Types of nouns with examples

Imagine trying to talk about your favorite toy or your best friend without using names—it’s impossible! Nouns are the special names we give to everything around us, and we use them all the time.

Did you know there are many kinds of nouns? Each type helps us be more specific and clear. This makes our conversations and writing more fun and interesting.

In this article, we’ll learn about different types of nouns, like common and proper nouns, and abstract and concrete ones. With easy examples, you’ll understand and remember them quickly. Let’s start this fun journey to learn about nouns together!

Definition of noun

Noun: The word that defines any person, object, animal, place, thing, or name of quality is called a noun.

Types of Nouns with examples.

Nouns are generally two types

Concrete Noun and Abstract Noun.

Types of concrete nouns.

Concrete Nouns are four types. Such as

1. Proper Noun
2. Common Noun
3. Collective Noun
4. Material Noun

Types of Common Nouns, Definitions, and Examples:

There are two types of common noun

1.      Countable Noun

2.      Uncountable Noun

Countable Noun:

A countable noun is the name of anything which can be counted by number.

Examples:

Flower, child, book, pen, star, river, etc.

Uncountable Noun:

An uncountable noun is the name of anything that cannot be counted by numbers and may be measured by some other units only.

Examples:

water, salt, virtue, honesty, air, sight, beauty, etc.

Definition of Concrete Noun with example:

A concrete noun is the name of something that has external physical existence and can be perceived through senses, that means, it can be seen, smelt, touched, or tasted.

Example:

What can be seen: cow, book, silver building, etc.

Which can be smelled: air, gas, odor, etc.

Definition of abstract noun with examples:

An abstract noun represents an idea, quality, or state without physical form. It can only be imagined and cannot be touched, smelled, heard, or perceived through the senses.

Examples:

honesty, boyhood, justice, heroism, and childhood.

7 Types of Concrete Nouns with examples:

Four types of concrete nouns are-

1. Proper Noun
2. Common Noun
3. Collective Noun
4. Material Noun

Definition of Proper Noun with examples:

A proper noun is the name of a particular person or thing. place, or any other thing.

Example:

Name of persons: Rahim, Karim, Palash, Marlin, Kamal, etc.

Name of things: Titanic, Friday, Quran,

Name of place: Bhanderkote, Khulna, Dhaka, America, Africa, etc.

Definition of common Noun with examples:

 A common noun is common to each member of a class of persons or things.

Example: Boy, girl, flower, poet, dress, etc.

Rahim means only a special person of that name but boy does not mean any particular boy. The word boy refers to all boys in general. In this way, when saying student, all students are called by their common name.

• I have seen them all in Padma, Meghna, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Shitalakshya, Pasur, Shivsha, Arial Khan.

Then if you want to make the sentence more concise. Because you can’t end up naming all the objects since you’ve seen so many. You finally come up with a common name for each of the above. That is a river. Because, whatever the name, every river is nothing but a river. So in short you can say –

• I have seen many rivers.

Here river is a common noun. Below are some examples of proper nouns and their corresponding common nouns:

Definition of collective with examples:

A collective noun is the name of a group or collection of persons or things of the same kind thought of as one undivided whole.

Example:

River, flock, band, cavalry, herd, jury, crowd, gang, team, party, infantry, fleet, navy, audience, committee, group, etc.

RULE-1:

If a collective noun is used as the subject of a sentence, then the verb of that subject is singular, that is, s/es with the verb.

is added.

Example:

• A flock of birds is flying. (Here ‘is’ is used instead of are.)
• A band (gang) of robbers has come here.
•  A team of players goes. etc.

RULE-2:

A collective noun, if it never refers to the collective, means each object or person individually, then it is called a noun of multitude. In the case of such a noun, a plural verb is used. (i.e. instead of is, was used are, were is used and s/es is not added at the end of the verb. has is used instead of have etc. For example: In this case, a class is divided into two parts, resulting in a plural number of the verb.

Example:

• The jury was divided in their opinion.
• The audience was divided into various groups

Definition of Material Noun with examples:

A material noun is a name that indicates a matter or substance as a mass and does not indicate any part or number of it.

