Noun Rules and Uses in English grammar Rules of Nouns

We have provided you the rules for effective communication and writing of nouns in English language, types of noun sentence structure and understanding English grammar noun rules. Because reading nouns is essential for all children, you’ll need these Noun Rules and Uses to be well-rounded.

So let us give you complete information. It covers key concepts from singular and plural forms to possessive nouns, which will come in handy for any paper you may need to study. Noun Rules and Uses With clear explanations and examples, you’ll learn how to use nouns correctly in a variety of contexts

Noun Rules and Uses

Definition: A noun is a name of any person, animal, place, tangible thing, intangible feeling, etc. In other words, any name given to anybody or anything is a noun.

Examples of Nouns

1. Name of a Person – Zuker, Max, Xavier, Joseph, etc
2. Name of an Animal – Kangaroo, Dolphin, Jackal, etc.
3. Name of a Place –  Bostan, Australia, India, etc.
4. Name of a Thing – Table, Computer, Chair, etc.
5. Name of an Idea –  Happiness, Superstitions, Excitement, etc. 

Noun Examples

The examples below would help you to understand the noun with ease. To get a better grasp of various noun examples, take a look at these sentences below containing some nouns.

SNo	Noun Example	A Noun used in a Sentence
1	Sameer and Rohan	I don’t know why Sameer is so angry with Rohan.
2	Doctor	Rahul’s father is a doctor.
3	Regret	His biggest regret was not travelling more.
4	Grasshopper	Rishi caught a grasshopper with his bare hands.
5	Book	That’s Ramesh’s favourite book.
6	Africa	Did you know that Africa is much larger than Greenland?
7	Delhi University	How many students attend conferences at Delhi University?

Noun Worksheet for Class 8

What are the different Types of Noun

Nouns can be classified into the following types.

Proper Noun: A proper name that is used specifically for a person, place, etc. It is unique in its own sense and cannot be commonly used for others.

Example: India, Ganga, Sachin, Gandhi, Himalaya etc.

Common Noun: A common noun can be used for generally similar types of people or things or beings.

Example: Girls, boys, tables, chairs, people, students, etc.

Collective Noun: A collective noun is a name given to a group of other nouns. Any noun that conveys the meaning of a whole or a group is called a collective noun.

Example: group, herd, council, family, herd, herd, committee etc.

Abstract Nouns: Abstract nouns are names given to feelings, emotions or stages of life. In short, an abstract noun can refer to anything that is intangible, and that cannot be seen but only felt.

Example: love, faith, knowledge, growth, beauty, childhood, old age, youth etc.

Mass Noun: Mass noun is the name given to a unit or product that can be measured quantitatively.

Example: milk, water, gold, silver, oxygen, nitrogen, stones, bricks, gems etc.

There are many errors associated with nouns and the most common errors that we come across while solving grammar questions in any aptitude test are based on the following rules.

Number Noun

Singular Noun – When it refers to one person or thing, it is a singular noun, such as pens, cows, boys, chairs, etc.
Plural Nouns – When a noun refers to more than one person or thing, it is a plural noun, such as pens, cows, boys, chairs, etc.

Noun Gender

• Masculine – nouns denoting a male classification of a person, animal or thing, for example, man, lion, moon, etc.
• Feminine – Nouns denoting the feminine class of a person, animal or thing such as nature, tigress, woman etc.
• Neutering – Those nouns that give the sense of male or female, things without life, such as pen, room, book etc.

Noun Cases

Classifying nouns by case tells us the position of a noun in a sentence. There are five cases of nouns in English.

• Possessive case – when a noun shows ownership or possession, eg – That’s my dress. In the possessive case ‘mine’ is.
• Vocal Case – A noun is in the vocal case when it is used to call out (attract attention). For example, Ms. Riya, the teachers are waiting for you in the staffroom. (Ms. Riya is on a business matter).
• Dative case – When a noun is the indirect object of a verb, it is in the dative case, e.g. Rohan brought chocolate for me (‘me’ is in the dative case).
• Nominative Case – If a noun is the subject of a verb then it is called the nominative case. Example – Radha is an intelligent girl.
• Objective Case – When a noun is the direct object of a verb or a preposition, they are in the objective Case. Example – Please give the fruit.

