What are Nouns? Check Definition, Types & Examples

Nouns are a fundamental part of our English language. It is a word that generally functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects. There are different types of nouns such as common, proper, collective, and abstract. They are one of the important topics of Verbal ability in competitive & government examinations as well. This blog will explore different noun rules and usage with some examples!

What are Nouns? – Definition

Your name, the place you live, the dish you are eating, the pen you are writing with & even your mood. All the words that are used to describe a name, place, animal, or thing are called nouns. Example – Damini, Akash, pen, Thai curry, New Delhi, pen, paper, etc.

Common Examples of Nouns

Here are some examples you can glance at in the image and table below:

Person	John, Mary, teacher, doctor
Place	New York, beach, school, park
Thing	car, book, computer, phone
Idea/Concept	love, freedom, democracy, happiness
Event	party, wedding, concert, meeting
Sport	soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming
Furniture	table, chair, sofa, bed
Clothing	shirt, dress, hat, shoes
Language	English, Spanish, Mandarin, French
Time	day, year, morning, century
Organization	company, government, school, hospital
Feeling	joy, anger, sadness, excitement

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Types of Nouns

They are classified into eight to nine different categories. Here are the noun types you can master with the help of some examples.

• Common – It is used to describe a specific category or class & not a single or particular entity. Examples- mother, father, boy, children, woman, man, etc.
• Proper- Something that can have a particular name or clearly state something specific. For Example – Ram, London, New York.
• Collective- Something that describes a group of things, people, animals, etc. Examples – pack, flock, set.
• Concrete- Something that describes materials or your senses. Example – smell, taste, chair, house.
• Abstract- Something that can not be categorized or identified with the help of your senses. For example – Courage and happiness can not be tasted, seen, or heard.
• Material- Something that is used to describe things that are made from some material. Examples – wood, water, air, silver, and gold.
• Countable – They can be counted in numerical terms & occur in both singular & plural forms. Example – coin, cup, plate, dollar
• Uncountable – Something that can not be counted. It is also known as a mass noun. Example – air, water, money.

Learn more about all these types here!

Common Noun	What are Singular Nouns?
Plural Nouns	Collective Nouns
Countable and Uncountable Nouns	What are Possessive Nouns?
What are Material Nouns?	Abstract Nouns
Compound Nouns	How to Use Nouns

Rules of Nouns

The next important step is to understand the rules. Look at the following rules:

Rule 1 – Some singular nouns that are used as plural will always take plural verbs.
Example 

• Where are my clothes?
• People are eating in the cafeteria.

Rule 2 – Nouns sometimes will take singular words.
For example –

• Chemistry is my least favourite subject.
• The painting of Goa Beach is amazing.

Rule 3 – some in the plural form will use plural verbs.
Example –

• Where is my pair of socks?
• I need new spectacles, the old ones are broken.

Rule 4 – Collective nouns can be used in singular and plural forms.
Example-

• The team is doing great at championships.
• Their company is growing rapidly.

Rule 5 – when the definite numeral precedes nouns describing the number, measure, length, etc. The nouns will remain unchanged.
Example-

• I bought a dozen of bananas.
• She is 5 feet tall.

Rule 6 – Don’t use articles in front of any material nouns.
Example-

• My sister likes gold jewellery.
• This bed is made of wood.

Rule 7 – Collective nouns are treated as neuter nouns.
Example-

• A pack of lions protects their cubs.
• The dance society performed well in the annual function.

Other Types of Nouns

They can also be classified based on gender, plural forms, singular forms, and neuter. These types can also be under advanced English grammar. Here are all the types for you to understand better-

• Singular-They describe a single person or thing. This can be categorized into numbers. For example – Bird, dog, chair
• Plural – They describe more than one person or thing, this can be categorized into numbers. Example – Birds, Dogs, Chairs, etc.
• Gender– They are used to describe gender. For example – Man, bears are Masculine & Cat, the lioness is feminine Noun.
• Neuter – They describe non-living beings. For example – Chair, table.

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Exercises for Practise

Here are some questions for your practice:

Select the noun in the following sentences & identify them:

1. She could not control her happiness.
2. His name is Naman.
3. She needs to know the truth
4. The class has 40  students
5. My team won the championship
6. They are a bunch of intelligent teenagers
7. It is made of wood.
8. My jewellery is made of silver
9. Paris is famous for its romantic vibe.
10. There is milk in the fridge

Check Your Answers Here!

1. Happiness – abstract
2. Naman – proper
3. Truth – Abstract
4. Class & students – Countable
5. Team – Collective
6. Bunch – Collective
7. Wood – Material
8. Silver – Material
9. Paris – Proper
10. Milk – Uncountable

Explore more exciting grammar reads below!

Adjectives in English Grammar!	Tenses Rule with Examples
Degree of Comparison Rules	Prepositions
Article Rules	Precis Writing
Sentence Correction Questions	Confusing Words in English
Jumbled Words Questions	Spotting Errors
Poetic Devices	Cloze Test

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