Types of Nouns
Think of something in the world—pick anything. I’ll wait.
…Have you thought of something yet? Whatever it is you’re thinking of, it’s most likely a noun.
What are nouns in grammar?
Nouns name people, places, things, and ideas. Everything around is a noun. In fact, even intangible concepts and qualities (democracy; kindness), count as nouns.
As the most expansive category of speech in English, we diffentiate between the many types of nouns by these categories:The teacher assigned Shakespeare for homework.
He handed me a bunch of grapes.
Your books are in your room.
The students' books are on the desk.
Paris, the City of Love, has been a major global center for fashion for centuries.
She poured water into the glass.
Common nouns vs. proper nouns
Common nouns name general categories, while proper nouns are specific, and reference one thing in particular. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter.
Common nouns do not use capitals, unless they appear at the start of a sentence, or form part of a proper noun (as in the title of something).
Anna Karenina is acclaimed by many as the world's greatest novel.
Is Paul coming over for dinner?
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Collective and abstract nouns
Collective nouns refer to groups or collections taken as a whole. Think of an army, fleet, mob, or crowd. Each represents multiple individuals acting as one unit.
The Canadian army was defeated in battle
The jury found the accused guilty of the crime
Abstract nouns represent qualities, states, or actions that can’t be experienced through the five senses. These include concepts like honesty, childhood, and laughter.
Actions: laughter, theft, movement, judgement, hatred
States: childhood, boyhood, youth, slavery, sleep, sickness, death, poverty
Singular and non-countable nouns
Most nouns can be counted numerically. A book, pen, chair, and dog are objects we can count.
Non-countable nouns like sand, milk, rice, and water exist in quantities that can’t be counted individually.
dog: The dogs barked loudly in the yard.
woman: Two women started a new business together.
pen: He bought three new pens for school.
chair: There are five chairs around the table.
Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns show ownership or possession. They are formed by adding an apostrophe and "s" ('s) to singular nouns, or just an apostrophe (') to plural nouns that already end in "s".
Plural nouns ending in s: Add ' only (the cats' tails, the students' books)
Plural nouns not ending in s: Add 's (the children's toys, the men's coats)
Names ending in s: Add 's (Charles's car, James's house)
Sarah's dog loves to play fetch.
The students' homework was due yesterday.
The children's laughter filled the room.
Charles's car is parked outside.
Appositives
Appositives are nouns or noun phrases that rename or explain another noun or pronoun. They provide additional information about the noun they follow, usually set off by commas.
The author Mark Twain wrote many famous novels.
Paris, the capital of France, is a beautiful city.
My dog, a golden retriever, loves to swim.
The book To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic.
Non-essential (non-restrictive): Commas required - "My brother, a doctor" (adds extra information)
Multiple appositives: "My friend, a teacher, a mother of two, always helps others."
Worksheet: Types of nouns
Abstract nouns name:
“Wyoming” is an example of which type of noun:
“Library” is an example of what type of noun:
Proper nouns name:
“A committee” is which type of noun:
“Boxes” is an example of which type of noun:
She grabbed ___ book from the shelf.
“Jason’s sweater” is what type of noun:
“Government” is what type of noun:
“Safety first!” is which type of noun:
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