UNIT 4.

PART OF SPEECH: NOUN

UNIT OUTLINE
1. Definition
2. Types of noun
3. Number
4. Gender
5. Subject – Verb Agreement

1. Definition
Noun is a word to name a person, an animal, or a thing. Ex: Paul, a student, a cat, a table…
2. Types of noun
a. Proper nouns name a particular person, place… as John Smith, New York…They are
always capitalized.
b. Common nouns name one or all members of a class or group and do not require capitals
as boy, cat, city…
c. Concrete nouns name things that readers can perceive with their senses as desk,
symphony, smoke, boy….
d. Abstract nouns name intangible qualities and ideas (cannot be perceived with senses) as
liberty, sweetness, love, bravery…..
e. Countable nouns are used for individual things that can be counted as a chair, a table…
+ A count noun may be preceded by a / an in the singular.
+ A count noun takes a final –s / -es or irregular form in the plural. Ex: boys; children;
sheep
+ A count noun can be used as uncountable with general meaning
Ex: I open wide the windows so that the room can get more sun.
f. Uncountable nouns are used for things that cannot be counted as bravery, furniture …
+ An uncountable noun is not immediately preceded by a / an.
+ An uncountable noun has no plural form.
+ Most uncountable nouns refer to a ‘whole’ with general meaning.
+ An uncountable noun can be used as a count noun with usually a change in
meaning.
Ex: A coffee (a cup of coffee); Two beers please ( 2 cans / glasses of beer)
Fish (uncount): a kind of food. Ex: you should eat more fish than meat to be
healthy.
Fish (count): an animal. Ex: He swims like a fish
Fishes (count): types of fish. Ex: There are many fishes living in this river.
g. Collective nouns refer to a group of members and can take a singular or plural verb.
+ Singular: as a unit. Ex: Family is the basic element of society.
In this case we use it, its, which / that.
Ex: The government wants to improve its image.
The crowd which has gathered here is in a cheerful mood.
+ Plural: as all the members of the group. Ex: My family are going to Vung Tau this
weekend.
In this case, we use they, their, who.
Ex: The teacher staff want to improve their image.
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 My family, who have just come back from DL, are going to VT this weekend.
h. Possessive noun
 Formation
+ Noun singular: + ‘s. Ex: the boy’s hat; Paul’s parents; the boss’s decision
+ Noun plural not ending in ‘s’: + ‘s. Ex: Children’s clothes
Ending in ‘s’: + ‘ (no ‘s’). Ex: the boys’ hats
+ Compound noun: + ‘s at the end. Ex: My mother-in-law’s hat
+ A noun phrase: + ‘s at the end. Ex: The King of England’s hat
Compare: Paul and Peter’s room (Paul & Peter share the same room)
Paul’s & Peter’s room (Paul & Peter have their own room)
 Uses
+ A person: the boy’s hat
+ An animal: the cat’s fur
+ A community : the committee’s decision
+ Time: New Year’s Eve; a two days’ holiday
+ Distance: a stone’s throw; a 3 miles’ distance; a hair’s breadth
+ Personified / theorized things: the Sun’s ray; the Moon’s beam; the Death’s faucet

Note: no possessive case for adjectives used as people

Ex: The tears of the rich; Not: the rich’s tears
The happiness of the poor; Not the poor’s happiness
i. Compound noun
 Formation: N + N. Ex: sunflower
A + N. Ex: green house
Participle + N. Ex: swimming pool; sleeping bag
 Stress: usually the stress is on the first word. Ex: ˊsunflower; ˊhot dog; ˊdancing
teacher
 Compound noun and Phrase / grammatical structure
o Meaning Compound: lexical / particular meaning. Ex: a green house = a
special kind
of house
Phrase: the meanings of the words. Ex: a green house = a house
which is
green
o Stress Compound: 1st word stressed. Ex: a ˊgreen house
Phrase: 2nd word stressed. Ex: a green ˊhouse
3. Number regular: N + s/es. Ex: boys; bosses
Irregular: man => men; child => children; ox => oxen; knife => knives; a sheep =>
2 sheep.. ( some nouns with zero plural form: no change sheep; deer; fish; trout;
aircraft; salmon)

