On the basis of general vs specific, abstract vs concrete, noun is classified into different categories like proper, common, material, abstract, and collective nouns. For the understanding of types of noun, here I’m going to present detailed description of various category of noun.
1. Common Nouns: Definition Examples and Usage
A common noun is a type of noun that refers to a general class of people, places, or things, rather than to a specific individual or entity. It is usually written in lowercase unless it begins a sentence. For example, ‘dog,’ ‘city,’ and ‘book’ are all common nouns.
John is a student. He writes a story. Since five years, he lives in a village. His father a school teacher. In summer, he visits his uncle. His favourite fruit is mango.
Examples of Common Nouns
To further illustrate common nouns, let’s explore some examples:
Person: teacher, doctor, artist, player
Place: park, school, restaurant, garden
Thing: car, table, computer
Animal: tiger, dog, deer, cow, bird
Fruit: mango, apple, cherry, banana
Idea: war, fight, game, democracy
Rules of Using Common Nouns
Rules of common noun usages
Capitalization: Common nouns are generally not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence. For example, Dog barks at cat.
Plurals: Common nouns can be made plural by adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ at the end, depending on the spelling. For example, ‘dog’ becomes ‘dogs,’ and ‘box’ becomes ‘boxes.’
Articles: Common nouns can be used with articles like ‘a,’ ‘an,’ or ‘the’ to provide more context. For instance, ‘a dog,’ ‘an apple,’ or ‘the car.’
Now, let’s learn what role does common noun play in the sentences.
The Role of Common Nouns in Sentences
Common nouns serve as the subject or object in a sentence. They help us communicate effectively by providing clarity and context. Here are a few examples:
Subject: The dog barked loudly.
Object: She bought a book from the store.
Common nouns also allow us to categorize and classify things. They provide a framework for organizing our thoughts and ideas. By using common nouns, we can refer to general concepts and discuss them in a meaningful way.
I sold my bat. Last year, I bought it from market. It was my favourite bat.
Fill in the blanks of the following sentences.
Ronny is a poor…… Everyday, he wakes up early in the morning to sell…… Later, he goes to the…… He has a ….. He cares a lot his …… It looks like, ….. is his best……..Properties and types of noun.
2. Proper nouns: definition rules and examples
Proper nouns play a crucial role in identifying specific people, places, things, or ideas. Unlike common nouns, which refer to general entities, proper nouns distinguish themselves by being capitalized.
Rules that govern the usage of proper nouns:
How to use proper nouns or rules of proper nouns
1.Capitalization: Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter, regardless of their position within a sentence. For instance, names of people like John Smith and places like Paris start with uppercase letters.
2.Uniqueness Proper nouns are unique, representing a specific entity. For example, Mount Everest refers to a distinct mountain, while the common noun mountain is a general term.
3.No Plural Forms: Proper nouns do not have plural forms. For instance, we say Paris is beautiful, not Paris are beautiful.
Role of Proper nouns
Subject: New York City is known as the city that never sleeps.
Object: She visited the Taj Mahal during her trip to India.
Adjective: We had a delicious dinner at McDonald’s.
Proper nouns are used to place, days, months, person, city, country, continent, oceans, planets and stars, organisation, brands, modals etc.
1.Geographical landforms: Himalayas, Andes, Alps, Montblanc, Everest,
2.Geographical Places: Asia, Africa, Europe,
3.Brand names: Apple, Amazon, Alibaba,
4.Name of person: Tom, Harry, Kimmy
5.Country names: India, America, China, Brazil
6.City names: Mumbai, New York, Washington,
7.Planets: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury,
8.Organizations: United Nations, WTO, NATO
7.Days and months: Monday, January,
8.Festivals; Christmas, Diwali, Ramadan, etc.
3.Collective nouns: definition rules and examples
Collective nouns are words used to describe a group of people, animals, or things. They represent a single unit or entity, even though they may consist of multiple individuals or objects. They have plural form and can take articles before.
Types of Collective Nouns
There are different types of collective nouns based on what they represent:
Animal Collective Nouns: These nouns are used to describe groups of animals. For example, a ‘herd’ of cows, a ‘pack’ of wolves, or a ‘flock’ of birds.
People Collective Nouns: These nouns are used to describe groups of people. Examples include a ‘team’ of players, an ‘audience’ of spectators, or a ‘committee’ of members.
Thing Collective Nouns: These nouns are used to describe groups of inanimate objects. For instance, a ‘fleet’ of ships, a ‘bunch’ of keys, or a ‘collection’ of coins.
