what type of noun is the word essay

Home / Guides / Grammar Guides / Nouns: What’s in a Name?

Nouns: What’s in a Name?

With a name that means, literally, ‘to name’, it’s pretty impossible to imagine the English language—or any language—without the noun. But while we use them constantly to provide clarity and identify the things that we’re talking or writing about, this hugely essential word type still has some surprises up its sleeve. This guide should give you a deeper understanding of this seemingly simple element of language, and allow you to use them correctly in your work. You can also check out this  useful reference  to consolidate your learning. If you’re currently working on a paper and would find a quick and easy grammar check useful, upload your essay for free at EasyBib.com. You can also use our fantastic citation tool to help cite your sources using popular styles such as MLA and  APA format .

Guide Overview

• What is a noun?
• Controversy and crossover
• Where the magic happens
• Phrase or clause?
• Types of nouns list
• Can you count it?
• Good and proper
• Getting possessive
• A blessing of unicorns
• Friendly compounds
• The pronoun takeover
• Grammar help is here!

What is a Noun?

At first glance, the noun definition is fairly straightforward—they’re naming words used to refer to a person, place, thing or idea. They’re arguably the most important element of any sentence, as they’ll usually be its subject. They can also be the direct object of a sentence. Or the indirect object. Or the object of the  preposition . And they can do much more besides that. So you get the idea that we’d find it very difficult to communicate without these superstars of the grammar world!

Controversy and Crossover

As they’re so important, the question ‘what is a noun?’ has been debated and discussed at length by linguists and grammar experts, often sparking some disagreement about the definition. Some feel that to define them as “naming words” is far too simplistic, as they’re also used to reference abstract and intangible concepts, feelings and activities such as  birth, sport, joy, cookery  and  technology . There’s also huge crossover with other elements of language. For example: Rain

• Verb — to rain
• Name of weather type — rain
• Adjective — red
• Name of color — red
• As an  adverb  — angrily
• As an adjective — angry
• Name of a feeling — anger

Because this single word type encompasses so many different things, some linguists feel that the definition should be narrowed. However, for now, we’re happy to stick with the generalization that it’s a naming word. For more on the various definitions of different parts of the English language, check out this  useful link .

Where the Magic Happens

Although it can lead to confusion, the fact the noun is multi-functional is part of its charm. Let’s take a look at some of the jobs that these hard-working words can perform in a sentence. Subject:  the subject of the sentence, i.e., someone or something performing the action of the  verb .

• Example:  Harry  is angry.

Direct object:  the direct object of the sentence, i.e., someone or something who receives the action of the verb.

• Example: Ashley baked  Noah  a cake.

Object of the preposition:  the object of the prepositional phrase.

• Example: Ashley baked a cake on  Sunday .

Subject complement:  follows a linking verb.

• Example: Ashley is a  teacher .

Object complement:  follows a direct object to rename or modify it.

• Example: She named her dog  Benji .

Appositive:  immediately follows another to add more information.

• Example: Her dog,  Benji , is black.

Modifier:  acts as an  adjective  to modify another noun.

• Example: A  black  dog.

Phrase or Clause?

In addition to your run of the mill single naming words, you can also use a noun clause or phrase to name or identify a person, object, thing, place or idea. A phrase has a naming word as its head word but may also include other kinds of words. For example:

• Head word  — car/cars
• Determiner  — My car
• Determiner and adjective  — My red car
• Quantifier  — Some cars
• Quantifier and adjective  — Some red cars
• In a sentence  —  My red car  is very old. ( My red car  is the phrase that identifies which car we are talking about.)

Caution! Don’t confuse a phrase with a compound, i.e., two or more words together to create a stand-alone common or proper noun with a meaning of its own (more on compounds later!). A clause is a dependent clause (doesn’t make sense alone) that performs the naming function in a sentence. It usually contains a subject and a verb, but may not necessarily contain a naming word. For example:

This weekend we can do  whatever you want .

