What do the words cat, dog, table, bed, and computer all have in common? They’re all nouns. Nouns are sometimes called thing-words because they describe things. Look around you and you’ll find a lot of examples of nouns which you might not be aware of.
What is an English noun?
According to the Cambridge dictionary, a noun is “a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality.” The more nouns you know, the more effectively you can communicate your thoughts.
In this article, we'll look at what makes a noun a noun and give some examples of how they are used.
A noun can be used as a subject or an object in a sentence. The subject of a sentence is the noun that’s doing the verb whilst the direct object of a sentence is the word that the verb acts on or affects. Let’s look at these examples:
| Noun as a subject | Noun as an object |
| Elaine eats ice cream.
(Eats in this sentence is the verb. Elaine is the noun that’s doing the action of eating. This makes Elaine as the subject in this sentence.) |
Elaine eats ice cream.
(Ice cream is the noun that’s being affected by the verb eats. So ice cream is the object in this sentence.) |
What are some specific rules associated with nouns?
It is important to note that most English nouns are gender neutral–meaning English nouns are not usually attached to a specific gender. There are times where English nouns are gendered such as using king for male and queen for female, or waiter for male and waitress for female.
However, there are some gendered pronouns which can be used in place of a noun to avoid repeating the noun over and over. Pronouns such as he and she are gender specific pronouns while them and they can be used as gender-neutral English pronouns.
It is also important to note that like many English rules, there are exceptions that apply only to certain plural nouns. Some nouns are always plural, some are always singular and some look the same in their singular and plural forms.
8 types of nouns
Now that you know what a noun is in general, let’s break this down further by learning the 8 types of nouns. Recognising these types of nouns will make it easier for you to use nouns in sentences and learn English with precision.
1. Common noun
A common noun is a generic person, place, or thing. A common noun doesn’t need to be capitalised unless it falls in the beginning of a sentence or appears in a title.
Examples in a sentence:
My phone is in my room.
The movie was so funny.
Ice cream is my favorite dessert.
2. Proper noun
A proper noun is the specific name given to a particular person, thing, place, or object. Unlike common nouns, proper nouns need to be capitalised.
Examples in a sentence:
John lives and works in Australia.
Let’s just go to Bondi Beach on the weekend.
Apple releases new iPhone models every September.
3. Concrete noun
A concrete noun is a noun which refers to a real physical object. It is something that you can see, touch, taste, hear or smell.
Examples in a sentence:
What’s your favorite song?
I always drink coffee before going to work.
My mother cooks the best pasta.
4. Abstract noun
An abstract noun is the opposite of a concrete noun. It refers to a thing which does not materially exist. It’s something that you can't see, touch, taste, hear or smell.
Examples in a sentence:
Teachers have a lot of patience.
Listening to rock music makes me happy.
Ron fell in love with Martha when they were in Junior High.
5. Collective noun
A collective noun is a noun that describes a group of people or things.
Examples in a sentence:
The audience was delighted with the performance.
Anne received a bouquet of flowers on her last day at work.
A huge crowd gathered around to watch the spectacular fireworks show.
6. Compound noun
A compound noun is a noun which is formed of two or more different words.
Examples in a sentence:
Let’s go watch the sunset later.
He married his first girlfriend years later.
I left my cellphone at home.
7. Countable noun
A countable noun is a noun that can be counted and can have a singular or plural form.
Examples in a sentence:
Around three cafes are there in this block.
David and Jean have five children.
Loren made a couple of drinks to welcome the guests.
8. Uncountable noun
An uncountable noun can’t be counted and does not have a plural form. Most abstract nouns are uncountable.
Examples in a sentence:
My mom is Italian so she cooks delicious pasta.
Money can’t buy you happiness.
Tea is best paired with sweets.
Why is it important to know about nouns and their types?
- You can’t communicate without nouns.
Sentences are made up of nouns. Without nouns, you won’t be able to express who, where, and what you’re talking about.
- Nouns are essential to expanding your vocabulary.
If you understand nouns, you’ll realise that you’ve just learned many words from the English language.
- Nouns help with your fluency.
Understanding the types of nouns and how they’re used will help you communicate better by creating more fluent English sentences.
We know that this is a lot to take in, but take your time and be patient with yourself during the learning process. Learning English or any language can be a challenge. Sometimes learning in a classroom around a big group of people can be difficult – this is why a tutor can be helpful. Engaging with the right English tutor will not only help you improve specific skills, it can also help you become more confident in speaking the language.
About ESL Tutoring Services
If you’re looking for ways to improve your English language skills, ESL Tutoring Services provides one-on-one as well as group English language lessons in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. We offer personalised lessons for various levels, from General English, Academic English, IELTS/PTE preparation, to Business English.
We are here to help you with all your English learning needs. To learn more about what we can offer, email us on info@esltutoringservices.com or call 1300 137 186.
