The SKIP - Editing Boot Camp

Count nouns can be difficult for ESL learners to fully comprehend as most languages treat nouns differently. In some languages, all nouns can be pluralized, where other languages may never pluralize a noun but instead add a suffix or a prefix, and some even insert a whole word before or after the noun. This lesson will help to clarify the differences between count and noncount nouns in English.

A count noun is an object, person, or thing that can quite obviously be counted. They can be combined with numerals or other quantifiers. Count nouns are often viewed as a unit within a collective group. Count nouns can be written in both singular and plural forms.

Noncount nouns are often substances, mass forms, and abstract ideas or concepts. These nouns are often too small, too large, or too abstract to be counted. Most noncount nouns can't be pluralized.

Count Noun Examples

It is important to discern whether a noun is a count noun or a noncount noun because this will then determine what kind of determiners, articles, and adjectives are used in conjunction with that noun.

The common determiners appearing before singular count nouns are the, this, and that.

The dog wants lunch.
This dog wants lunch.
That dog wants lunch.

Determiners commonly used with plural count nouns are the, these, those, and some.

The kids want lunch.
These kids want lunch.
Those kids want lunch.
Some kids want lunch.

The indefinite articles a and an can be used in conjunction with singular (indefinite) nouns. Use a for nouns beginning with a consonant sound, and use an for nouns beginning with a vowel sound.

A dog needs love and attention.
An aardvark wouldn't make a very good pet.

When the noun is plural, a numeral (or number spelled out) is often used before it.

I have five (5) aardvarks.

Use many and few with count nouns.

How many sticks do you have?
I have fewer sticks than you.

Noncount Noun Examples

Like count nouns, noncount nouns have certain determiners, articles, and adjectives that can be used in conjunction with them.

The determiners that are commonly used before noncount nouns are this, that, and some.

This water looks stagnant.
That water looks stagnant.
I want some water that is not stagnant.

Noncount nouns cannot use the indefinite articles a and an before them, as noncount nouns are not referring to specific, countable objects, or items. They can be used in conjunction with the definite article the.

The water looks stagnant.

Use much and little with noncount nouns. As a determiner, little often appears as a little.

How much water do you have in your canteen?
I have a little water left.

Both Count and Noncount Nouns

If English was as simple as having two types of nouns, count and noncount, and gave specific rules for each, many ESL learners would not have as difficult a time understanding it. But then English throws them for another loop. There are some nouns that can be used as both count and noncount nouns. The word water is a great example.

Noncount: I would like a glass of water.
Count: Can I have a water please?

In the first sentence, the speaker is referring to the liquid water. In the second sentence, the speaker is referring to the beverage water in the same way that one may refer to a "soda" or a "Coke" or an "iced tea." All these nouns also double as count and noncount nouns, depending upon context.

Tricks to Distinguish Between Count and Noncount Nouns

Here are a few tricks to help determine whether a noun is a count or a noncount noun.

Insert much before the noun. If the noun still makes sense, the noun is a noncount noun. Count nouns cannot be preceded by much.
Insert the phrase amount of before the noun. If the noun does not make sense, the noun is a count noun. Only noncount nouns can be preceded by the phrase amount of.
If the noun is an abstract concept, like education, courage, sadness, nausea, grief, etc. it is most likely a noncount noun.
If the noun is a proper noun, it is most likely a noncount noun.

Plural Nouns

A plural noun indicates that there is more than one of the person, place, or object. To form the plural of a singular noun it is often as easy as simply adding an -s to the end of the word, as seen in the following examples:

Singular to Plural

dog → dogs
tree → trees
hat → hats
book → books
restaurant → restaurants

There are some nouns that have alternative endings. These will be explained in the following slides.

Nouns that End in -ch, -s, -x, -sh, or -z

Nouns that end in -ch, -s, -x, -sh, or -z need more than an -s to be added to the end to make them plural. With these nouns, an -es needs to be added to the end in order to make them plural.

church → churches
glass → glasses
dish → dishes
box → boxes
waltz → waltzes
beach → beaches
fox → foxes
wish → wishes

Nouns that End in -o

Nouns that end in an -o can be tricky, as some only add an -s, while others add an -es to make the noun plural. There are no hard and fast rules that can be applied to determine which ending goes on which noun. The only way to learn is trial and error, and then memorization.