Types of Nouns List

There are multiple types of naming words to get a grip on, and plenty of crossovers between categories too—just to keep things interesting! For example:

• You can have a mass, abstract, common name.
• Or a singular, concrete, proper, compound, or possessive name (phew!).

Don’t worry! This should become clearer as we work through the different categories in turn. If you’d like to do some more in-depth reading on the subject, you can  find more info  online.

Singular or Plural

You can have singular or plural nouns, with regulars keeping things nice and simple with the addition of  s  or  es .

• Car — cars
• Book – books
• Zoo — zoos
• Box — boxes
• Dish — dishes
• Hero — heroes

However, there are lots of rule-breaking irregulars thrown into the mix to complicate matters.

• Man — men
• Person — people
• Sheep — sheep
• Elf — elves
• Fish — fish
• City — cities

Concrete vs Abstract

As noted earlier, these debate-sparking naming words can be difficult things to define. So it can help to think of them as either concrete or abstract. Concrete nouns are the simpler of the two. They’re tangible things that can be detected by the senses. For example:

• You can touch, see and smell a  flower .
• You can hold a  pencil .
• You can see your friend  Emily .

Abstract nouns are far trickier to pin down—both literally and metaphorically speaking!

• You can’t hold  anger  or  space  or  childhood .

However, some people might argue that you can identify some abstracts with your senses. For example:

• You can see an expression of  anger .
• You can sense  fresh air .

So it might be more helpful to think of them as something that you can’t physically hold, i.e., concepts, ideas, experiences, qualities and feelings.

Can You Count It?

Naming words can either be  count  or  noncount . Count type doesn’t tend to give you much trouble—they’re, as the name suggests, something that can be counted. Noncount type (also known as mass nouns), however, are a whole different ball game! These rebellious words are definitely the evil twin of the two, as they defy several of the usual rules of grammar and, if you’re not careful, can cause chaos and confusion. Count:  something that can be counted, e.g.,  books, people, cars. Simple! Noncount (Mass):  something that can’t be counted (often because it’s an abstract concept), e.g.,  air, red, peace.  Or an aggregation of people or things that are lumped together as a whole, like  luggage, information,  or  salt. Not quite so simple! Caution! Be careful not to confuse noncounts with collectives, words which are used to name a collection of people or things (e.g.,  group, herd, bundle ). An easy way to test whether a word is noncount or collective is:

• Noncounts don’t follow indefinite articles ( a  and  an ).
• Noncounts don’t  usually  have a plural form.

For example, you don’t have  a luggage  or  luggages .

An Awkward Bunch

Despite the fact that they often represent an aggregation of people or things, noncounts can be a rather anti-social and awkward word type! They like to stand alone, without an indefinite article:

Music  can help you relax.

Not ‘ a music  can help you relax.’

I sprinkled  salt  on my food.

Not ‘I sprinkled  a salt  on my food.’ However, they can sit nicely with a  determiner  or quantifier instead.

• Determiner  —  The music  was loud.
• Quantifier  — I sprinkled  some salt  on my food.

In fact, some quantifiers only work with noncounts. For example:

• A little  salt
• Not much  information
• A bit of  music

However, we would never say:

• A little  books
• Not much  cars
• A bit of  flowers

The Singular or Plural Conundrum

Another quirk of the noncount is that, even when it represents an aggregation or group of things, it can still count as singular for grammatical purposes. For example:

The  luggage  is  heavy.  It  filled the trunk of the car. This  information  is  useful.  It  has helped me with my paper.

Even if a noncount appears to take a plural form with an  s  on the end, don’t be fooled! It may still be classed as grammatically singular. For example:

Politics  is a  difficult  subject  to study. I find  it  hard to grasp. The  news  is  on at 10 pm.  It’s  on for an hour.

On the flip side, some noncounts are grammatically plural. For example:

My  clothes  are  wet. The  scissors  are  sharp. His  manners  were  fantastic.

However, these go against the grain of plurals by not mixing well with numbers—we never say five clothes or six scissors!

