4th Class English Noun Kinds of Noun

     Kinds of Noun

 

There are five kinds of noun. These are:

•   Proper Noun
•   Common Noun
•   Collective Noun
•   Material Noun
•   Abstract Noun    

 

      Proper Noun

Proper noun is the name of a particular person, animal, place or thing.  

 

 

•   Barrack Obama is the present President of America.
•   Alto is one of the most fuel efficient car.
•   China has been making rapid progress.
•   The holy book for Christians is the Bible.  

 

     Analysis

In the sentences given above Barrack Obama is the name of a particular person, Alto is the name of a car, China is the name of a country and the Bible is the name of a book. So they are all proper nouns.  

 

     NOTE:

Proper noun always begins with a capital letter, even in the middle of the sentence.  

 

    Common Noun

 

A common noun is a word, which is commonly used to name people, places, things, or ideas. They are not the names of a single person, place or thing. A common noun begins with a lowercase letter unless it is at the beginning of a sentence.  

 

 

•   The doctor and the engineers contribute a lot to the society.
•   The elephant is one of the heaviest animals found on the Earth.
•   Cars are running in the street.
•   Students are in the school.  

 

    Analysis

In the above given sentences doctor indicates a class of person, elephant indicates a class of animals, car indicates a class of vehicle; and school indicates a class of educational institution. So these are common nouns.  

 

    NOTE:

A common noun begins with a lowercase letter unless it is at the beginning of a sentence.  

 

    Collective Noun

A collective noun is the singular word, which is used for a group of people or things.    

 

 

 

•   Our team won the match.
•   A large crowd gathered in front of the hospital.
•   I have found a bunch of keys.  

 

    Analysis

In the above given sentences team, crowd and bunch are the group of personand things respectively. So these are collective nouns. The word team stands for a group of players. The word crowd stands for a group of people. The word bunch stands for a collection of keys.  

 

    NOTE:

•     Collective noun sometime refers to a group of specific things.                

For example: Tables, chairs, cupboards etc. are grouped under the collective noun furniture.

•     Sometime they are used more general.

For example: Groups of people - army, audience, band, choir, class, committee, crew, family, gang, jury, orchestra, police, staff, team, etc.

Groups of animals - colony, flock, herd, pack, pod, school, swarm, etc.

Groups of things - bunch, bundle, clump, pair, set, stack, etc.  

 

     Below given is a list of collective noun

An army of soldiers                         A band of musicians

A class of students                          A gang of thieves / robbers

A crowd of people                           A flock of sheep

A team of players                            A bouquet of flowers

A regiment of soldiers                   A bunches of keys

A bundle of sticks                            A fleet of ships

A pack of cards                                  A herd of cattle

A shower of rain                               A pair of shoes

A heap of grass  

 

 

      Material Noun

 

Material Noun is the name of a substance which can be measured or weighed, but cannot be counted.

 

 

•  Milk is sweet.
•  The shirt is made of cloth.
•  I do not like tea.
•  The chair is made of iron.  

 

     Analysis

In the above given sentences milk, cloth, tea and iron are the names of substances (materials). They can be measured or weighed, but cannot be counted. So these are material nouns.  

 

     NOTE:

•  Material noun cannot be made plural by adding 's'. They have only singular form.
•  They do not take a/an or a number in front of them.  

 

     Below given is a list of material noun

Gold                                                      Silver

Copper                                                 Rice

Wheat                                                  Rain

Cloth                                                     Rope

Sugar Water  

 

      Abstract Noun

An abstract noun is the name of some state, quality, feeling or idea that we can only think of or feel, but cannot touch or see. Abstract nouns are usually used in singular form.  

 

 

•   I admire his honesty.
•   She had pain in her legs.
•   The length of this room is four metres.  

 

     Analysis

In the above given sentences, the words honesty, pain and length are also nouns. But they do not name any person, animal, place or thing. They name qualities, states, ideas, which we can only think of, but cannot touch or see. So these are abstract nouns.  

 

     NOTE:

Abstract noun has got no physical existence.  

 

      Below given is a list of abstract noun

Childhood                                           Wisdom

Goodness                                           Kindness

Ability                                                   Energy

Intelligence                                        Adventure

Amazement                                       Anxiety

Forgiveness                                       Luck

Sorrow Honesty    

 

 

 

 

  Point out the nouns in the following sentences:

(A) The crowd was very big                        

(B) Always speak the truth

(C) We all love honesty                                

(D) Our class consists of twenty pupils

(E) The elephant has great strength  

 

Answer: (A) Crowd, (B) Truth, (C) Honesty, (D) Class, twenty pupils, (E) Elephant, strength  

 

 

  Fill in the blanks with noun.

(A) Our _______ is better than theirs   

(B) Never tell a __________.

(C) _______ is better than strength       

(D) He gave me a _______.  

 

Answer: (A) Team, (B) Lie, (C) Wisdom, (D) Bunch of papers.  

 

 

 

• Noun is the name of a person, place, animal, bird or thing.
• A Proper Noun is the name of a particular person, place, thing or animal.
• Proper nouns are also countable.
• A common noun is the name given to the class of person, place, animal or thing.
• A collective noun is the name of a group or person things or animals.
• A material noun is the name of a substance which can be measured or weighed but cannot be counted.
• An abstract noun is the name of some state, quality, feeling or idea that we can only think of or feel but cannot touch or See.
• Abstract nouns and material nouns are generally uncountable.
• All common nouns and collective nouns are regarded as countable.