Add -es to some nouns to make them plural:

echo → echoes
hero → heroes
potato → potatoes
tomato → tomatoes
domino → dominoes
torpedo → torpedoes

Add -s to some nouns to make them plural:

radio → radios
memo → memos
pro → pros
piano → pianos
photo → photos
kilo → kilos
video → videos

Nouns that End in -y

Similar to the nouns that end in an -o, there is some variation in the endings of nouns that end in a -y. But unlike nouns that end in an -o, there are rules that can be applied to the nouns that end in a -y. For nouns that end in a consonant and then a -y, the y is changed to an i, and then -es is added. If the noun ends in a vowel and then a -y, then an -s is added.

Here are some examples of nouns that end in a consonant and a -y.

baby → babies
story → stories
family → families
butterfly → butterflies
lady → ladies
city → cities

Here are some examples of nouns that end in a vowel and a -y.

boy → boys
monkey → monkeys
valley → valleys
tray → trays
day → days
essay → essays

Nouns Ending in -f, or -fe

There are some nouns that change the -f, or -fe into a v and add -es, while there are other nouns that simply add -s to the -f or -fe. Like the nouns that end in an -o, there are no rules to determine which nouns change into -ves and which nouns just add the -s. Trial and error and then memorization are the only way to learn which nouns do what. Here are some noun examples that change the -f or the -fe into a v and add -es.

calf → calves
leaf → leaves
thief → thieves
wife → wives
life → lives
knife → knives

Here are some noun examples that add -s to the end of the word.

roof → roofs

safe → safes

belief → beliefs

chief → chiefs

chef → chefs

giraffe → giraffes

Nouns that Change Vowels

There are a few nouns out there that change the vowels in their singular versions in order to make them plural. There are no rules with these, so they must be memorized.

Some of these nouns include:

foot → feet
goose → geese
man → men
woman → women
tooth → teeth
mouse → mice
crisis → crises
analysis → analyses

Noncount Nouns

Let's briefly return to noncount nouns. Noncount nouns cannot be pluralized. These nouns are usually general concepts, thoughts, or objects that are too small or too large to be counted. These nouns are always written as singular.

Common noncount nouns:

Noncount Nouns Ending in -s

Just because a noun ends in an -s does not mean that it is automatically a plural. There are some noncount nouns that end in -s but are still singular. An -s at the end of a noun is not an automatic indication that the noun is plural.

Some noncount nouns that end in -s:

Miscellaneous Nouns

The forms of some nouns are altered in many different ways when they become pluralized. Some nouns don't change form at all and others change letters or add entire suffixes. There are no rules for these nouns, and they are learned through trial and error. These nouns are as follows:

child → children

ox → oxen
deer → deer
sheep → sheep
moose → moose
species → species
fungus → fungi
alumnus → alumni
phenomenon → phenomena
larva → larvae
medium → media
person → people

Nouns Without a Singular Form

There are some nouns that are always plural; they have no singular form. These nouns are usually clothing or tools. While these nouns usually have two physical parts, they are single objects.

Examples of nouns that do not have a singular form are as follows:

Apostrophe Plus -s

Many ESL learners write an 's to indicate the plural form of a noun. This is incorrect. The 's is not used to indicate the plural form of a noun. The 's is used to show possession or the omission of letters.

The balloons are flying away.
Not: The balloon's are flying away.

The girls are twirling around in their dresses.
Not: The girl's are twirling around in their dresses.

Summary

When editing ESL documents, pay special attention to nouns. The most common problems with noun usage have to do with plurality issues and subject-verb agreement. Establishing the intended meaning of the sentence should be your highest priority. After you determine what the author was trying to say, then you can look at the individual rules regarding nouns to make a decision about what edits to make.

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Last Updated: 09/29/2022

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