Enumerating a Noncount

These awkward noncounts on the whole don’t mix well with numbers, although there are sneaky tactics that you can sometimes employ to enumerate them. These include:

• Grammatically plural  — if concrete, add  a pair of , e.g., a pair of  scissors .
• Grammatically singular  — if concrete, add  a piece of , e.g., a piece of  cutlery .
• Singular and plural  — both concrete and abstract noncounts can be enumerated by adding an indefinite adjective (quantifier), e.g.,  any, some, less, much .

For example:

• Pass me  some  cutlery .
• I don’t have  any  scissors .
• It contains  more  information .

Fewer vs Less

A quick note on fewer versus less as these are indefinite adjectives (quantifiers) that often trip people up!

• Fewer  — used for count type, e.g., I have  fewer   books  than Sarah.
• Less  — used for non-count type, e.g., I have  less   money  than Sarah.

Good and Proper

A proper noun is used to name very specific people, places, things and ideas. As their ‘proper’ title suggests, they’re formal names and, as such, deserve capitalization. Examples include:

• People  —  Sarah, Jack, Mrs. Smith, Prince George, Father Brown, Beethoven
• Specific places  —  America, Europe, Paris, George Street, Roman Empire, Times Square
• Natural and man-made landmarks  —  River Nile, Central Park, Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, Mount Etna
• Religions and related words  —  Christianity, The Bible, God, Allah, Buddhism
• Races and nationalities  —  African American, Russian, White, Eskimo, Japanese
• Languages  —  French, Spanish, Chinese, English
• Periods in history  —  Stone Age, Middle Ages
• Events  —  Olympic Games, Coachella, Wimbledon, Rio Carnaval, Oktoberfest
• Days, months and holidays  —  Sunday, Friday, June, October, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day  (note that the seasons are, somewhat contentiously, classed as common)
• Organizations, charities and businesses  —  New York Police Department (NYPD), Harvard University, Microsoft, Red Cross, Walmart, Forbes
• Product brand names  —  Tresemme, Adidas, Apple, Coca-Cola
• Well-known documents and acts  —  Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, Slavery Abolition Act 1833
• Names of specific things and works  —  Hope Diamond, Mona Lisa, Symphony No. 5, Star Wars, War and Peace
• Titles of publications and courses  —  The Washington Post, Introduction to Computer Science
• They can be singular  —  Sally, Australia, Picasso, iPad
• Or plural  —  the Smiths, the Rockies, the Americas, two iPads

From Proper to Common

Sometimes, they bend the rules to put themselves into a ‘common’ context. For example:

I made a mistake of  Titanic  proportions.

This is taken to mean a big mistake and isn’t literally referencing the Titanic ship.

I’m an  Einstein  when it comes to science.

Here Einstein is taken to mean a person who is smart, rather than referencing the man himself specifically. Similarly, over time, some have developed common ‘spin-off’ words. For example:

• Famous porcelain from   China  — a china cup (note, not a China cup)
• Coca-Cola  — coke (to describe a generic cola drink, not necessarily the Coca-Cola brand)

The Humble Common Noun

Common nouns  give a name to a general type of person, thing, object, place, concept or feeling. They’re not ‘formal’ names and, as such, they don’t demand capitalization. Examples include:

• People  —  man, woman, girl, boy, vicar, teacher, children
• Places  —  city, beach, library, street, garden
• Things  —  tiger, leg, sleep, beard
• Objects  —  watch, cake, shoe, ball
• Concepts  —  peace, justice, talent, religion
• Feelings  —  anger, joy, love, envy

In many cases, both a common and proper noun can be applied to the same thing. For example:

• A  Baby Ruth  (proper) is a  chocolate bar  (common).
• Rihanna  (proper) is a popular  singer  (common) in the US.
• Mrs. Smith  (proper) is a  teacher  (common).
• Benji  (proper) is a  dog  (common).
• The  Nile  (proper) is a  river  (common).