Aspirants of various government exams can visit the following links to prepare for other sections of the exam.

English Grammar For Class 2 PDF

Rules of Noun with Example

Here we have 5 rules, with the help of these rules we can understand what kind of noun should be used and where we have to use singular or plural form of noun.

Rule 1

Category 1

• Some nouns always remain singular. The verbs and pronouns associated with these nouns are also always singular.
• We do not use these nouns in plural form, i.e. we do not add ‘s’ to these words and we do not use plural verbs or plural pronouns with them.

Example: hair, information, machinery, plane, furniture, sheep, fish, bread, advice, money.

Category 2

• Some nouns are always in the plural form.
• We add ‘s’ to the end of these words even if they have the same quantity.
• Usage will always be plural.
• The verbs and pronouns associated with these nouns will also be in the plural form.
• Generally, these are words with the same meaning that come in a pair.

Example:

1. these scissors are broken
2. My trousers are torn.
3. My glasses are dirty.
4. Gloves are useful.
5. The socks are here.

Category 3

Some nouns are used in the singular sense, but the verbs and pronouns associated with them are plural.
Generally, these are words that are already the plural of some word.

Example:

1. People are standing on the road.
2. The policemen are running after me.
3. Children are playing in the park.
4. Cattle are grazing in the fields.

Category 4

Some words end in the plural, i.e. with ‘s’ at the end, but the use in the context of verbs and pronouns is always singular.
Generally, we have diseases and topics in this category.

Example:

• Measles is a deadly disease.
• Rickets is spreading, and it is necessary to treat tuberculosis.
• The politics of this state is dirty.
• Economics is a difficult subject.
• Math is important.

Rule 2

If the main subject, gist or gist of a sentence is singular then the verb and pronoun will also be singular.

Example:

1. Bread, butter and milk are good for breakfast. (Wrong)
2. Bread, butter and milk are good for breakfast. (Correct)
3. Social, financial, political and infrastructural development is important for India. (Wrong)
4. Social, financial, political and infrastructural development is important for India. (Correct)
5. Knowledge of Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Economics is essential for class 10 students. (Wrong)
6. Knowledge of Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Economics is essential for class 10 students. (Correct)

Rule 3

Normally we consider all collective nouns in singular.

Example:

1. The group of students has come first.
2. My team has won the match.
3. A bunch of keys was found in the dustbin.
4. There are some exceptions to this rule.

Exception 1: Whenever we divide or segment a collective noun, it becomes plural.

Example:

• My team is divided into 5 small teams.
• My classes are divided into several sections.

Exception 2:

When the subject of a collective noun comes before a collective noun, it will be used in the plural.

Example:

• A band of robbers have attacked the city.
• A gang of robbers has attacked the city.

Rule 4

All material nouns are treated in the singular form.

Example:

• Gold is expensive.
• Water is healthy.
• Oxygen is important.

Exception: When a mass noun is countable, it is also used in the plural.

1. Diamonds are a woman’s best friend. (Correct)
2. Please pick up all the bricks and stones from the floor. (Correct, because bricks and stones are countable)
3. My house is made of bricks and stones. (Incorrect, because the bricks and stones of a house cannot be counted)
4. My house is made of brick and stone. (Correct)

Rule 5

Similar sounding words

• Practice and practice
• Advice and counsel

In English vocabulary there are some word pairs like above in which there is a difference between ‘C’ and ‘S’. We must remember that there is a grammatical difference between these words.

1. Advice is a noun. Example: Thank you for your valuable advice.
2. Advice is a verb. Example: Thank you for giving me advice.
3. Practice is a noun. Example: How is your soccer practice going?
4. Practice is an action. Example: Do you practice football every day?

Rule 6

Study the usage of nouns in singular and plural form.