Usage of Collective Nouns
Singular Verb: When the collective noun is considered as a single unit, a singular verb is used. For example, ‘The team is playing well.’
Plural Verb: When the emphasis is on the individual members of the group, a plural verb is used. For instance, ‘The team are training hard.’
Pronouns: Pronouns such as ‘it’ or ‘they’ are used based on whether the collective noun is being treated as a single unit or as individual members. For example, ‘The flock of birds is flying. They are migrating for the winter.’
Examples of Collective Nouns
Here are some commonly used useful examples of collective nouns:
An army of ants
A swarm of bees
A pack of cards
A bouquet of flowers
A pod of dolphins
A fleet of cars
A pack of dogs, hyenas, wolves
A flock of birds
A shoal of fishes
A gang of criminals
A panel of experts
A board of directors
A bunch of flowers, keys, grapes
A series of numbers, movies, books
A piles of mangoes
A crew of members
The Role and examples of Collective Nouns
Collective nouns play an essential role in language as they allow us to describe groups of people, animals, or things concisely. They simplify communication and help us convey information effectively.
It take both singular as well as plural form of verb. If you consider collective nouns as single unit, take singular verbs. Whereas, if you are emphasising on single member of the group, take plural form of verb.
Collective nouns can be formed from animals, people, and proper nouns.
Super 40, The champion, The warriors etc. We use for a specific group. These are proper yet collective nouns.
Like other types of nouns, collective nouns also play the role of subject, object, and complements.
The herd is crossing river.
I have seen a flock of birds.
The pack of wild dogs are migrating now.
The brood is too sensitive to survive.
The colony of ants is moving continuously.
Group has become so violent.
4. Abstract Nouns: Rules Usages and Examples
Unlike common nouns, abstract nouns represent concepts, ideas, emotions, and qualities that can’t be seen or touched. These nouns neither take articles nor have plural form.
Rules for Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns are uncountable, which means they don’t have a plural form. For example, ‘love’ is an abstract noun that remains the same whether you’re talking about one love or many.
These are typically formed from adjectives, verbs, or common nouns by adding suffixes such as ‘-ness,’ ‘-ity,’ ‘-tion,’ or ‘-ship.’
For instance, ‘happy’ becomes ‘happiness,’ ‘create’ becomes ‘creation,’ and ‘friend’ becomes ‘friendship.’
Usages of Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns can be used in various ways in sentences. They can function as the subject, object, or complement of a sentence. For example:
1.Subject: Love is the most powerful emotion.
2.Object: She expressed her gratitude for their support.
3.Complement: His only aim in life is success.
Examples of Abstract Nouns
Love: She felt a deep love for her family.
Happiness: The children’s laughter filled the room with happiness.
Freedom: The protesters fought for their freedom of speech.
Justice: The judge ensured justice was served.
Wisdom: The old man shared his wisdom with the younger generation.
Usages in sentences as subject and object:
Death is an inevitable reality.
Passion fuels the desire.
Love connects people. Whereas, hate divides.
Competition always breeds quality.
Laziness, purity, truth, bitterness, depth, height, length, wickedness, freedom, subjugation, protection, etc.
5.Material nouns: definition rules and examples.
In English grammar, material nouns refer to substances or materials that are used to make objects or things. These nouns are tangible and can be seen, touched, or measured. Material nouns do not have plural form nor take articles.
Material nouns are nouns that denote materials or substances from which objects are made. They are non-living things and are usually uncountable.
For example, materials like wood, steel, plastic, paper, and glass are all considered material nouns.
Rules for Using Material Nouns
Material nouns are typically uncountable. They do not have a plural form and cannot be preceded by a/an. For instance, we say ‘wood’ and not ‘woods’.
Such noun can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. For example, ‘Steel is a strong material’ or ‘The table is made of wood’.
Material nouns can also be used as adjectives to describe other nouns. For instance, ‘a glass bottle’ or ‘plastic toys’.
Examples of Material nouns as subject and object
Iron is a valuable metal.(subject)
Water is a wonder liquid.
Air is a mixture of gases.
Milk is complete food.
I like to sit in sunlight.(object)
Wood is a lifeline of poor.
She drinks milk daily. (object)
More Examples of Material Nouns
1.The house was built using bricks and cement.
2.She wore a dress made of silk.
3.The car’s body is made of steel.
This is all about the understanding of types of noun like common, proper, collective, abstract and material nouns. Here I’m going to conclude the understanding types of noun.Relative reciprocal and interrogative pronouns