Of course, you can define proper noun words as having a far narrower application as they can only apply to one very specific thing. Common noun examples have a much wider application—hence their label as ‘common’! For example:

There are thousands of  singers  (common) in the world, but there’s only one  Taylor Swift (proper).

When a Commoner Becomes Proper

Occasionally, a commoner can move up the ranks to become proper—gaining that all-important capitalization along the way. This usually happens when a word becomes synonymous over time with a very specific type of thing. For example, a  parka jacket  depicts a type of long, all-weather coat. But you could argue that the term  Parka  is so synonymous with a very specific type of jacket that it should be classed as proper. This is definitely one for the grammar experts to slog out between themselves!

Getting Possessive

Possessive nouns are usually followed by another naming word, indicating that the second thing ‘belongs’ to the first. There are different ways to indicate this possession, depending on the word in question. These can become confusing, so let’s look at them in turn. Singular possessives  are usually indicated with ‘s. For example:

• the  girl’s  coat
• Emma’s  car
• the  city’s  main landmark

As are  plural possessives  that don’t end in  s . For example:

• the  men’s  bathroom
• children’s  toys

In the case of a  plural possessive  that ends in  s , you simply need to add an  apostrophe (‘). For example:

• the  girls’  coats
• the  Smiths’  house
• the  tigers’  pen
• the  computers’  manufacturer

When we come to  singular possessives  that end in  s , the waters get a little bit muddier. The most popular method used to form a singular possessive is to add  ‘s , as detailed above. For example:

• James’s  book
• the  bus’s  engine

However, just adding the  apostrophe  is also commonly accepted. For example:

• James’  book
• the  bus’  engine

The Importance of the Apostrophe

You’ll notice that subtle differences in your sentence structure can completely alter its meaning, so it’s important to get your grammar on point. For example:

• the girl’s coat  — belonging to one particular girl
• the girls’ coat  — a coat designed to be worn by a girl
• the girl’s coats  — more than one coat belonging to one particular girl)
• the girls’ coats  — a group of coats belonging to a group of girls

If you find yourself struggling to figure out where the apostrophe needs to go, why not run a free grammar check on your essay with EasyBib Plus? You can also use EasyBib.com to help cite the sources that you use when conducting  research  and writing your papers . The handy online tool can create citations in the popular APA and  MLA format , plus  more styles  including Chicago/Turabian. Simply find out which style of citation you need to use (ask your professor or lecturer) and let EasyBib Plus help you create them the easy way.

A Blessing of Unicorns

A collective noun is a name given to a collection or group of things. Although they represent more than one, they are usually classed as grammatically singular (in American English). For example:

• The  pride  of lions made  its  way to water.
• The  cast  of actors collected  its  award.
• The  class  of students  was  dismissed early.

They can often stand-alone, if the context makes it clear what collection or group of things is being referred to. For example:

• We followed the  herd  on safari.
• I got the  cast  to sign my autograph book.
• The  class  went on its field trip.

But be careful with this, as they can be used to represent very different things. For example:

• flock  of tourists  or  flock  of birds  **  cluster  of spiders* or  cluster  of stars

So saying “I stared open-mouthed at the  cluster  before me” could have two very different meanings—you might be staring in wonder or staring in horror! Some collective nouns have developed a more general or colloquial meaning. For example, you get a  bunch  of flowers or a  bunch  of bananas. However,  bunch  is also used more generally to denote ‘several’ or ‘lots’. For example:

• I saw a  bunch  of people that I knew.
• Thanks a  bunch .

