Introduction
Nouns name people, places, things, and ideas. SSC exams test noun types indirectly through
Subject-Verb Agreement, Error Spotting, and plural-formation questions — this chapter covers every rule
you'll need.
Types of Nouns
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|
| Proper Noun | Specific name, always capitalised | India, Rahul, Monday |
| Common Noun | General name for a class of things | city, boy, book |
| Collective Noun | Names a group as a single unit | team, herd, jury, flock |
| Abstract Noun | Names a quality, idea, or state — cannot be touched | honesty, freedom, joy |
| Material Noun | Names a substance/material | gold, water, cotton |
| Countable Noun | Can be counted, has singular/plural forms | book/books, chair/chairs |
| Uncountable Noun | Cannot be counted individually, no plural form | water, information, furniture |
Collective Nouns — Common Ones to Memorise
| Collective Noun | Group of |
|---|
| Flock | Sheep/birds |
| Herd | Cattle/elephants |
| Pride | Lions |
| Jury | Persons appointed to give a verdict |
| Bouquet | Flowers |
| Fleet | Ships |
Uncountable Nouns — Common Trap List
⚠️ Common Trap: These words are ALWAYS treated as singular/uncountable in standard English — never write "informations," "furnitures," "advices," or "luggages."
| Correct (Uncountable) | Incorrect (Never Pluralise) |
|---|
| information | informations |
| furniture | furnitures |
| advice | advices |
| luggage / baggage | luggages |
| news | newses |
| equipment | equipments |
Plural Formation Rules
| Rule | Example |
|---|
| Add -s (most nouns) | cat → cats |
| Add -es (ends in s, x, z, ch, sh) | box → boxes, bus → buses |
| Consonant + y → ies | city → cities |
| Vowel + y → just add s | boy → boys |
| f/fe → ves (many, not all) | leaf → leaves, knife → knives |
| Irregular plurals | man → men, child → children, mouse → mice, tooth → teeth |
| Same singular/plural | sheep, deer, series, species |
Q. Choose the correct sentence: (A) The furnitures are new. (B) The furniture is new.
"Furniture" is uncountable — always singular verb, never pluralised
Correct: (B) The furniture is new.
Gender of Nouns
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|
| Actor | Actress |
| Waiter | Waitress |
| Hero | Heroine |
| Bridegroom | Bride |
✅ Practice Focus: Seven noun types and identification · Common uncountable nouns (never pluralise) · Irregular plural forms · Same singular/plural nouns (sheep, deer) · Collective noun-group matching.