Nouns are the general names given to people, things, places, and animals. Nouns are nothing but words that indicate things in this world. But there are different kinds of nouns. While it may seem simple, there can be complications if you do not pay proper attention.
While nouns have several classifications, the two categories that noun generally falls into are singular and plural nouns. We talk about various things that include several nouns. But whether they are singular or plural is a question you need to answer.
Today we will discuss singular nouns and how and when they are used.
What is a singular noun?
We engage with nouns in our daily speech. Sometimes we talk about one thing and sometimes more. So, when we talk about a single thing or a single noun, it is said to be singular. It means a singular noun is a noun that refers to a single or one object or a person.
Let us understand with an example;
I saw a beautiful girl at school today.
Here, a girl is a singular noun. We are referring to a single or only one person.
Other examples are;
People;
- Man
- Boy
- Girl
- Lady
- Doctor
- Hero
Animals;
- Cow
- Cat
- Donkey
- Mouse
Objects;
- Pen
- Book
- Table
- Chair
Singular nouns can be different types of nouns
While singular nouns seem to be easy, they can get complicated when we talk about their types.
Singular nouns can be any form of noun. They can be;
- Common nouns: book, shirt, bag, clock
- Concrete nouns: house, pencil, desk, plate
- Abstract nouns: love, sadness, hate, poverty
- Collective nouns: group, class, choir, band
We need to be extra careful with collective nouns. We see that collectively refer to several people at the same time, but they are presented as a whole. That means it is a singular noun.
Using singular nouns in a sentence
Singular nouns can be of any kind and can be used in different sentences. But there are some rules regarding its usage.
The first is the subject-verb agreement. Whenever we use a singular noun, it should always be accompanied by a singular verb.
For example;
- She writes books.
- My dog eats everything I give him.
- Our leader needs a haircut.
It is to note that verbs and nouns form opposite plurals in present tenses. That means, when we use a singular noun, the verb is indicated with the addition of the letter ”s”. As we can see in the above examples, a girl writes, a dog eats. But in the case of plural forms, it will be the opposite.
The second point is that singular nouns can be both countable nouns and uncountable nouns. And the use of articles a, an, or the is grammatically correct depending on the type of noun.
For example;
Countable;
- I have the book you want.
- I saw a woman waiting outside.
Uncountable;
- Can I have some water?
- I have seen salt and sugar being mixed.
So we see singular nouns can be complicated sometimes. But, of course, with a little attention, it can become easier than ever.