Kooky Collectives

Collectives are one of the quirkiest word types in the English language and include some unusual naming words. For instance, it’s difficult to imagine where the examples below came from. For example:

• A  shiver  of sharks
• A  quiver  of cobras
• A  blush  of boys
• A  disguising  of tailors
• A  drunkship  of cobblers
• A  worship  of writers
• A  nest  of rumors

Friendly Compounds

Compound nouns consist of two or more words that have come together to form a new word with its own meaning. These are words that have decided they don’t want to stand-alone—they can work better together with another word! Both proper and common words can be compounded, and within these compounds are three sub-types. Proper

• Closed  —  PlayStation, YouTube
• Hyphenated  —  Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A
• Open Spaced  —  New York, Ritz Carlton Hotel
• Closed  —  football, textbook
• Hyphenated  —  mother-in-law, well-being
• Open Spaced  —  bus stop, swimming pool

Wal-Mart Or Walmart?

Fun fact! Some popular brands have dropped their hyphens in recent years. For example, Wal-Mart switched to Walmart in 2009. This could possibly be because hyphenated domain names can cause issues for a brand’s online presence. Brands now have a whole host of digital considerations that simply weren’t on the table when they first decided on a name.

The Pronoun Takeover

While both concrete and abstract noun words are undeniably super useful and essential parts of the English language, they can be a bit much at times. Especially when you’re referring to the same thing several times in a sentence or section. For example:

Sally  loves  Fanta .  Sally  drinks  Fanta  every day.

This is where pronouns come in handy. These often small but ever so mighty words have the power to replace names and make your sentences flow much better. For example:

Sally  loves  Fanta .  She  drinks  it  every day.

This works for both proper and common types.

• The  Empire State Building  (proper) is very tall.  It  stands at 443m.
• Sally  (proper) loves  chocolate  (common).  She  eats  some  every day.
• My  dog  (common) has a red  ball  (common).  He  likes to chase  it .

The antecedent nouns give a reference point for the pronouns.

Is I a Noun or a Pronoun?

Commonly used ‘people’ pronouns include  he, she, me, his  and  hers . However, there’s some debate as to the word  I . While  I  is commonly accepted as a first person  pronoun , it may not follow the usual antecedent rule. For example, if you were Sally, you wouldn’t write:

Sally  loves Fanta.  I  drink it every day.

Instead you’d simply write:

I  love Fanta.  I  drink it every day.

I  is also classed as a naming word in the following contexts:

• I  — the name of a letter of the alphabet.
• I  — the subject or object of self-consciousness, i.e. the ego.

This guide should hopefully have answered lots of naming word questions for you, such as ‘what is a possessive noun?’, but if you’re still struggling you can  learn more here . The list of nouns can be difficult to remember, for the simple fact that there are so many different categories and variations of these naming words. People, objects, places, ideas and feelings are things that don’t seem to have much in common—yet they all have names, which lumps them grammatically into the same (very large!) category.

Grammar Help is Here!

If you’d like to check your grammar, EasyBib Plus can help. Simply upload your paper and let EasyBib Plus do the hard work! You can also use the EasyBib Plus  plagiarism checker  to ensure that you’ve cited your sources. We have other grammar pages besides this one, too. Check out two tricky parts of speech:  conjunction  and  interjection . Use the handy online toolkit at EasyBib Plus to check for unintentional plagiarism and grammatical errors, and feel more confident that you won’t drop unnecessary marks on avoidable mistakes.

Nouns starting with A-Z

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Grammar and Plagiarism Checkers

Grammar Basics

Plagiarism Basics

Writing Basics

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

• Daily Crossword
• Word Puzzle
• Word Finder
• Word of the Day
• Synonym of the Day
• Word of the Year
• Language stories
• All featured
• Gender and sexuality
• All pop culture
• Grammar Coach ™
• Writing hub
• Grammar essentials
• Commonly confused
• All writing tips
• Pop culture
• Writing tips

a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.

anything resembling such a composition: a picture essay.

an effort to perform or accomplish something; attempt.

Philately . a design for a proposed stamp differing in any way from the design of the stamp as issued.

Obsolete . a tentative effort; trial; assay.

to try; attempt.

to put to the test; make trial of.

Origin of essay

Other words from essay.

