Singular Number

Singular Number refers to the form of a noun or verb that denotes one person, thing, or idea. It contrasts with the plural number, which refers to more than one person, thing, or idea.

Oxford Dictionary of English: Singular refers to the grammatical number used when referring to one person, object, or concept.

Cambridge English Grammar: The singular number is used to indicate that something is counted as one.

Merriam-Webster: In grammar, singular is the form of a noun, pronoun, or verb that is used when talking about one thing or person.

Singular and Plural numbers refer to whether you're talking about one or more than one of a noun.

1. Singular: Refers to one item or thing.

• Cat (one cat)
• Apple (one apple)
• Teacher (one teacher)

2. Plural: Refers to more than one item or thing.

• Cats (more than one cat)
• Apples (more than one apple)
• Teachers (more than one teacher)

Comparison: Singular vs. Plural Number

Feature	Singular Number	Plural Number
Definition	Refers to a single person, thing, or entity.	Refers to more than one person, thing, or entity.
Examples	Noun: cat, book, child Pronoun: he, she, it Verb: runs, eats	Noun: cats, books, children Pronoun: they, we Verb: run, eat
Formation	Usually in its base form (dog)	Often formed by adding '-s' or '-es' (dogs, boxes); some irregular forms exist (children, feet)
Usage in Sentences	"The **dog** is barking."	"The **dogs** are barking."
Verb Agreement	Takes singular verbs (is, has, runs)	Takes plural verbs (are, have, run)
Pronoun Use	Uses singular pronouns like 'he, she, it'	Uses plural pronouns like 'they, we'

A singular noun is a noun that refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. It represents a single entity and does not indicate more than one.

Examples of Singular Nouns

• Person – boy, teacher, doctor, mother
• Place – school, park, office, beach
• Thing – book, chair, phone, apple
• Idea – love, happiness, freedom, truth

Rules for Singular Nouns

• Most singular nouns do not have an "s" at the end.
  • cat, table, river

• Some singular nouns can be uncountable (cannot be counted).
  • water, sugar, information

• Singular nouns use singular verbs in sentences.
  • The dog barks loudly.

• Articles "a" or "an" are used with singular countable nouns.
  • a car, an orange

Singular nouns follow specific rules. Here are the key rules for singular nouns:

1. Definition of Singular Nouns

• A singular noun refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. For example:
  • Person: doctor, teacher, child
  • Place: park, city, school
  • Thing: book, pen, table
  • Idea: happiness, truth, freedom

2. Formation of Singular Nouns

• Most nouns are written in their base form when singular:
  • dog, house, car
• Some singular nouns have special spellings:
  • man (singular) → men (plural)
  • child (singular) → children (plural)

3. Singular Nouns and Articles

• Singular countable nouns often require an article (a/an/the):
  • a cat, an apple, the book
  • 'A' is used before consonant sounds: a ball, a university
  • 'An' is used before vowel sounds: an elephant, an hour

4. Subject-Verb Agreement

• Singular nouns take singular verbs:
  • The dog barks.
  • The boy runs.

5. Possessive Form of Singular Nouns

• To show possession, add "'s" to the singular noun:
  • John’s book
  • The cat’s tail

Singular pronouns are pronouns that refer to a single person, place, thing, or idea. They are used to replace singular nouns to avoid repetition and make sentences more concise. Here are the main types of singular pronouns:

Personal Pronouns: These refer to a specific person or thing.

• Subject Pronouns:
  • I (First-person) → I am happy.
  • You (Second-person) → You are my friend.
  • He/She/It (Third-person) → She is a teacher.
• Object Pronouns:
  • Me (First-person) → She called me.
  • You (Second-person) → I saw you yesterday.
  • Him/Her/It (Third-person) → I gave him a book.

Possessive Pronouns: These show ownership.

• Mine → This book is mine.
• Yours → Is this yours?
• His/Hers → The blue car is his.

Reflexive Pronouns: These refer back to the subject of the sentence.

• Myself → I did it myself.
• Yourself → You should take care of yourself.
• Himself/Herself/Itself →
  • He hurt himself.
  • She prepared herself.
  • The cat cleaned itself.

Demonstrative Pronouns: These point to a specific thing.

• This → This is my book.
• That → That is a great idea.

Indefinite Pronouns: These refer to an unspecified person or thing.

