What Is a Noun?

Nouns are a part of speech that comprise words that are used to name people, places, animals, objects and ideas. Almost every sentence will definitely have a noun, and they perform different roles in a sentence. Nouns can act as the subject, an indirect object, a direct object, a subject complement and an object complement. Nouns can also function as adjectives and verbs.

Examples of Nouns:

• People – Rahul, Sheela, Man, Person, Tommy, Women, Girl, The Prime Minister
• Places – Bangalore, India, Mexico, North Pole, South Africa, The Nile River, Classroom, Bedroom, Basketball Court, Cricket Ground, Swimming Pool
• Animals/Birds/Aquatic Animals/Reptiles – Lion, Zebra, Snake, Ostrich, Flamingo, Bear, Cat, Fish, Shark
• Ideas – Evolution, Invention, Extinction, Argument, Destruction
• Objects/Things – Bat, Cycle, Curtains, Paper, Bag, Blackboard, Cupboard

Types of Nouns

Nouns can be broadly classified into:

1. Proper Nouns: Nouns that are used to name a person, place or thing specifically are called a proper noun. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.

Examples:

1. My name is Rose. (Name of a particular person)
2. This is my dog, Bruno. (Name of a specific pet animal owned by someone)
3. David came back from Minsk. (Name of a specific place)
4. Louis Philippe is a famous brand of men’s clothing. (Name of a particular clothing brand)

2. Common nouns: Common nouns are those nouns that refer to a generic item, group or place. This means that, unlike proper nouns, they are not used to identify specific people, places or objects. Common nouns are not capitalised unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Examples:

1. I bought a pen yesterday. (Common object)
2. I am going to school. (Common place)
3. Only ten employees showed up to work today. (Common group)
4. The car is out of fuel. (Common items)

3. Singular nouns: These are words that are used to name a single person, place, animal, bird or object.

Examples:

1. There is a little boy in front of our house. (Single person)
2. That is my daughter. (Single person)
3. I found a wounded sparrow in the bush. (Single bird)
4. A red van has been following us for a long time. (Single object)

4. Plural nouns: Plural nouns refer to a number of people, places, animals or things. Nouns are made plural by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’ or ‘ies’ or ‘ves’ to the existing root word. Nouns that end with an ‘s’ remain the same. Some nouns remain the same in both their singular and plural forms, and some others have totally different spelling.

Examples:

1. I need some apples.
2. Did you find the boxes you were looking for?
3. I bought mangoes from the market.
4. We took photos of some deer on our way.

5. Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted or measured.

Examples:

1. Tom brought ten packets of lays for the trip. (specific number – ten)
2. Mom asked me to buy a dozen eggs. (specific – dozen means twelve)
3. I saw an aeroplane around seven in the morning. (specific – an means one)

6. Uncountable nouns are those nouns that cannot be counted. This category of nouns includes both concrete and abstract nouns.

Examples:

1. I have a lot of homework to do. (Not specific)
2. I have a cup of tea. (Cannot count)
3. We are facing terrible weather today. (Cannot count)

7. Collective Nouns: A collective noun is a naming word that is used to denote a group of objects, animals or people.

Examples:

1. Collective nouns for groups of animals
2. A pride of lions
3. A flock of sheep
4. A swarm of bees
5. A herd of elephants
6. Collective nouns for groups of people
7. A band of musicians
8. A board of directors
9. A crew of sailors
10. A company of actors
11. Collective nouns for a number of things/objects
12. A pair of shoes
13. A chain of mountains
14. A fleet of ships
15. A bunch of grapes

8. Concrete Nouns: A concrete noun refers to objects that are material and can be perceived by the human senses.

Examples:

1. The book is on the table.
2. I had a cup of coffee.
3. Sharon opened the windows.
4. Hardy goes to school by bus.

9. Abstract Nouns: Any entity that cannot be perceived by the five senses of the human body are called an abstract noun.

Examples:

1. Love is a strong emotion.
2. Honesty is the best policy.
3. It takes a lot of courage to raise your voice and stand up against injustice.
4. You should not misuse the freedom you are given.

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Nouns Used as Different Components of a Sentence

Nouns Used as a Subject

When used as a subject, a noun mostly appears at the beginning of a sentence. It can be identified by asking the question ‘who’.

Examples:

• Bruno went to the playground.
• The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments.
• The elephant was rescued safely after ten long hours.

Nouns Used as an Object

When nouns are used as objects, they appear in the latter part of a sentence. It can be identified by asking the question ‘what’.

Examples:

• I bought a pen.
• Where is your book?
• I cannot find today’s newspaper.

Nouns can be used as a direct object and an indirect object.

Nouns Used as a Direct Object

You can identify a noun used as a direct object by asking the question ‘what’.

Examples:

• Do you want a lollipop? (What do you want? – a lollipop)
• I loved my dress. (What did you love? – my dress)

Nouns Used as an Indirect Object

You can ask the question ‘for whom’ to identify a noun used as an indirect object.

Examples:

• Dan bought his sister a Mini Cooper. (For whom did Dan buy a Mini Cooper? – his sister)
• Megha baked Julie a cake. (For whom did Megha bake a cake? – Julie)

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Exercise 1 – Identify the Type of Noun

Read the following sentences and identify the type of noun used.

1. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal.
2. The Royal Bengal Tiger is found in the Sunderbans.
3. The jury gave a unanimous verdict.
4. Laughter is good for health.
5. The crowd is very big.
6. The elephant is an intelligent animal.
7. The Ganges is a sacred river.
8. The bravery of the soldier saved the day.
9. I bought furniture for my new house.
10. King Solomon was very wise.
11. The man was riding a white horse.
12. The shepherd took the flock of sheep to the field.
13. That table is newly polished.
14. I believed her innocence.
15. I need your honest opinion.
16. The police caught the thief.
17. I brought zucchini from the market.
18. Shakespeare was a famous English playwright.
19. Percy B Shelley was a poet.
20. This dress is made of silk.

Answers –

1. Kolkata, West Bengal – Proper Noun
2. Royal Bengal Tiger, Sunderbans – Proper Noun
3. Jury – Collective Noun, Verdict – Abstract Noun.
4. Laughter, health – Abstract Noun
5. Crowd – Collective Noun
6. Elephant, Animal – Common noun
7. Ganges – Proper Noun, river – Common Noun
8. Bravery – Abstract Noun, Soldier, Day – Common Noun
9. Furniture, house – Common Noun
10. King Solomon – Proper Noun
11. Man, Horse – Common Noun
12. Shepherd, field – Common Noun; Flock – Collective Noun
13. Table – Common Noun
14. Innocence – Abstract Noun
15. Opinion – Common Noun
16. Police, Thief – Common Noun
17. Zucchini, Market – Common Noun
18. Shakespeare – Proper Noun, Playwright – Common Noun
19. Percy B Shelley – Proper Noun, Poet – Common Noun
20. Dress – Common Noun, Silk – Material Noun

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