• es·say·er, noun
• pre·es·say, verb (used without object)
• un·es·sayed, adjective
• well-es·sayed, adjective

Words that may be confused with essay

• assay , essay

Words Nearby essay

• essay question

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use essay in a sentence

As several of my colleagues commented, the result is good enough that it could pass for an essay written by a first-year undergraduate, and even get a pretty decent grade.

GPT-3 also raises concerns about the future of essay writing in the education system.

This little essay helps focus on self-knowledge in what you’re best at, and how you should prioritize your time.

As Steven Feldstein argues in the opening essay , technonationalism plays a part in the strengthening of other autocracies too.

He’s written a collection of essays on civil engineering life titled Bridginess, and to this day he and Lauren go on “bridge dates,” where they enjoy a meal and admire the view of a nearby span.

I think a certain kind of compelling essay has a piece of that.

The current attack on the Jews,” he wrote in a 1937 essay , “targets not just this people of 15 million but mankind as such.

The impulse to interpret seems to me what makes personal essay writing compelling.

To be honest, I think a lot of good essay writing comes out of that.

Someone recently sent me an old Joan Didion essay on self-respect that appeared in Vogue.

There is more of the uplifted forefinger and the reiterated point than I should have allowed myself in an essay .

Consequently he was able to turn in a clear essay upon the subject, which, upon examination, the king found to be free from error.

It is no part of the present essay to attempt to detail the particulars of a code of social legislation.

But angels and ministers of grace defend us from ministers of religion who essay art criticism!

It is fit that the imagination, which is free to go through all things, should essay such excursions.

British Dictionary definitions for essay

a short literary composition dealing with a subject analytically or speculatively

an attempt or endeavour; effort

a test or trial

to attempt or endeavour; try

to test or try out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for essay

A short piece of writing on one subject, usually presenting the author's own views. Michel de Montaigne , Francis Bacon (see also Bacon ), and Ralph Waldo Emerson are celebrated for their essays.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Words and phrases

Personal account.

• Access or purchase personal subscriptions
• Get our newsletter
• Save searches
• Set display preferences

Institutional access

Sign in with library card

Sign in with username / password

Recommend to your librarian

Institutional account management

Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic

• Hide all quotations

What does the noun essay mean?

There are 12 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun essay , nine of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

essay has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the noun essay ?

How is the noun essay pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun essay come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun essay is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for essay is from 1597, in the writing of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor, politician, and philosopher.

It is also recorded as a verb from the Middle English period (1150—1500).

essay is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French essai .

Nearby entries

• esrache, v. 1477
• esraj, n. 1921–
• ESRO, n. 1961–
• ess, n. 1540–
• -ess, suffix¹
• -ess, suffix²
• essamplerie, n. 1393
• essart, n. 1656–
• essart, v. 1675–
• essarting, n. a1821–
• essay, n. 1597–
• essay, v. 1483–
• essayal, n. 1837–
• essayer, n. 1611–
• essayette, n. 1877–
• essayfy, v. 1815–
• essay-hatch, n. 1721–
• essayical, adj. 1860–
• essaying, n. 1861–
• essaying, adj. 1641–
• essayish, adj. 1863–

Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary

To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.

Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for essay, n..

essay, n. was first published in 1891; not yet revised.

essay, n. was last modified in March 2024.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into essay, n. in March 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1891)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View essay, n. in OED Second Edition

Please submit your feedback for essay, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for essay, n., browse entry.

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of essay noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

• 3 essay (in something) ( formal ) an attempt to do something His first essay in politics was a complete disaster.

Other results

Nearby words.

Module 1: Grammar

Introduction to nouns.

• Nouns are a diverse group of words, and they are very common in English. Nouns are a category of words defining things —people, places, items, concepts. The video below is brief introduction to them and the role they play:

As we’ve just learned, a noun is the name of a person (Dr. Sanders), place (Lawrence, Kansas; factory; home), thing (scissors, saw, book), or idea (love, truth, beauty, intelligence).

