English Grammar
TYPES OF NOUNS IN ENGLISH
Concrete, Abstract, Collective, Compound, Countable and Uncountable
There are several types of nouns in English, and the different types of nouns obey different rules.
- Concrete nouns: common nouns and proper nouns
- Abstract nouns
- Collective nouns
- Compound nouns
- Countable nouns
- Uncountable nouns
- Concrete Nouns (exist physically)
There are two categories of concrete nouns:- Common Nouns :
People, places and things in general.
Examples: cat, dog, boy, girl, house, bag, suitcase, hotel, beach, towel, etc.
- Proper Nouns:
Names of specific people, places or things.
Examples: John, Julie, Queen Elizabeth, London, The Eiffel Tower, The Ritz Hotel, etc.
Rule: Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.
- Common Nouns :
- Abstract Nouns (do not exist physically)
Abstract nouns are ideas, concepts and feelings that have no physical existence.
Examples: beauty, courage, honesty, liberty, patience, strength, truth, sadness, dedication, talent, pride, etc.
- Collective Nouns
Collective nouns are names for a group of individuals, animals, places and things.
Examples: a board of directors, a herd of elephants, a bunch of keys, a range of mountains, etc.
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- Compound Nouns
Compound nouns (or compound words) result from the merging of two or more words.
Examples: orange juice, washing machine, toothpaste, notebook, mother-in-law, etc.
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- Countable Nouns
Countable nouns refer to individual objects, people, places and things that can be counted.
Examples: books, houses, Americans, cats, dogs, knives, forks, streets, shops, cookies, etc.
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- Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable or mass nouns are substances, concepts, information, materials, etc. which are not individual objects and cannot be counted. They have no plural form.
Examples: cheese, milk, meat, water, wood, entertainment, hope, courage, work, etc.
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See also: collective and compound nouns | countable and plural nouns | plural form of nouns