6. Wednesday: proper noun , Mrs. Janders: proper noun, magazines: count noun, people: non-count
noun, Main Street: proper noun.
7. Beauties: noun that can be both count noun or non-count noun, garden: count noun.
PART B: Write the plural form of each noun below.
1. teacher
2. ox
3. wish
4. mouse
5. sky
6. tooth
7. boy
8. church
9. artist
10. butterfly
11. foot
12. glass
13. cloud
14. MP
15. fox
16. knife
17. child
18. peanut
19. inch
20. watch
21. hero
22. calf
23. woman
24. child
25. penny
26. phenomenon
27. criterion
28. sheep
29. Japanese
Key PART B:
1. teachers
2. oxen
3. wishes
4. mice
5. skies
6. teeth
7. boys
8. churches
9. artists
10. butterflies
11. feet
12. glasses
13. clouds
14. MP’s or MPs
15. foxes
16. knives
17. children
18. peanuts
19. inches
20. watches
21. heroes
22. calves
23. women
24. children
25. pennies, pence
26. phenomena, phenomenons
27. criteria
28. sheep
29. Japanese