• Someone, Somebody → Someone is at the door.
• Anyone, Anybody → Anybody can join the club.
• No one, Nobody → Nobody knows the answer.
• Everything, Something, Anything, Nothing → Everything is ready.

Interrogative Pronouns: These are used to ask questions.

• Who → Who is calling?
• Whom → Whom did you call?
• Whose → Whose bag is this?
• Which → Which is your favorite color?
• What → What is your name?

Singular verbs are verbs that are used with singular subjects in a sentence. They typically follow the third-person singular subject (he, she, it, or a singular noun) and often have an -s or -es added in the present tense.

Rules for Using Singular Verbs

1. With Third-Person Singular Subjects: Singular verbs are used with he, she, it, or any singular noun.

• She runs every morning.
• The dog barks loudly.

2. Singular Verbs in the Present Tense: In the present simple tense, most singular verbs take -s or -es in the third-person singular form.

• He eats breakfast at 8 AM.
• The baby cries when hungry.
• She watches TV in the evening.

3. Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs: Some helping verbs change in the singular form:

• is → She is happy.
• has → He has a new car.
• does → She does her homework daily.

4. Irregular Singular Verbs: Some verbs do not follow the -s rule but change completely in the singular form.

• He goes to school.
• She does her best.
• It has a long tail.

Singular Verbs in Past Tense: In the past tense, most verbs do not change for singular subjects.

• He walked to the park.
• She studied all night.

However, irregular verbs may change differently:

• He went to the market.
• She had a great time.

Singular Verbs in Future Tense: In the future tense, 'will' is used for both singular and plural subjects.

• She will travel tomorrow.
• It will rain soon.

Singular demonstratives are used to point to a specific person, place, or thing in a sentence. There are two singular demonstrative pronouns and adjectives:

• 1. This – Used to refer to something near the speaker.
  • This book is very interesting.
  • This apple tastes sweet.
  • This chair is very comfortable.
  • This is my favorite pen.
  • This bag belongs to me.

• 2. That – Used to refer to something far from the speaker.
  • That house is beautiful.
  • That dog is barking loudly.
  • That book belongs to my friend.
  • That mountain looks beautiful.
  • That car is moving fast.

Key Points:

• This and that can function as both demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns.
• This refers to something close, while 'that' refers to something far.

Singular quantifiers are words that indicate a specific or limited quantity of a singular noun. These quantifiers are used to describe how much of something exists when referring to a singular, uncountable, or singular countable noun.

Common Singular Quantifiers

• Each – Refers to every individual item in a group separately.
  • Each student must submit their assignment on time.

• Every – Refers to all members of a group collectively, implying no exceptions.
  • Every child needs love and care.

• Either – Refers to one of two options.
  • You can take either road to reach the station.

• Neither – Denotes that none of the two options are chosen.
  • Neither answer is correct.

• Much – Used with uncountable nouns to indicate a large quantity.
  • There isn’t much sugar left in the jar.

• Little – Indicates a small amount of something uncountable.
  • There is little hope of finding the lost keys.

• A little – Suggests a small but sufficient amount.
  • I have a little time to help you.

• One – Specifies a single entity.
  • Only one student won the award.

Usage Rules

• Singular quantifiers are followed by singular nouns.
• They are used when referring to a single entity or an uncountable noun.
• Verb agreement follows the singular form.

In English grammar, the singular possessive form is used to show that something belongs to a single person, animal, place, or thing. It is formed by adding 's to the singular noun.

Rules for Forming the Singular Possessive:

1. For most singular nouns: Add "'s" to the noun.

• The dog’s bone (the bone of the dog)
• The girl’s dress (the dress of the girl)

For singular nouns ending in "s": You can either add 's or just an apostrophe ('), depending on style preference.

• Charles’s book (or Charles’ book)
• The boss’s office (or the boss’ office)

For singular proper nouns ending in "s": Both forms ('s or just ') are acceptable, but consistency is key.

• James’s car (or James’ car)
• Chris’s phone (or Chris’ phone)

Exceptions & Special Cases:

• Irregular nouns that do not end in "s": follow the standard rule.
  • The child’s toy, the woman’s purse.
• Singular compound nouns: Add the apostrophe and "s" to the last word.
  • My mother-in-law’s house.

Singular indefinite pronouns refer to an unspecified person, place, or thing and always take singular verbs. Here are some common singular indefinite pronouns in English grammar:

1. Pronouns Referring to People:

• Anyone, anybody
• Someone, somebody
• No one, nobody
• Everyone, everybody

Example:

• Everyone is invited to the party.
• Nobody knows the answer.

