Collins Cobuild

Unit 13
Count nouns
Main points
Count nouns have two forms, singular and plural.
They can be used with numbers.
Singular count nouns always take a determiner.
Plural count nouns do not need a determiner.
Singular count nouns take a singular verb and plural count nouns
take a plural verb.
In English, some things are thought of as individual items that can be
counted  directly.  The  nouns  which  refer  to  these  countable  things  are
called count nouns. Most nouns in English are count nouns.
See Unit
15
for information on uncount nouns.
1
Count nouns have two forms. The singular form refers to one thing or
person.
…a book … …the teacher.
The plural form refers to more than one thing or person.
… books … …some teachers.
2
You add ‘-s’ to form the plural of most nouns.

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book → books school → schools
You add ‘-es’ to nouns ending in ‘-ss’, ‘-ch’, ‘-s’, ‘-sh’, or ‘-x’.
class → classes watch → watches
gas
→ gases
dish
→ dishes
fox
→ foxes
Some nouns ending in ‘-o’ add ‘-s’, and some add ‘-es’.
photo → photos piano → pianos
hero
→ heroes potato → potatoes
Nouns ending in a consonant and ‘-y’ change to ‘-ies’.
country → countries lady →
ladies