Noun	Used as	Noun	Used as
Wood	Material	Woods	Forest
Water	Material	Waters	Sea
Asset	Quality	Assets	Property
Sand	Material	Sands	Land
Iron	Material	Irons	Chains
Cloth	Material	Clothes	Dress
Abuse	Indecent Words	Abuses	Misuses
Work	Labour	Works	Literary writings
Air	Element	Airs	Behaviour
Advice	Suggestion	Advices	Bills
Custom	Habit	Customs	Tax
Effect	Result	Effects	Goods
Colour	Material	Colours	Flag
Fruit	Edible thing	Fruits	Results
Wit	Ability to talk	Wits	Intelligence
Arm	Organ	Arms	Weapons
Good	Advantage/ Use	Goods	Articles

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Proper Nouns as People (and Animals)

For example, Benjamin is the proper name of a person. (First, last, and middle names are considered proper nouns, and are therefore always capitalized.) Not only are people’s names capitalized, but pet names are also capitalized. Lucky Goldfish, my dog named Rufus, and the neighborhood cat named Pickles are all proper nouns and therefore all capitalized.

Proper Noun as Place

For example, London is the proper name of the major city where Big Ben is located. Country names such as the United Kingdom, districts such as Barnet, and counties such as Hertfordshire are included. A proper noun can also, in some cases, refer to a residence such as Buckingham Palace or a room such as the Lincoln Room in the White House.

Proper Nouns as Things

Big Ben, as mentioned earlier, is the proper name for London’s most famous clock tower. What other things are considered proper nouns? The names of organizations or trademarks, such as Ford, Apple, McDonald’s, and Lego, are proper nouns. Rivers can be named, such as the Nile River or the Hudson River.

Other Things That are Proper Nouns:

1. historical monument
2. Dates
3. award
4. vehicles
5. Brands

Reminder to Capitalize Proper Nouns

In the case of a proper noun, the first letter of the proper noun is always capitalized and similarly the first letter immediately following the common noun is also capitalized. Examples are the Nile River, Middlesex County, and the Civil War. The exception to this rule is when the proper noun is a noun. For example, in Michael’s truck, Truck is not capitalized.

Noun Important Rules

1. Some Nouns always take singular verb.

For pre-view, advice, information, machinery, stationery, furniture, abuse, fuel, rice, gram, issue, bed, repair, news, mischief, poetry, business, economics, physics, mathematics, classic, ethics, athletics, Shift, gallows are some such words which always take singular verb.

• The view of Nainital is mesmerizing.
• He advised.

2. Some nouns are singular in meaning, but they are used as plural nouns and there is a tendency to always take plural verbs.

For ex cattle, nobility, vermin, peasantry, artillery, people, clergy, company, police.

(a) Cattle are grazing in the ground.
(b) The police have brought the situation under control.

3. Some nouns are always used in plural form and always take plural verb.

For ex- trousers, scissors, glasses, stockings, shorts, measles, luggage, alms, premises, thanksgiving, news, history, property, etc.

(a) Where are my trousers? (Wrong)
(a) Where are my trousers? (Correct)

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4. Some nouns indicate length, measure, money, weight or number but when preceded by a numeral, their form remains unchanged.

Some examples are foot, meter, pair, score, dozen, top, year, hundred, thousand, million.

(a) It is a four year degree course. (incorrect usage)
(a) It is a four year degree course. (Correct Usage)

5. Words like ‘some’, ‘some’ and ‘some’ should be used with caution. They denote ‘number’.

‘Some’ means ‘not much’ or we can say ‘almost nothing’. The meaning of ‘some’ is positive and it means ‘at least some’. On the other hand ‘some’ means ‘whatever is.’

1. For example – some women are blameless. (Wrong)
2. Some women are innocent. (Correct) (Here the sense is negative and hence we cannot use ‘some’.)

6. Some nouns have one meaning in the singular and another in the plural:

1. advice = counsel,, advice = information
2. Vayu = Atmosphere, Vayu = Pride
3. authority = order, authority = person in power
4. good = intelligent, goods = wealth
5. iron = metal, iron = fetters, chains
6. force = power, force = army
7. content = satisfaction, content = things contained
8. respect = respect, respect = praise
9. work = job, work = creations, factories, .

