The English language uses several components to create complete sentences. These components are called parts of a speech and there are eight of them in total. Of the eight parts of a speech, the noun is arguably the most important one.
The purpose of a noun is to name or label people, animals, places, ideas, and things. With such a huge purpose, it is no surprise just how diverse a noun can be. This article introduces eleven types of nouns and demonstrates how to use them.
1. Concrete Nouns
Nouns that occupy space and are recognized by any of the senses are called concrete nouns. These types of nouns include scent, thunder, food, trees, etc.
Example: In their Save the Planet Initiative, the government recommends that we plant three forest trees for every one we cut down.
Example: The thunder echoed above the dark clouds as the rain came pouring down.
2. Abstract Nouns
An abstract noun represents an idea, quality, or characteristic. Abstract nouns include grief, understanding, relationships, patience, etc.
Example: Jane’s mother often says that patience is a virtue.
Example: Paul’s relationship has deteriorated to the point of no return.
3. Proper Nouns
A proper noun is the specific name of a person, place, or thing. Additionally, much like an abstract noun, a proper noun can also be the name of an idea. You can identify a proper noun by the case of its first letter or the case of the first letter of every word in the proper noun. Some popular proper nouns include America, Christianity, John Doe, and the World Trade Center.
Example: Christianity is one of the most popular religions in the world.
Example: English is the native language of America.
4. Common Nouns
A common noun represents the general name of a person, place, thing, or idea. For example, a university is the general name of a place, while Harvard University is the specific name of a place. All common nouns begin with a lowercase letter unless they begin a sentence.
Example: Paris is the city of romance.
Example: Bugatti cars are often associated with wealth.
5. Singular Nouns
Singular nouns are types of nouns that name a specific person, place, thing, or idea.
Example: Tammy has a learning disability.
Example: The haunted house story always keeps children from that section of the street.
However, some nouns only have a singular form. These nouns include chaos, courage, and rice.
6. Plural Nouns
Plural nouns describe two or more persons, places, things, or ideas. In most instances, you can simply add an “s” to a singular noun to produce a plural one (such as boy).
Example: The boys tend to gather by the river on Sunday evenings.
However, this is not always the case, some irregular plural nouns don’t use “s” to indicate plural:
man – men
child – children
church – churches
leaf – leaves
goose – geese
tooth – teeth
mouse – mice
Example: The more traditional pets or cats and dogs, but some people have mice as pets.
Other nouns remain the same in both plural and or singular forms. Some of these nouns include:
Sheep
Offspring
People
Deer
Example: The sheep are in the pasture.
7. Compound Nouns
Compound nouns contain two or more words. These types of nouns can be open, closed, or hyphenated.
Open Compound Nouns: music box, public defender
Closed Compound Nouns: mailbox, headache
Hyphenated Compound Nouns: mother-in-law, dinner-dance
8. Possessive Nouns
A possessive noun shows ownership. It depicts the relationship between two nouns, where one owns the other. Each form of a possessive noun has a unique creation process. To create a singular possessive noun, you simply add an apostrophe followed by an “s” to the end of the singular noun.
Example: Jessica’s dog is the winner in the pet competition.
To create a possessive version of a plural noun that ends with an “s”, simply add an apostrophe.
Example: Everyone gathered to welcome the girls’ new ballet teacher.
To create a possessive version of a plural noun that does not end with an “s”, you add an apostrophe followed by an “s”.
Example: Deer’s antlers are made up of one of the fastest-growing bone materials known to man.
9. Collective Nouns
Collective nouns have a singular form, but they represent a group. These nouns are both singular and plural in different circumstances. The singular form of the noun represents a group acting together as a whole. Alternatively, the plural form of the noun represents the individual members of a group. Some collective nouns include:
Jury
Family
Class
Crew
Band
Audience
Committee
Flock
Singular Example: The audience likes the lead character.
Plural Example: Some audience members are exiting the theatre.
10. Countable Nouns
A countable noun is one that you can use a numerical value to describe its quantity. Countable nouns are usually concrete and can be singular or plural.
Example: One apple cost fifty cents.
Example: Over 20 balls were found in the pond.
11. Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are those that you can’t use a numeric value to describe their quantity, as they generally don’t have a plural form.
Example: A lot of water overflowed along the roadway.
Example: Elizabeth poured a significant portion of the milk down the drain.
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