English Grammar - Nouns and its types

English Grammar Module 1: Nouns and its types

A noun is also called a naming word. It indicates the name of a person, place, animal or a thing.

Nouns indicating persons: Teacher, attorney, Ram, David, Lisa

Nouns indicating places: India, Russia, New York, Bangalore

Nouns indicating animals: Lion, tiger, elephant, rabbit

Nouns indicating things: Table, chair, laptop, glass

Classification of nouns:

Nouns are broadly categorized into five types:

1. Proper nouns

2. Common nouns

3. Collective nouns

4. Abstract nouns

5. Material nouns

1. Proper nouns

Proper nouns are naming words that are used to indicate a specific and a distinct person or place.

Examples:

Proper nouns indicating person

i. Mary

ii. Rahul

iii. Peter

iv. Rita

v. Smith

Proper nouns indicating place:

i. New York

ii. Bangalore

iii. Mumbai

iv. Canberra

v. Bulgaria

Note: Proper nouns start with a capital letter

2. Common nouns

Common nouns are naming words that are used to indicate every person or place of a particular kind.

Common nouns indicating person

i. boy

ii. girl

iii. woman

iv. minister

v. soldier

Common nouns indicating place:

i. city

ii. country

iii. neighbourhood

iv. colony

v. province

Note: Common nouns start with a small letter, except at the beginning of the sentence, where the first letter is capitalized.

3. Collective nouns

Collective noun is a naming word that indicates the name of a collection of people, places, animals or things.

Examples:

Collective nouns indicating group of people:

a) A cast of actors

b) A band of musicians

c) A panel of judges

d) A troop of soldiers

e) A squad of police

Collective nouns indicating group of animals:

a) A pride of lions

b) A swarm of bees

c) A herd of elephants

d) A caravan of camels

e) An ambush of tigers

Collective nouns indicating group of things:

a) A pack of cards

b) A bunch of keys

c) A library of books

d) A range of mountains

e) A chest of drawers

4. Abstract noun

Abstract nouns are naming words that are used to indicate feelings, emotions or qualities.

Examples:

Abstract nouns formed from Common nouns

a) Coward - cowardice

b) rogue - roguery

c) author - authorship

d) glutton - gluttony

e) hero - heroism

Abstract nouns formed from adjectives

a) sane - sanity

b) beautiful - beauty

c) ugly - ugliness

d) poor - poverty

e) vacant - vacancy

Abstract nouns formed from verbs

a) starve - starvation

b) obey - obedience

c) please - pleasure

d) seize - seizure

e) conceal - concealment

5. Material nouns

Material nouns are naming words that indicate the name of a non living substance or element.

Examples:

a) coal

b) barley

c) salt

d) pepper

e) milk