Example: When you say plate, you mean an object. But by salt, you do not mean anything that can be counted. You don’t call a salt particle salt; you call it a collection of numerous salt particles. Thus Cake, Platinum, Iron, Fan, coffee, etc. are material nouns.

NOTE: Singular verb is used after material nouns. For example – Water is

essential to life.

8. Abstract Noun Formation:

Formation of abstract nouns

Before Formation	Word	Abstract Noun
Common Noun	Agent	Agency
	Boy	Boyhood
	Child	Childhood
	Student	Studentship
Adjectives	Poor	Poverty
	Anxious	Anxiety
	Beautiful	Beautify
	High	Height
	Young	Youth
Verb	Advise	Advice
	Give	Gift
	Wise	Wisdom
	Serve	Service
	Deduct	Deduction

In summary, the importance of nouns plays an important role in English grammar and language. Nouns are fundamental words that develop your English language skills. These are enhancing not only just communication but also imagination and creativity. With the help of nouns learners of all ages can guide the complexities of the English language with greater prosperity and confidence.

FAQ

What is a common noun?

A common noun names general items like “city,” “dog,” or “book.” It refers to a class of entities rather than specific ones.

What is a proper noun?

A proper noun names specific entities like “New York,” “John,” or “Mount Everest.” Proper nouns always start with a capital letter.

What is a collective noun?

A collective noun refers to a group of individuals as a single entity, such as “team,” “family,” or “class.”

What is a concrete noun?

A concrete noun names things that can be seen, touched, or measured, like “apple,” “cat,” or “building.” These nouns are tangible and physical.

What is an abstract noun?

An abstract noun names ideas, qualities, or states that cannot be seen or touched, such as “happiness,” “bravery,” or “freedom.” They represent intangible concepts.

What is a countable noun?

A countable noun refers to things that can be counted, like “apple,” “car,” or “book.” These nouns have singular and plural forms.

What is an uncountable noun?

An uncountable noun cannot be counted and usually does not have a plural form, such as “water,” “sand,” or “information.” They are often seen as a whole or mass.

What is a compound noun?

A compound noun is made up of two or more words combined to create a single noun, like “toothpaste,” “mother-in-law,” or “swimming pool.” These nouns can be written as one word, hyphenated, or as separate words.