Note: Some nouns ending in –s may be singular or plural with different meanings
 Noun made up by different parts => plural verb. Ex: The jeans are on the table
But: A pair of + noun => singular verb. Ex: A pair of jeans is on the table
Ex: Nouns ending in –ics singular: an academic subject: economics; statistics
Ex: Statistics is a difficult subject to study
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 Plural: not an academic subject
Ex: The statistics in this report are inaccurate
Work: uncountable noun = what to do. Ex: homework; housework
Works: singular = a factory. Ex: This works has a very good canteen
Works: plurals = products / writings … Ex: John’s works are very interesting
4. Gender: In English only people and animals have gender, and usually in irregular form
Ex: man => woman; boy => girl; bull => cow; stallion => mare…

5. Subject – Verb Agreement: the verb agrees with its subject

a. 1 subject: singular subject => singular verb
b. Many subjects
 Linked by ‘and’ Used as a unit: singular verb
Ex: The author and lecturer tonight is waiting for us.
Bread & cheese for breakfast is on the kitchen table.
Used as different units: plural verb
Ex: A boy & a girl are waiting for you.
Money & fame are what people always look for.
 Linked ‘ or, nor, either …or, neither …nor, not only … but also: the verb agrees with
the nearest subject. Ex: Don’t say too much; one word or two are enough.
Mr. John’s children or his wife is visiting us tonight.
 Linked by ‘with, together with, along with, as well as…’: the verb agrees with the first
subject.
Ex: Mr. John together with his wife and two children is visiting us to night.
 There + be: the verb agrees with the real subject (RS)
o One real subject: the verb agrees with the RS
Ex: There is a book on the table; There are two strangers waiting for you.
o Many RS: the verb agrees with the nearest one
Ex: There are 4 chairs & a table in the room
There is a table & 4 chairs in the table
 A number of + plural noun => plural verb.
Ex: A number of students are absent today.
 The number of + plural noun => singular verb
Ex: The number of students of this class is 50
 Quantifier + noun: the verb agrees with the noun.
Ex: ¼ of the house has been painted
¼ of the students are absent today.
 Subject used as a whole (quantity, sum, phrase, clause, sentence…): singular verb
Ex: 300 bombardiers, 400 tanks, and 1000 soldiers is an invincible force.
$ 800 million is a big sum.
Early to bed and early to rise makes people healthy, wealthy, and happy.

Exercise 8
Make compound nouns or use adjectival forms
1. A raincoat made of plastic => a plastic raincoat
2. A shirt made of silk………………………………………….
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 3. Hair like silk………………………………………….
4. A table-top made of glass………………………………………….
5. Eyes like glass………………………………………….
6. A wallet made of leather………………………………………….
7. A spoon made of stainless steel………………………………………….
8. Nerves like steel………………………………………….
9. A pullover made of wool………………………………………….
10. A blouse made of cotton………………………………………….
11. A teapot made of silver………………………………………….
12. A voice like silver………………………………………….
13. A wall made of stone………………………………………….
14. Silence like stone………………………………………….
15. A tile made of ceramic………………………………………….
16. A nailbrush made of nylon………………………………………….
17. A tongue like leather………………………………………….
18. A spoon made of wood………………………………………….

Exercise 9
Put in some, any, a, the, a lot of, or ‘Ф’
1. I’d like ………………. information, please.
2. The tree was struck by ……………….lightning.
3. Is there ……………….toast, please.
4. There’s ……………….slice of toast left.
5. What’s ……………….weather like today?
6. Can I have……………….potatoes, please.
7. I need……………….new clothing.
8. I’m tired. I’ve just done……………….shopping.
9. I’ve done……………….housework.
10. I’ve just received……………….letter from John.
11. Can you give me……………….description of it?
12. I’d like……………….tomatoes, please.
13. Would you like……………….spaghetti?
14. There was……………….traffic this morning.
15. John’s gone to bed with……………….flu.
16. Have you made……………….progress with Chinese?
17. I’ve got ……………….permission to park here.
18. Our teacher has given us……………….homework.
19. There’s……………….rubbish in our garden.
20. I’m going to plant……………….tree in the garden.

Exercise 10
Supply is, are, has, or have
1. The acoustics in this room………………very good.
2. This crossroads………………dangerous.
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3. There ………………4 crossroads in our village.
4. Acoustics ………………a subject I know little about.
5. Our company headquarters………………in London.
6. There ………………many series of books on birds.
7. ………………there any kennels in this area?
8. The statistics in this report………………inaccurate.
9. ………………there any statistics for road accidents?
10. Many species of moth………………disappeared.
11. This species………………green and white spots.
12. Our works………………a good canteen.
13. My math………………got worse and worse.
14. There ………………crossroads every mile.