Page 12 - Grammar Glow - 8

(c) But if something special is linked with a plural noun, we use a determiner before it.

Their laptops are of a fine quality.
(d) Some nouns have the same forms as singulars and plurals.

sheep, fish, deer, series, dice, aircraft, crossroads, précis, news, spacecraft, etc.

Uncountable Nouns
(a) Some nouns that cannot be counted but include qualities, processes, topics, substances,
etc. are uncountable nouns. These nouns have only one form each and are not used with
numbers.

1. We need food and water to live.

2. They are talking about religion.
Uncountable nouns take singular verbs.

1. Courage is a virtue.

2. Honesty is the best policy
(b) There are some uncountable nouns in English that suggest things, but they are countable
in other languages.

advice furniture hair homework
information knowledge luggage news

traffic research progress money
(c) Some uncountable nouns end in s and look like plurals. But they are singular.

economics billiards mathematics cards politics

mumps electronics alms measles diabetes

Unique Nouns
Certain nouns are unique; they are talked about as only one. So they are used in their singular
forms. Each singular noun is always used with a determiner.

the sun the moon the sky the air the ground

the earth the past the universe the world the atmosphere

Nouns Used as Plural
These nouns seem plural rather than singular. So they have only plural forms.

goods clothes premises expenses resources

police compasses dividers poultry people
thanks troops manners ashes jeans

shorts glasses trousers spectacles scissors

pliers shoes

10
10