Noun in English Grammar with Examples [With PDF]

This article will help you to learn about Noun.

Definition of Noun:

A ‘noun’ is denoted as the name of the person, thing, place, idea, and quality of the person.

Kinds of Noun:

There are eight kinds of Noun:

1. Proper noun.
2. Common noun.
3. Material noun.
4. Abstract noun.
5. Collective noun.
6. Countable noun.
7. Uncountable noun.
8. Compound noun.

Proper Noun Definition:

It is the name of a particular person, thing, or place. It always writes in a capital letter at the beginning of the word.

For example:

•  Delhi is a busy city.
• William Shakespeare was an English poet.

Sometimes it uses as a Common Noun.

For example,

• Suman thinks himself a Shakespeare (a poet). Here Shakespeare uses for Common Noun.

Common Noun Definition:

It is the name given to every common person or a thing of the same kind or class or type. Common is means shared by all.

For example, Dog, cat, table, chair, boy, girl, poet, phone, computer, shop, carrot, etc.

Material Noun Definition:

It denotes the material of the thing and the matter of substance, these are not counted.

For example:

• This jewelry is made of gold.
• The chair is built of wood.

NOTE: Sometimes material noun behaves like a common noun

For example:

• The tea of Darjeeling is exported to many countries.

Here tea is used as a common noun.

Abstract Noun Definition:

It is the name of quality, concept, idea, action or state, belonging to an object.

For example, Quality, Brightness, laziness, wisdom, darkness, etc.

• Action- Laughter, movement, Theft, etc.
• State- Childhood, youth, boyhood, death, etc.

It is uncountable if we add suffix with an adjective, verb or common noun then it becomes abstract (‘ness’, ‘hood’, ‘ism’, ‘cy’, ‘ship’, ‘th’ etc.).

In addition, the name of the sciences and arts are also in this type. Example: – music, physic, math, grammar, etc.

Collective Noun Definition:

It is the name of a collection of persons or things taken together or a group.

For example, Flock, audience, class, committee, crowd, fleet, herd, jury, family, etc.

• A fleet of ships.
• A crowd of people.
• A mob of angry people.

These generally take a singular verb.

For example, A heard of cattle is passing.

Some of these types like family, team, jury, etc. can take both verbs (Singular and Plural) depends on their usage, like this-

• The jury has issued a notice. (Here ‘the jury’ behaves like a single unit).
• The jury are divided into their decisions. (Here ‘the jury’ refers to all the members separately and behaves as the Noun of Multitude).

Countable Noun Definition:

It is for something that can be counted.

For example, house, apple, tree, girl, etc.

Uncountable Noun Definition:

It stands for something that cannot be count, it only can be measured.

For example, Sand, grass, water, etc.

Compound Noun Definition:

When two or more words create a noun then this type of nouns are called a Compound noun.

For example, credit card, daughter-in-law, etc.

Meanwhile, we need to know some other important things about nouns those as follow:

Number:

• Singular number [External link].
• Plural number.

Gender:

• Masculine.
• Feminine.
• Neuter.

Case:

For example:

• Suman is my friend. Subjective/Nominative case.
• Who brought this book? Objective/Accusative case.
• He is Rina’s wife. Possessive/Genitive case.
• Help me, John. Vocative case.

This to say:

Some special nouns are singular in form but Plural in sense: –

Cattle, gentry, poor, rich, etc.

Some Special Nouns are Plural in form but singular in use: –

Mathematics, news, politics, etc.

Rules of Noun:

• Rule 1.

‘The’ is used before a Proper noun. 

For example, The pluto is the smallest planet.

• Rule 2.

But in the case of the name of a person or place ‘the’ is not used.

For example, Sourav lives in Kolkata.

• Rule 3.

When ‘the’ is used before the name of a person, it becomes a common noun.

For example, He is the Sachin of our team.

• Rule 4.

In the case of a common noun, ‘the’ is not used.

For example, Man is mortal.

• Rule 5.

When ‘the’ is used before a common noun, it becomes a proper noun.

For example, I know the man.

• Rule 6.

‘The’ is not used before an abstract noun.

For example, Honesty is the best policy.

• Rule 7.

When ‘a’ ‘an’ ‘the’ is used before abstract noun, it is turned into a common noun.

For example, I was pleased at the honesty of the poor man.

• Rule 8.

When an abstract noun is personified, its first letter is in the capital and it is turned into a proper noun.

For example, Death comes to all. He is a child of Destiny.

• Rule 9.

A material noun is always used in singular form.

For example, The house is made of brick (Not bricks).

• Rule 10.

The number of + plural noun + singular verb.

Let me show the example,
The number of boys is 1000.

• Rule 11.

There are some pair nouns- spectacles, glasses, scissors, shoes, these nouns take a plural verb.
For example, My spectacles have been lost.

• Rule 12.

A pair of + Pair noun + Singular Verb.

For example, A pair of spectacles has been found.

• Rule 13.

When a noun is used as an adjective, it takes a singular form.

For example,

1. Five-year plan.
2. Five-year-old boy.

• Rule 14.

If ‘the’ is used before ‘poor’ ‘rich’, the verb will be plural.

For example, The rich are not always happy.

Nouns as Singular and Plural Forms:

Plural form of Certain Nouns:

A Must Watch Video Lesson on Noun:

Wanna need more Example on Noun? I recently published an article on this check it out: Examples on Noun with sentences

Exercise on None:

Classify the Nouns in the following sentences

1. Justice is a noble quality.
2. He is a justice of the peace.
3. I teach them grammar.
4. Rice is the principal food of the Bengals.
5. The Jury consists of four men.
6. The crowd were dispersed.
7. He is live in water.
8. She is a beauty.
9. The iron of this pillar is good.
10. The cleverness of the boy is admirable.

Classify the underlined Nouns in the following sentences.

1. We know the chopras of Delhi.
2. She is a child of destiny.
3. They were put in irons.
4. This wall is built of stone.
5. A mob of Angry people protested against them.
6. She praised the honesty of the boy.
7. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
8. The father in him could not bear the sight.
9. Valmiki is the homer of India.
10. He committed a mistake.

Love to Know Your Thoughts

There you have a complete lesson on Noun.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson.

Do let me know if you have any doubts.

And also you can share the answers of the above exercise in the comment section, I’ll correct those within 24 hours.

References [External Link]:

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• Vocative Case | What Is the Vocative Case? – Grammar Monster
• Introduction to nouns [Video]