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Singular and Plural Nouns | Basic English Grammar for Competitive Exams - Bank Exams PDF Download

What are Nouns?

A noun is a word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea. It gives a name to something we can see, touch, or even think about—whether it's something real like a "book" or "teacher," or something abstract like "freedom" or "happiness."

Just like babies often learn words like "mama" or "milk" first, nouns are typically the first part of speech we study when learning a new language.

Nouns can be:

  • Singular, when they refer to just one person, place, thing, or idea (e.g., cat, city, dream).

  • Plural, when they refer to more than one (e.g., cats, cities, dreams).

Singular and Plural Nouns | Basic English Grammar for Competitive Exams - Bank Exams

Singular Noun

A singular noun refers to just one person, place, thing, or idea.

  • Think of it like this: if you're talking about one item, it's singular.

  • Examples:
    i) boy – one boy
    ii) apple – one apple
    iii) school – one school
    iv) idea – one idea

So whenever you're talking about something that's only one, you use the singular form.

Plural Noun

A plural noun means more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

  • In most cases, you just add -s or -es to make a noun plural.

  • Examples:
    i) boys – more than one boy
    ii) apples – more than one apple
    iii) schools – more than one school
    iv) ideas – more than one idea

Some nouns change spelling when they become plural:

  • child → children

  • man → men

  • mouse → mice

So, when you're talking about two or more things, use the plural form.

Question for Singular and Plural Nouns
Try yourself:
What is a singular noun?
View Solution

Rules for Forming Plural Nouns in English

For the plural form of most nouns, add s.

  • bottle – bottles
  • cup – cups
  • pencil – pencils
  • desk – desks
  • sticker – stickers
  • window – windows

For nouns that end in ch, x, s, or s sounds, add es.

  • box – boxes
  • watch – watches
  • moss – mosses
  • bus – buses

For nouns ending in f or fe, change f to v and add es.

  • wolf – wolves
  • wife – wives
  • leaf – leaves
  • life – lives

Some nouns have different plural forms.

  • child – children
  • woman – women
  • man – men
  • mouse – mice
  • goose – geese

Nouns ending in vowels like y or o do not have definite rules.

  • baby – babies
  • toy – toys
  • kidney – kidneys
  • potato – potatoes
  • memo – memos
  • stereo – stereos

A few nouns have the same singular and plural forms.

  • sheep – sheep
  • deer – deer
  • series – series
  • species – species

Question for Singular and Plural Nouns
Try yourself:
What is a noun?
View Solution

Solved Exercise

Q. Choose the correct form of the noun in each sentence.

(i) In the exhibit, there were several (phenomenon, phenomena) that left the scientists baffled.

Ans: phenomena

(ii) The ancient city was inhabited by mysterious (species, specie) that had never been documented before.

Ans: species

(iii) The research paper discussed the intricate relationships among various (cactus, cacti) in the desert ecosystem.

Anscacti

(iv) The library contained a vast collection of (datum, data) from different time periods.

Ans: data

(v) The orchestra performed a medley of classical (opus, opera) at the grand concert.

Ans: opera

(vi) During the expedition, the team discovered remnants of ancient (bacterium, bacteria) in the frozen tundra.

Ans: Bacteria

(vii) The professor explained the complex (phenomenon, phenomena) using a series of detailed diagrams.

Ans: phenomenon

(viii) The hikers encountered a variety of (fungus, fungi) during their trek through the dense forest.

Ans: fungi

(ix) The biologist studied the behavior of different (genus, genera) of plants in the rainforest.
Ans: genera

(x) The museum displayed artifacts from multiple (century, centuries) of human history.
Ans: centuries

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FAQs on Singular and Plural Nouns - Basic English Grammar for Competitive Exams - Bank Exams

1. What is the difference between singular and plural nouns?
Ans. Singular nouns refer to a single person, place, thing, or idea, while plural nouns refer to more than one. For example, "cat" is a singular noun, whereas "cats" is its plural form.
2. How can I determine if a noun is singular or plural?
Ans. In most cases, you can determine if a noun is singular or plural by looking at its form. Singular nouns often end in -s, -x, -sh, -ch, or -o, while plural nouns usually add -es or -s. However, some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow these patterns.
3. Can nouns change their form from singular to plural?
Ans. Yes, many nouns can change their form from singular to plural. This is done by adding suffixes or altering the word's spelling. For example, "child" becomes "children" in its plural form.
4. Are there any nouns that have the same form for both singular and plural?
Ans. Yes, there are nouns that have the same form for both singular and plural. These are known as "unchanged" or "invariable" nouns. Examples include "deer," "fish," and "sheep."
5. What are collective nouns, and how do they relate to singular and plural nouns?
Ans. Collective nouns refer to groups of people, animals, or things. They can be either singular or plural, depending on whether the group is seen as a single unit or as individuals. For example, "team" can be singular when referring to the group as a whole ("The team is practicing") or plural when referring to individual team members ("The team are wearing their uniforms").
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