Types of Noun

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Nouns are naming words which make up the most common category of words in the English language. Within this category there are several different types of nouns with specific roles to play.

List of Noun in English Common Noun Proper Noun Compound Noun Countable Noun Uncountable Noun Collective Noun Concrete Noun Abstract Noun

Common Noun

Common nouns are used to name a GENERAL type of person, place or thing. Common nouns can be divided into smaller classes such as countable and uncountable nouns, concrete and abstract nouns, and collective nouns.

Examples:

man, town, vegetable, friend, building, water 

Proper Noun

Proper nouns are used to name a SPECIFIC person, place or thing and always start with a capital letter. Proper nouns are rarely preceded by a determiner (e.g. the Paris, the John etc.) though there are some exceptions (e.g. is he the John that won the first prize?).

Examples:

Jane, Rome, Jupiter, Friday, Italy. 

Compound Noun

Compound nouns are two or more words that create a noun. They can be one word (rainfall), joined by a hyphen (hanger-on) or separate words (water tank). The main stress is normally on the first part of the compound word (bedroom, washing machine).

Examples:

motorcycle, policeman, boyfriend, passer-by, take-off, driving licence, swimming pool 

Countable Noun

Countable nouns are nouns that CAN be counted. They have a singular and a plural form and can be used with a number.

Examples:

bus, table, fork, shed, ear, bird. 

Uncountable Noun

Uncountable nouns are nouns that CANNOT be counted. They often refer to specific subjects such as substances, liquids, gases, and abstract ideas.

Examples:

wine, tea, meat, grit, air, oxygen, silver, happiness 

Collective Noun

Collective nouns are words that refer to a set or group of people, animals or things.

Examples:

gang, team, crew, shoal, pack, bunch 

Concrete Noun

Concrete nouns refer to people and things that exist physically and can be detected by our senses (seen, felt, heard, smelled, or tasted).

Examples:

cat, flower, orange, plate, shoe, pen, rain

Abstract Noun

Abstract nouns are nouns that have no physical existence, but refer to ideas, emotions or concepts. Abstract nouns are typically uncountable.

Examples:

anger, stress, peace, honesty, faith, energy, adventure

Read  Types of Verbs in English

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