A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. The basic structure is:
Examples:
- We learn English.
- I bought oranges.
The smallest unit of a sentence is a Subject + Verb. An object is not always required.
- Correct: We learn. / He plays. / She cried.
- Incorrect: Subject + Object (e.g. We English)
- Incorrect: Verb + Object (e.g. learn English)
A noun is a naming word. It is used to describe the name of a person, place, thing, animal, state, or quality.
Examples:
- Person: Boy, Teacher, Student, Doctor, Rahul
- Place: Country, Home, Playground, Una
- Thing: Pen, Paper, Bench, Door
- State: Peace, Jealousy, Anxiety, Love
- Quality: Honesty, Discipline, Beauty, Punctuality
Condition 1: A noun will always answer one of these three questions: What?, Who?, or Whom?
Example:
Anirudh bought fruits.
Here, `Anirudh` (Who?) and `fruits` (What?) are the nouns.
Now you try! Click the nouns in the sentences below. Correct nouns will turn blue; incorrect words will turn red.
Cheeku called Sangam.
The door opened quickly.
Rahul opened the door.
Honey painted the wall.
Ram asked her mother.
The company launched a new policy.
I went home.
I have a home.
Condition 2: A noun will always act as an object of a preposition.
Note: In this condition, questions other than What, Who, and Whom might be answered.
- We are in (preposition) the class (noun).
- I am going to (preposition) Delhi (noun).
- I am writing with a pen (noun).
1. Countable Noun
Nouns that can be counted in numbers. They can be singular or plural.
e.g. Students, Fruits, Books, Tables, Cars, Stars, Children, Leaves, Strand/Streaks of hair.
2. Uncountable Noun
Nouns that cannot be counted in numbers. They are always singular.
e.g. Water, Hair, Traffic, Sand, Pollution, Scenery, Work, Love, Grass, Equipment, Luggage, Furniture, Jewellery, Weather, Petrol, Rice, Milk, Poetry, Stationery.
3. Common Noun
A general name given to a person, place, or thing.
e.g. Does Anirudh (Proper) go to school (Common) everyday?
4. Proper Noun
A specific name given to a person, place, or thing. It always starts with a capital letter.
e.g. I am fond of reading newspaper (Common) but I like The Hindu (Proper) most.
5. Collective Noun
The name given to a group of people, animals, or things.
Team (Collective), Players (Common), Lionel Messi (Proper)
e.g. The Choir (Collective) has sung the hymn.
e.g. The jury (Collective) was unanimous in decision making.
6. Abstract Noun
These are nouns which cannot be seen, touched, smelt, tasted, or heard. One can only feel them.
e.g. Success (Abstract) seems easy to come to certain people.
e.g. She has an incredible love (Abstract) for nature.
7. Concrete Noun
These nouns have a physical sense as one can see, touch, hear, smell, or taste them. (e.g., Common, Proper, Collective nouns).
e.g. She has bought a new pencil (Concrete).
e.g. She is making good money (Concrete) this year.
7.1 Material Noun
These are nouns that act as a raw material for a final product.
e.g. Cotton, Wood, Gold.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
If the subject is singular, it will take a singular verb. If the subject is plural, the verb will always be plural.
1. Subject (singular) + Verb (singular)
2. Subject (plural) + Verb (plural)
| A. Boy (He) | B. Boys (They) |
|---|---|
| is / was / has | are / were / have |
| plays / writes / thinks | play / write / think |
| e.g. He plays cricket. | e.g. They play cricket. |
| e.g. Boy thinks. | e.g. Boys think. |
2. Nouns Appearing Plural but are Singular
In some cases, an 's' at the end of the word does not mean it is plural. They will always be singular and require a singular verb.
e.g. Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Politics, Ethics, Statistics, Summons, Innings, Gymnastics, News, Athletics, Mechanics, Progress.
3. Nouns That are Always Plural
These nouns always remain plural and thus take a plural verb.
e.g. Cattle, Police, Scissors, Spectacles, Jeans, Pants, Trousers, Binoculars, Shades, Glasses, Wages, Outskirts, Premises, Surroundings, Congratulations, Thanks, Pliers, Headphones, Regards, Contents, Belongings.
Exceptions & Important Points
- When Politics, Mathematics, and Statistics mean a field/area/subject, the verb is singular. When they mean political views, calculations, or data respectively, the verb is plural.
- Datum (singular) → Data (plural).
- Summons (noun, singular verb), Summonses (noun, plural verb), Summon (verb).
e.g., Two summonses were issued. / The court has summoned him.
Practice
Politics is / are a dirty game.
Politics involve / involves everyone.
His politics is / are different from mine.
Mathematics is / are telling us that he has made a lot of money this year.
Statistics tell / tells us that it will rain today.
Data warn / warns us and we have to cancel our plans.
She has bought one furniture.
My belongings was lost.
Nouns can take on different roles in a sentence. These roles are called cases.
- Subjective Case: The noun is the subject (doer) of the verb.
- Objective Case: The noun is the object (receiver) of the verb or a preposition.
- Possessive Case: The noun shows ownership or possession.
- Vocative Case: The noun is used to address someone directly.
e.g. Ram (Subjective) booked a ticket (Objective).
e.g. Hey Ram (Vocative)! How are you?
The Possessive Case ('s)
This case shows ownership. Here are the main rules:
- Use Noun + 's for singular living nouns (e.g., Ram's house).
- Do not use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns (e.g.,
Yours obediently, notYour's). - For plural nouns ending in 's', add only an apostrophe (') after the 's' (e.g., Boys' hostel).
- For plural nouns not ending in 's', add 's (e.g., Children's day).
- Generally, 's is used with living nouns. For non-living nouns, use the "of the" structure (e.g., The temperature of the room).
Exceptions for Possessive Case
There are cases where 's can be used with non-living nouns:
- Place: Delhi's pollution
- Time/Event: New Year's Eve, a month's holiday
- Heavenly Bodies: Earth's atmosphere, Sun's rays
- Idioms: at a stone's throw away (nearby)
- Personification: Opportunity's knock
- With words like somebody/nobody/else (e.g., somebody else's book).
Practice
Which form is correct for a hostel belonging to multiple boys?
Which is the correct closing for a letter?
Which form is correct for the day dedicated to all children?
Which form is correct for the day dedicated to all teachers?
Which is correct?
Which is correct?
Which is correct?