7. People often get confused or make mistakes in the use of some nouns.

1. Lectureship is wrong: Lectureship is correct.
2. Freeshipping is wrong; FREE – Scholarship right.
3. boarding is wrong; The boarding house is correct.
4. Family people are wrong; Family members are correct.
5. The English teacher is wrong; English teachers are right.
6. cousin – brother or sister is wrong; Only cousin is correct.
7. When used in the singular, pay means punishment.
8. When used in the plural sense it also means a fee for labour.

8. A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in person, number and gender.

For Example

• Each student must bring his own belongings.
• All students must do their homework.
• Each boy must have his own bag.

9. When using ‘all’, ‘all’, ‘any’ and ‘each’, the masculine or feminine pronoun is used according to the context.

1. I would be happy to help each boy with this exercise.
2. But when the gender is not mentioned, we use the masculine pronoun.
3. Anyone can crack this exam if one tries.
4. Each of the six boys in the class has completed his work. (Wrong)
5. Each of the six boys in the class has completed his work. (Correct)

10. ‘Who’ denotes the subject and ‘whose’ is used for the object?

Who: This is the subject of a verb—as in, who gave you that book?

It is a predicate nominative (a noun in the predicate that renames or refers to the subject of a sentence) – eg, It is I am.

Noun Rules with Examples with Questions and Answers

Fill In The Blanks With Noun Rules with Examples

1. Police ……………. arrived so late. ( are / is / have / were )
2. You shall be given ……………. ( food and lodging / fooding and lodging )
3. The news ………… necessary in our daily life. ( are / is / have / were )
4. The committee ………….. passed the bill. ( are / is / have / has )
5. He stopped the car just off the ……………… ( pavement / footpath )
6. He has written a historical …………… ( drama / theater )
7. The ………….. consisted of a series of flashbacks. ( cinema / movie )
8. The blonde, ………….. was staring at her. ( English teacher / teacher of English )
9. Hair ………….. simple in structure but useful for looking. ( are / is / have / were )
10. The committee ………….. divided in their opinions. ( are / is / have / has )

Answers

1. Police have arrived so late.
2. You shall be given food and lodging.
3. The news is necessary in our daily life.
4. The committee has passed the bill.
5. He stopped the car just off the pavement.
6. He has written a historical drama .
7. The movie consisted of a series of flashbacks.
8. The blonde, teacher of English was staring at her.
9. Hair is simple in structure but useful for looking.
10. The committee have divided in their opinions.

Q. Which word is a noun in the following sentence?

1. I decided to catch the bus because I was late.

A) Catch
B) Late
C) Bus
D) Was

Answer: c

2. He has bought a new car.

a) Bought
b) New
c) He
d) Car

Answer: d

3. Those scissors belongs to her.

a) Scissors
b) Those
c) Her
d) None of the above

Answer: a

4. Find the correct sentence

A) Who owns these poultries?
B) Who owns these poultry?

Answer: b

5. Please put the book on the desk.

A) One noun
B) Four noun
C) Three noun
D) Two noun

Answer:D

6. Noun correction of the below sentence

a.Physics are important subject in this modern era.
b.Physics is important subject in this modern era.
c.Physic is important subject in this modern era.

Answer: b

7. Compound noun is a noun that is made with… words.One

a) Two
b) Two or more
c) Three

Answer: c

8. There are 2 nouns in the sentence: Please pass the ball.

A) False
B) True

Answer: b) False

9. Find out noun errors in the following sentence.

A) There are three childrens in the room.
B) There are three children in the room.
C) There are three childrenes in the room.

Answer: b

10. Find the correct sentence.

A) They have much informations about the matter.
B) They have much information about the matter.
C) They have much informationes about the matter.

Answer: b

Let’s correct the incorrect part of these below sentence ↓

1. S. Nandi is our English teacher.
   Ans. S. Nandi is our teacher of English.
2. The police has arrested the thief.
   Ans. The police have arrested the thief.
3. I have learnt poetries by memory.
   Ans. I have learnt poetry by memory.
4. He does not know even alphabets of English.
   Ans. He does not know even alphabet of English.
5. The student lives in the boarding.
   Ans. The student lives in the boarding house.

Noun Rules and Uses in pdf Download

Noun pdf Download

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