Singular Noun

What are Singular Nouns?

Singular nouns represent only one individual, animal, place or object. It is a standard form of noun where we do not have to add any suffix. They are nouns in their original form. For example, 'A dog' is a singular noun because there is only one dog and we did not need to add any suffix. 

Examples of Singular Nouns

How to Identify a Singular Noun in a Sentence?

1. Articles like 'a', 'an' or 'the' are frequently used before singular nouns. Read the sentences and look for articles to spot singular nouns easily.
2. Read the sentences or a paragraph and eliminate words ending with 's' or 'es' as those words are plural nouns. The simplest forms of words that do not have any suffixes are singular nouns. 
3. Singular possessive nouns use an apostrophe (') and the suffix (-s) at the end of the word to make the possessive form. Look for words that have an apostrophe (') and the suffix (-s).
4. Look for singular pronouns like 'he', 'she', 'it' as singular nouns are replaced by singular pronouns. For example, David is my cousin. He is older than me. 
5. The easiest way to identify a singular noun is to consider the number or amount of something it refers to. For example, 'I need a pen' here pen is a singular noun as the speaker only needs one pen.

When Do We Use Singular Nouns?

1. They are used when we talk about one specific individual, animal or thing. For example, Kiara is a girl.
2. They are used when we refer to collective nouns. For example, A herd of cattle. 
3. They are used for things that are one of a kind or unique. For example, Mount Everest is the Earth's highest mountain above sea level. 
4. They are also used for abstract concepts or ideas. For example, Some believe that friendship is important for humans. 

Singular Nouns Rules

Rule 1: Mass nouns are singular even when they contain many parts. For example, flour, rice, sand.

Rule 2: If the subject of a phrase or a sentence is a singular noun, we must use verbs in a singular form. For example, Rachel (singular subject) drinks (singular verb) her tea everyday.

Rule 3: Huge numbers such as billion, million, thousand or hundred are singular when there is a specific or an exact number. For example, five hundred, nine thousand, eight billion, etc.

Rule 4: If there is only one group or one collective noun we use singular nouns. For example, A pack of chips, A stack of books, etc.

Difference Between Singular Nouns and Plural Nouns

Click Here to Read About: Uncountable Nouns

Common Mistakes with Singular Nouns

1. Many students may use incorrect articles with singular nouns. For example, 'I have a umbrella' is an incorrect sentence as 'a' is the wrong article. The correct sentence is 'I have an umbrella'. 
2. Students may use a plural verb with a singular noun. The correct way to write is to use a singular verb with a singular noun. For example, 'Oscar play soccer everyday' is an incorrect sentence whereas 'Oscar plays soccer everyday' is correct. 
3. Students may add suffixes like 's' or 'es' at the end of a word to make it a singular noun which is incorrect. Adding suffixes to a word will make it a plural noun. For example, 'I have a cats (plural noun)' is an incorrect sentence whereas 'I have a cat (singular noun)' is the correct sentence. 

Singular Nouns Sentences

→ My computer is not working. 
→ Lucy's dad has finally purchased his dream car.
→ Did you see my new dress?
→ Every morning I read a newspaper. 
→ The cat is sleeping peacefully.

Singular Nouns Words

FAQs

1. What is a singular noun?

Answer: A singular noun refers to only one person, animal, place or thing. They are the simplest form of word where we do not need to add any suffix. For example, car, watch, table, book, carpet, etc.

2. Can singular noun be plural?

Answer: Yes, singular noun can be plural when we add a suffix at the end of a word. For example, book (singular noun) books (plural noun), cap (singular noun) caps (plural noun), etc.

3. When do we use singular nouns?

Answer: We use singular nouns when we need to refer to or indicate only one person, animal, place or object. For example, Sam is a great football player.

4. Are collective nouns singular or plural?

Answer: Collective nouns are singular when we only talk about one group. For example, school of fishes.

5. What are the examples of singular nouns?

Answer: Examples of singular nouns are box, rice, ink, paper, mouse, toy, notebook, pencil, cloth, tiger, dog, cat, etc.