A noun is the part of speech that is used to name an abstract idea or concept, a person, place, animal or thing. Nouns are normally the first words a small child learns, understands, and uses. There are lot of different types of nouns, as well as various uses. These proceeding sentences include words in bold, which are all different types of nouns: The onset of summer brought cheer to many. Avant-garde is a celebrated type of art. Was Nietzche an existentialist? Ella Fitzgerald is one of the most popular jazz singers in history. Computer graduates have good jobs awaiting them. As you will have noticed, nouns vary based on the type and usage. Nouns can be used in sentences as a subject, a subject complement, an indirect object, a direct object, an object complement, an adjective, an adverb, or an appositive. This paper shows some of these uses and types of nouns. Plural Nouns Many nouns are altered from the singular form into the plural form to indicate a number of two or more with the addition of “s” or “es.” Other nouns of the singular form can be changed into the plural form by altering the last letter of the word prior to adding “s.” There are various procedures for different words. Some of the words that end in the letter F will be changed into the plural form by erasing the “f” and adding “ves”. Words that end in “y” turn into plural by removing of the “y” and the addition of “ies.” Examples: Story (singular) - stories (plural) Rash (singular) - rashes (plural) Half (singular) - halves (plural) Fruit (singular) - fruits (plural) Some nouns irregularly form the plural. A writer well-versed in the language should have a solid grasp of what these words are. Seek out a reliable reference, such as language websites or a highly regarded dictionary. Examples: Criterion (singular) - criteria (plural) Cactus (singular) - cacti (plural) Gender in Nouns Nearly all common nouns, such as “helper” or “student”, can be used for both men and women. In the past, the form of many nouns would change based on gender, with the addition of “ess,” and other suffixes, to the male form of the noun. Because of recognition of gender equality, it is very rare for gender-specific nouns to be used these days. With that said, some nouns with male and female forms still live on today, especially in categories that relate to occupations. Apart from the types and uses referred to above, there are other types of nouns with different purposes. If you do not have English as a first language, it is best to familiarize yourself with well-written literature in English to make you more confident in your use of nouns. Julie Thomas is from EnglishGrammarSoft.com, an online English grammar resource specialising in English writing software.

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