2. Pronouns Referring to Things:

• Anything
• Something
• Nothing
• Everything

Example:

• Something is missing from the table.
• Nothing makes sense right now.

3. Other Singular Indefinite Pronouns:

• Each
• Either
• Neither
• One

Example:

• Each of the students has a notebook.
• Neither option is suitable.

Uncountable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted individually or in discrete units. They typically represent a mass or abstract concept. These nouns are always considered singular, even though they refer to more than one thing or an undefined amount. Here are some examples:

• Water – I need some water.
• Sugar – She added sugar to her tea.
• Information – The information is important.
• Furniture – The furniture in the room is modern.
• Advice – His advice was helpful.
• Air – The air is fresh today.
• Education – Education is important for success.
• Music – Music plays a big role in my life.
• Progress – Our progress is steady.
• Luggage – The luggage is on the conveyor belt.

Uncountable nouns are never used with numbers directly. Instead, you can use expressions like 'some', 'much', 'a lot of', 'a little', etc. to indicate quantity.

Examples:

• Much water is needed.
• Some furniture needs to be replaced.

Here are some common mistakes with singular numbers:

• Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement:
  • ✘ The cat are sleeping.
  • ✓ The cat is sleeping.
  Singular subjects need singular verbs. 'Cat' is singular, so it requires 'is' instead of 'are'.

• Using Plural Pronouns for Singular Subjects:
  • ✘ Each of the students have a pencil.
  • ✓ Each of the students has a pencil.
  'Each' is a singular subject, so the verb should be 'has', not 'have'.

• Misusing 'They' as a Singular Pronoun:
  • ✘ A person should do their best.
  • ✓ A person should do his or her best.
  'Person' is singular, so use 'his or her' for agreement. Although 'they' is increasingly used as a singular pronoun, it's still grammatically debatable in formal contexts.

• Incorrect Use of Articles:
  • ✘ He is a best player.
  • ✓ He is the best player.
  'Best' is a superlative and requires 'the', not 'a'.

• Confusing Collective Nouns:
  • ✘ The team are playing well.
  • ✓ The team is playing well.
  'Team' is a collective noun, and when it refers to a single unit, it takes a singular verb ('is').

• Using Plural Nouns Without Proper Context:
  • ✘ The childs are playing outside.
  • ✓ The child is playing outside.
  'Child' is singular, and "children" is the plural form. You need to use the correct plural form when referring to more than one.

• Wrong Use of Possessive Forms:
  • ✘ The dog’s are barking loudly.
  • ✓ The dog is barking loudly.
  The possessive form (dog’s) is incorrect when the subject is not showing possession. If referring to a singular subject, use 'dog is'.

Here are some practice exercises for singular numbers in English grammar. In these exercises, you’ll focus on identifying and using the singular form of nouns and verbs.

Identify the Singular Nouns: Read the sentences below and underline the singular nouns.

• 1. The ------ is barking loudly.
• 2. She bought a new ------ from the store.
• 3. My ------ is coming over for dinner.
• 4. The ------ on the desk is broken.
• 5. The ------ is playing in the yard.

• 1. dog, 2. book, 3. friend, 4. computer, 5. child

Fill in the Blank with the Correct Singular Noun: Choose the correct singular noun to fill in the blank.

• 1. I saw a (cat / cats) outside the window.
• 2. The (teacher / teachers) is giving us a test today.
• 3. There is a (car / cars) in the driveway.
• 4. My (brother / brothers) is coming home for the holidays.
• 5. She found a (pencil / pencils) on the table.

Singular Verbs: Choose the correct verb form to match the singular subject.

• 1. The dog (runs / run) quickly.
• 2. She (reads / read) a book every week.
• 3. The child (plays / play) with toys.
• 4. The student (studies / study) hard every day.
• 5. He (sings / sing) beautifully.

Correct the Mistakes: Look at the following sentences and correct the mistakes in singular nouns or verbs.

• 1. The cat are sleeping on the couch.
• 2. She enjoy playing the piano.
• 3. The teacher have given us homework.
• 4. My friend do not like ice cream.
• 5. The child has a toy in her hand.

Here are the corrected sentences:

• 1. The cat is sleeping on the couch.
• 2. She enjoys playing the piano.
• 3. The teacher has given us homework.
• 4. My friend does not like ice cream.
• 5. The child has a toy in her hand.