Common Noun: Know Meaning, Types & Exercises

To begin understanding this topic, it is necessary to begin with the basics, i.e nouns which are part of speech. These are words which are used to represent a concrete or abstract thing. This could be living creatures, actions, qualities, actions etc. They are further divided into many categories, where one of them is a common noun. Common nouns are non-specific persons, places, or things. Continue reading this blog as we will talk about common nouns in detail.

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What is a Common Noun?

A Common Noun is defined as a generic name for a person, place, class in a group or thing. Here are some exampels which will help you give an idea.  

• The cat drank the milk. 
• Where is the child going?
• The boy in the white shirt won the award. 

Note that a sentence can have more than one common noun. Let us quickly go through the sentences and identify them.

• The cat drank the milk.
• Where is the child going?
• The boy in the white shirt won the award.

Now, that we know what are common nouns. But do you know the difference between a common noun and a proper noun? Let’s understand.

Common Noun vs Proper Noun

While the former is a generic name for an place, animal or thing. A proper noun is a specific name that can identify an individual out of a group. Here is a sentence where you will understand the difference between the two nouns.

• Last night, Stella gave birth to a baby boy. 

In the above sentence, Stella is a proper noun while baby and boy are common nouns.

Also Read: 11 Examples of Common Nouns in Your Surroundings!

Types of Common Noun 

Common Nouns are the building blocks that are commonly used in the English sentences. They can be divided into four categories. Let’s understand them one by one.

Countable Common Noun

As the name suggests, anything that can be counted or measured in fingers come under countable nouns.

Example:

• 10 trees were planted in the garden today.
• London is 100 miles away from Cardiff.

Uncountable Common Noun

These are the exact opposite of Countable nouns. Uncontable nouns cannot be counter in terms of exact numbers. They have to be measured in terms of quantities rather than numbers.

Example: 

• A package of beans arrived yesterday.
• The stars shine bright in the night. 

Also Read: Countable and Uncountable Nouns: Rules, Examples, and Exercises

Collective Common Noun 

You can call a group or a unit that are similar by a Collective Common Noun. 

Example:

• A pack of wolves raided their camp last night. 
• My family is going to fly down from New York today.

Concrete Common Noun

These are things that can be felt with our five senses and have a physical presence.

Example:

• The cheese is stale. 
• I watched the movie on my computer.

Blogs You Should Check Out

Abstract Noun: Meaning, Definition	Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Collective Nouns: Definition, Examples	Compound Nouns: Explore Definition
What are Possessive Nouns?	What are Material Nouns?

How to Use Common Noun?

Common Nouns should be used carefully as they form the structure of any sentence. Without a them, the motive of the sentence remains incomplete.

For example:

• Princess Sofia said, “I want to eat.”

Here, there is no Common Noun here. Therefore, there is no clear indication about what Princess Sofia wants to eat. 

Therefore, whenever you use the English Language, writing or speaking, make sure to use the correct Common Noun at the correct place.

Now that we have discussed the subject in detail, are you ready for a quick exercise?

Common Noun Exercise

Exercise: Identify the Common Noun

Identify the Common Nouns from the list of sentences given below- 

1. She sold earthen pots for a living.
2. What is your name, little girl?
3. My father was a brave soldier who won many battles.
4. Both the brothers studied in the same school and the same college.
5. A pride of lions killed a jaguar in the jungle.
6. I am going to London for my vacation.
7. The class was led by Mrs Brown.
8. The museum had many exhibits including reptiles, aquatic birds and butterflies.
9. Why cannot I go to the party with my friends?
10. We walked the desert till late evening and slept under the stars. 
11. Once upon a time, there was a prince named Prince Charming.
12. If I don’t eat breakfast, I will feel hungry the entire day.
13. The warrior practised sword-fighting every morning.

Exercise: Sentence Correction for Competitive Exams

Common Nouns weave other parts of grammar to create a sentence. We hope that you enjoyed our blog. Check out these other related blogs to improve your English.

Plural Nouns: Definition, Rules	What are Singular Nouns?
99+ Examples of Material Nouns	What is the Difference Between Nouns and Pronouns?
11 Examples of Common Nouns	How to Study Nouns for Class 1

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