Content updated on 20 April 2026
Is 'child' masculine or feminine? Why do we say 'feet' instead of 'foots'? And what changes in 'Rahul' when we say 'Rahul's book'? The answers lie in three essential properties of nouns: gender, number, and case. This lesson for Class 6–7 students explains each concept clearly, with plenty of examples, tables, and practice questions to build confidence for exams.
✅ Recommended for: Class 6-7 (Core) | CBSE & UP Board
(Click any topic to jump straight to that section)
- What is Gender of Nouns?
- Four Genders with Examples
- How to Form Feminine from Masculine
- What is Number of Nouns?
- Rules for Forming Plurals
- Irregular Plurals List
- What is Case of Nouns?
- Nominative, Objective & Possessive Case
- Common Mistakes
- Solved Examples
- Practice Questions
- Challenge Questions
- FAQs
- ๐ Worksheet: Gender, Number & Case
Nouns are more than just naming words—they also carry information about whether we're talking about a male or female (gender), one or many (number), and what role they play in a sentence (case). Mastering these three aspects will improve both your grammar accuracy and your writing clarity.
Number: Tells whether a noun is singular (one) or plural (more than one).
Case: Tells the function of a noun in a sentence (subject, object, or possession).
What is Gender of Nouns?
Gender indicates whether a noun refers to a male, a female, an object without sex, or something that can be either male or female.
- Masculine Gender: Refers to males. Examples: boy, king, lion, uncle.
- Feminine Gender: Refers to females. Examples: girl, queen, lioness, aunt.
- Common Gender: Can refer to either male or female. Examples: teacher, child, friend, doctor, student.
- Neuter Gender: Refers to lifeless things or abstract ideas. Examples: book, pen, table, happiness.
Four Genders with Examples
| Gender | What it denotes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Male beings | father, brother, bull, peacock |
| Feminine | Female beings | mother, sister, cow, peahen |
| Common | Either male or female | baby, cousin, singer, pilot |
| Neuter | Inanimate objects / abstract | chair, mountain, love, idea |
How to Form Feminine from Masculine
There are three main ways to change a masculine noun into feminine:
- By adding a suffix: actor → actress, tiger → tigress, hero → heroine, waiter → waitress.
- By using a completely different word: boy → girl, king → queen, bull → cow, uncle → aunt, gentleman → lady.
- By adding a word before or after: grandfather → grandmother, peacock → peahen, landlord → landlady.
What is Number of Nouns?
Number tells us if a noun is one (singular) or more than one (plural). Most nouns form the plural by adding '-s' or '-es', but many have irregular changes.
- Singular: cat, box, child, foot.
- Plural: cats, boxes, children, feet.
Rules for Forming Plurals
| Rule | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Add '-s' | book, pen | books, pens |
| Add '-es' (ends in s, sh, ch, x, o) | bus, watch, box | buses, watches, boxes |
| Change 'y' to 'i' + '-es' (consonant + y) | baby, city | babies, cities |
| Change 'f' or 'fe' to 'ves' | leaf, knife | leaves, knives |
| Vowel change (irregular) | man, tooth | men, teeth |
| Add '-en' or '-ren' | ox, child | oxen, children |
| Same singular and plural | sheep, deer | sheep, deer |
Common Irregular Plurals
- man → men, woman → women, child → children, foot → feet, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice, goose → geese, person → people, ox → oxen.
What is Case of Nouns?
Case shows the relationship of a noun to other words in a sentence. In English, nouns have three main cases:
- Nominative Case: The noun is the subject (doer of action). Rahul runs.
- Objective Case: The noun is the object (receiver of action or after preposition). I saw Rahul. / He sat on the chair.
- Possessive Case: The noun shows ownership. Rahul's book. / Children's toys.
Nominative, Objective & Possessive Case Examples
| Case | Function | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Subject | Neha sings beautifully. |
| Objective (Direct Object) | Receiver of action | The boy kicked the ball. |
| Objective (Indirect Object) | For/to whom action is done | I gave Riya a gift. |
| Objective (Object of Preposition) | After a preposition | The cat is under the table. |
| Possessive | Ownership | This is Amit's pen. / The girls' team won. |
Common Mistakes
| Wrong ❌ | Right ✅ |
|---|---|
| She is a actor. | She is an actress. |
| Three childs are playing. | Three children are playing. |
| The womans bag is red. | The woman's bag is red. |
| I saw he in the park. | I saw him in the park. (pronoun case) |
| The dog wagged it's tail. | The dog wagged its tail. |
Solved Examples
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Practice Questions
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Why Gender, Number & Case Matter
Understanding gender helps you choose the right pronoun (he/she/it). Knowing number ensures subject-verb agreement. Recognising case helps you build grammatically correct sentences. These three pillars are essential for writing error-free English. For more noun concepts, visit the Nouns and Pronouns Hub.
- GPN Knowledge Hub — Study tips and exam strategies.
- Hindi Grammar Hub — เคธเคฎ्เคชूเคฐ्เคฃ เคต्เคฏाเคเคฐเคฃ।
- Worksheets Master Hub — Practice makes perfect.
- Mathematics Hub — Clear solutions.
๐ Challenge Questions
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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๐ Noun Gender, Number & Case Worksheet
Practice identifying gender, forming plurals, and using correct case with 50+ questions. Includes answer key for self-assessment.
Go to Gender, Number & Case Worksheet →Answer key included • Perfect for Class 6–7 exams