9. Exercises:

1.     John visited the library. (John – Proper Noun)

2.     I have a cat. (cat – Common Noun)

3.     She wore a beautiful dress. (dress – Common Noun)

4.     Paris is a wonderful city. (Paris – Proper Noun)

5.     We went to the park. (park – Common Noun)

6.     Alice and Bob are friends. (Alice, Bob – Proper Nouns)

7.     The river flows swiftly. (river – Common Noun)

8.     I saw a movie last night. (movie – Common Noun)

9.     London is the capital of England. (London – Proper Noun)

10.   Monday is my favorite day. (Monday – Proper Noun)

11.   The dog barked loudly. (dog – Common Noun)

12.   She loves eating ice cream. (ice cream – Common Noun)

13.   Amazon is a large company. (Amazon – Proper Noun)

14.   The teacher explained the lesson. (teacher – Common Noun)

15.   We had a great time at the beach. (beach – Common Noun)

16.   Christmas is celebrated in December. (Christmas – Proper Noun)

17.   My brother is taller than me. (brother – Common Noun)

18.   The book was interesting. (book – Common Noun)

19.   Jennifer is my best friend. (Jennifer – Proper Noun)

20.   We visited the museum. (museum – Common Noun)

21.   The mountain was covered in snow. (mountain – Common Noun)

22.   He drives a red car. (car – Common Noun)

23.   New York is very busy. (New York – Proper Noun)

24.   The cake was delicious. (cake – Common Noun)

25.   My sister is a doctor. (sister – Common Noun)

26.   They went to Italy for vacation. (Italy – Proper Noun)

27.   The house is very old. (house – Common Noun)

28.   January is a cold month. (January – Proper Noun)

29.   The child played in the garden. (child – Common Noun)

30.   She likes reading novels. (novels – Common Noun)

31.   Microsoft develops software. (Microsoft – Proper Noun)

32.   We saw many animals at the zoo. (animals – Common Noun)

33.   The bicycle was new. (bicycle – Common Noun)

34.   Australia is a large country. (Australia – Proper Noun)

35.   I need a new laptop. (laptop – Common Noun)

36.   July is my birth month. (July – Proper Noun)

37.   The garden is full of flowers. (garden – Common Noun)

38.   She bought a ring. (ring – Common Noun)

39.   Einstein was a great scientist. (Einstein – Proper Noun)

40.   The apple is red. (apple – Common Noun)

41.   We stayed in a nice hotel. (hotel – Common Noun)

42.   Wednesday is midweek. (Wednesday – Proper Noun)

43.   The sky is clear today. (sky – Common Noun)

44.   I found a coin. (coin – Common Noun)

45.   Nike is a popular brand. (Nike – Proper Noun)

46.   The flower smells good. (flower – Common Noun)

47.   February has 28 days. (February – Proper Noun)

48.   The ocean is vast. (ocean – Common Noun)

49.   He lost his wallet. (wallet – Common Noun)

50.   Harvard is a prestigious university. (Harvard – Proper Noun)

51.   Including Material, Collective, Abstract, and Concrete Nouns:

52.   The chair is made of wood. (wood – Material Noun)

53.   I have a gold ring. (ring – Concrete Noun)

54.   The team won the match. (team – Collective Noun)

55.   Happiness is essential for a good life. (happiness – Abstract Noun)

56.   She felt a sense of freedom. (freedom – Abstract Noun)

57.   The family went on a trip. (family – Collective Noun)

58.   His shoes are made of leather. (leather – Material Noun)

59.   The committee will decide tomorrow. (committee – Collective Noun)

60.   Love can conquer all. (love – Abstract Noun)

61.   The jury delivered a verdict. (jury – Collective Noun)

62.   The book was made of recycled paper. (book – Concrete Noun)

63.   I bought a silver bracelet. (bracelet – Concrete Noun)

64.   The crowd cheered loudly. (crowd – Collective Noun)

65.   She showed great kindness. (kindness – Abstract Noun)

66.   The army marched forward. (army – Collective Noun)

67.   The bridge is made of steel. (steel – Material Noun)

68.   The band played well. (band – Collective Noun)

69.   He values honesty. (honesty – Abstract Noun)

70.   The statue is carved from marble. (marble – Material Noun)

71.   The orchestra performed beautifully. (orchestra – Collective Noun)

72.   She has a lot of courage. (courage – Abstract Noun)

73.   The class went on a field trip. (class – Collective Noun)

74.   The bottle is made of glass. (glass – Material Noun)

75.   She appreciated his wisdom. (wisdom – Abstract Noun)

76.   The flock of birds flew south. (flock – Collective Noun)

77.   The road was paved with asphalt. (road – Concrete Noun)

78.   His actions showed great bravery. (bravery – Abstract Noun)

79.   The crew prepared the ship. (crew – Collective Noun)

80.   She wore a beautiful diamond necklace. (diamond – Concrete Noun)

81.   The table is made from oak. (oak – Material Noun)

82.   The colony of ants worked together. (colony – Collective Noun)

83.   Faith can move mountains. (faith – Abstract Noun)

84.   The house has a brick wall. (brick – Material Noun)

85.   The panel made a decision. (panel – Collective Noun)

86.   Her intelligence is remarkable. (intelligence – Abstract Noun)

87.   The flock of sheep grazed. (flock – Collective Noun)

88.   The statue is made of bronze. (statue – Concrete Noun)

89.   He showed patience while waiting. (patience – Abstract Noun)

90.   The bunch of grapes looked fresh. (bunch – Collective Noun)

91.   She admired the sculpture. (sculpture – Concrete Noun)

92.   The fence is made of iron. (iron – Material Noun)

93.   The gang of thieves was caught. (gang – Collective Noun)

94.   Her creativity knows no bounds. (creativity – Abstract Noun)

95.   The bouquet was beautiful. (bouquet – Collective Noun)

96.   The door is made of mahogany. (mahogany – Material Noun)

97.   His determination was evident. (determination – Abstract Noun)

98.   The swarm of bees was huge. (swarm – Collective Noun)

99.   The car is new. (car – Concrete Noun)

100. He showed generosity to everyone. (generosity – Abstract Noun)