There are several different types of nouns. These include: common nouns (e.g., abstract nouns, collective nouns, compound nouns, concrete nouns, non-countable nouns, gender-specific nouns, verbal nouns), proper nouns, and pronouns (despite pronouns being classified as a different part of speech).
There are several different kinds of nouns..
I. Common Nouns
A common noun is the word used for a class of person, place or thing.
Examples:
- car
- man
- bridge
- town
- water
- metal
- ammonia
Note: Common nouns are capitalised only when they start a sentence.
Common nouns are further classified into:
1. Abstract nouns – things you cannot see or touch (e.g., bravery, joy)
2. Collective nouns – words to describe groups (e.g., team, choir)
3. Compound nouns – nouns made up of more than one word (e.g., court-martial, pickpocket, water bottle)
4. Concrete nouns – things you can see or touch (e.g., tree, cloud)
5. Non-countable nouns (mass nouns) – things you cannot count (e.g., food, music)
6. Gender-specific nouns – words which are definitely male or female (e.g., vixen, actress)
7. Verbal nouns – nouns derived from verbs (e.g., a building, an attack)
8. Gerunds – nouns that represent actions (e.g., running fast, guessing a number)
II. Proper Nouns
A proper noun is the name of a person, place or thing (i.e., its own name). A proper noun always starts with a capital letter.
Examples:
- Michael
- Africa
- Peking
- Dayton Peace Accord
- United Nations
- The Tower of London
- Uncle George (Uncle is written with a capital letter because it is part of his name.)
- My favourite auntie is Auntie Sally. (In this example, the first auntie is a common noun, but the second Auntie is part of a proper noun.)
- The Red Lio
III. Collective Nouns
A collective noun is the word used for a group of people or things.
Examples:
- Choir
- Team
- Jury
- Shoal
- Cabinet (of ministers)
- Regiment
The big question with collective nouns is whether they should be treated as singular or plural. The answer is: They can be treated as singular or plural depending on the sense of your sentence.
IV. Gerunds
Gerunds) are formed from verbs. They end -ing. They are a type of common noun.
Examples:
- I love swimming. (swimming – the name of an activity; it is formed from the verb to swim.)
- Thinking is required to solve this problem. (thinking – the name of an activity; it is formed from the verb to think.)
Gerunds are different from other nouns because they can take an object or be modified with an adverb.
V. Compound Nouns
Compound nouns are nouns made up of two or more words. Some compound nouns are hyphenated. Some are not, and some combine their words to form a single word. (This is covered in the lesson Hyphens in Compound Nouns.)
Examples:
- Mother-in-law
- Board of members
- Court-martial
- Forget-me-not
- Manservant
- Pickpocket
- Paper-clip