Many nouns can be used as both countable (C) and non-countable (NC) nouns depending on the context. A particular instance of a noun will give it the countable meaning.

Paper:
I read two papers every morning (C)
We need some paper to write on (NC)
Experience:
They had some bad experiences on their trip. (C)
He needs more experience for that job (NC)
Chicken:
They raise chickens on the farm (C)
We would like to order chicken for dinner (NC)

Spelling of ING and ED forms

FOREIGN PLURAL OF NOUNS

SINGULAR ENDING (SE) PLURAL ENDING (PE)

SE - us PE - i E.G.stimulus - stimuli, radius - radii
SE - a PE- ae E.G.larva - larvae, vertebra - vertebrae
SE - um PE - a E.G. memorandum - memoranda, stratum - strata
SE - is PE - es E.G. crisis - crises, parenthesis - parentheses
SE - on PE - a E.G. criterion - criteria, phenomenon - phenomena
SE - ex, - ix PE - ices E.G. vortex - vortices, matrix - matrices
SE - eau PE - eaux E.G. bureau - bureaux, plateau - plateaux

There is a tendency for foreign word adopted in English to develop regular plural forms. Thus dictionaries now also give memorandums, criterions, bureaus.

PLURAL FORMS OF NOUNS

Nouns are regularly made plural by the addition of s. A number of nouns have other plural forms.

1. es plural
a. nouns ending in sibilant sounds spelled with s, z, ch, sh, x. E.G. classes, churches, dishes, boxes but monarchs (ch spells a /k/ sound)
b. nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant: y is changed to i. E.G. ladies, countries, boundaries but toys, keys (y is preceded by a vowel)
c. one-syllable nouns ending in a single f or fe: f is changed to v. E.G. leaves, thieves, knives but sheriffs, staffs, beliefs, chiefs. Some words may also have a regular plural -- scarfs or scarves, dwarfs or dwarves.
d. nouns ending in o:
es only Negroes, heroes, echoes, potatoes, tomatoes, embargoes.
s only Terms in music - pianos, sopranos. O preceded by a vowel - cameo, radio. Others - photos, zeros.
es or s Cargoes or cargo, volcanoes or volcanos, mulattoes or mulattos

2. other types of plural
a. -en ending... children, oxen, brethren
b. internal vowel change... teeth, mice, men
c. no change... deer, sheep, series

FUNCTION OF NOUNS

SUBJECT
The house on the corner belongs to my uncle.
(House is the head word of the subject the house on the corner)

OBJECT OF VERB:
- direct object. My husband sells expensive Chinese antiques. (Antiques is the head word of the direct object expensive Chinese antiques.)
- indirect object. My uncle sold that rich couple some expensive antiques. (Couple is the head word of the indirect object that rich couple. Indirect objects are used after verbs like bring, buy, give, make, owe, pay, sell, send, teach, write.)

OBJECT OF PREPOSITION: (in a prepositional phrase)
The price of those antiques is very high. (Antiques is the head word of the object of the preposition those antiques. Some common prepositions are in, of, on, at, by, for, about, from, to, after.)

COMPLEMENT:
- Subjective complement.- My uncle is the richest man in town (Man is the head word of the subjective complement the richest man in town. Subjective complements appear after verbs like be, seem, appear, remain, become.)
- Objective complement.- I consider my uncle a very fortunate man. (Man is the head word of the objective complement a very fortunate man. Objective complements are used after verbs like appoint, consider, elect, name, nominate, select, choose.)

NOUNS

Nouns are words that are used to name people, places, things and ideas. They may be divided into three categories: common, proper and collective nouns.

Common nouns name any class of persons, places, things, and ideas as in the following sentences.
- The boy is leaving for camp tomorrow.
- The tourists visited the museum yesterday.
- Children love to play football.

Proper nouns give names to particular people, places and things, and are usually capitalized.
- Mr. Wilson climbed Mount McKinley.
- A Frenchman was victorious at Wimbledon.
- The Americans won the Davis cup.

Collective nouns name a set of objects or a group of people.
- She purchased a new set of dishes.
- Our team is going to the Super Bowl.
- The committee wrote the research poposal.

Nouns are also used to represent qualities, substances and actions.
- He has the talent and discipline that are needed
- The air and water in many large cities are polluted
- She enjoys swimming and hiking

Below is a summary of the types of nouns discussed:

PEOPLE: Bill, captain, Japanese, mother, tourists, children
PLACES: Boston, store, basement, library, Taiwan
ANIMALS: horse, cat, dog, elephant, Tasha
OBJECTS: chair, desk, window, computer, modem
QUALITIES: truth, beauty, hope, democracy, sincerity
SUBSTANCES: air, water, snow, gas, gold
ACTIONS: reading, eating, acting, walking, sleeping