Let’s look at the following examples to get a better idea of how nouns work in sentences. All of the nouns have been bolded:

• The one experiment that has been given the most attention in the debate on saccharin is the 1977 Canadian study done on rats .
• The multi-fuel capacity of the Stirling engine gives it a versatility not possible in the internal combustion engine .
• The regenerative cooling cycle in the engines of the Space Shuttle is made up of high pressure hydrogen that flows in tubes connecting the nozzle and the combustion chamber .

Types of Nouns

Of the many different categories of nouns, a couple deserve closer attention here.

Common vs. Proper Noun

Common nouns are generic words, like tissue . They are lower-cased (unless they begin a sentence). A proper noun, on the other hand, is the name of a specific thing, like the brand name  Kleenex . Proper nouns are always capitalized.

• common noun: name
• proper noun: Ester

Concrete vs. Abstract Noun

Concrete nouns are things you can hold, see, or otherwise sense, like  book ,  light , or  warmth .

Abstract nouns, on the other hand, are (as you might expect) abstract concepts, like  time and  love .

• concrete noun: rock
• abstract noun: justice

The rest of this section will dig into other types of nouns: count v. non-count nouns, compound nouns, and plural nouns.

Look at each of the following nouns and determine if they are common or proper and if they are concrete or abstract. For example:

• justice is a common abstract noun.
• Nouns. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Introduction to nouns. Authored by : David Rheinstrom. Provided by : Khan Academy. Located at : https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/partsofspeech/grammar-nouns/v/introduction-to-nouns-the-parts-of-speech-grammar-khan-academy . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Basic Patterns and Elements of the Sentence. Authored by : David McMurrey. Located at : https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/twsent.html . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of slob. Authored by : Oliviu Stoian. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=slob&i=320417 . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of top hat and monocle. Authored by : Oliviu Stoian. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=proper&i=320362 . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of brick wall. Authored by : Vectors Market. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=concrete&i=262120 . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of dotted line. Authored by : Amyuna. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=abstract&i=171468 . License : CC BY: Attribution

Privacy Policy

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

Course: Grammar   >   Unit 1

Introduction to nouns.

• Identifying nouns
• Introduction to singular and plural nouns
• Singular and plural nouns

Want to join the conversation?

• Upvote Button navigates to signup page
• Downvote Button navigates to signup page
• Flag Button navigates to signup page

Video transcript

10 Types Of Nouns Used In The English Language

Nouns are an all-star team of words and always have a player ready to step up to the plate, no matter the challenge. Common nouns, proper nouns, abstract nouns, and concrete nouns are our go-to nouns but there are many types of nouns ready to get in the game. To learn the difference between all these nouns, use this guide to link to in-depth articles about each type of noun.

What is a noun ?

A noun is a word that refers to a person, place, or thing. The category of “things” may sound super vague, but in this case it means inanimate objects, abstract concepts, and activities. Phrases and other parts of speech can also behave like nouns and can be the subject in a sentence, as in Jogging is a fun exercise . Here, the verb jogging acts like a noun and is the subject of the sentence.

Different types of nouns

1) common nouns.

Common nouns are words that refer to undefined or generic people, places, or things. For example, the country is a common noun that refers to a generic place while the word Canada is not a common noun because it refers to a specific place. Common nouns are only capitalized when they begin sentences or are used in the names or titles of something, as in Grand Canyon or Iron Man.

• common nouns: house, cat, girl, foot, country

2) Proper nouns

Proper nouns help distinguish a specific person, place, or thing. These words should be capitalized. The names and titles of things are always proper nouns, such as the brand name Starbucks and the personal name Jenny.

• proper nouns: Spain, Fido, Sony

3) Singular nouns

Singular nouns are nouns that refer to only one person, place or thing. For example, a cat is one animal and a banana is one fruit.

• singular nouns: house, cat, girl, foot, country

4) Plural nouns

A  plural   noun refers to more than one of something. Many singular nouns just need an S added at the end to make them plural (e.g.,  bee becomes bees ). For some nouns that already end with an S , you may need to add -es to the end to make their plural forms (e.g.,  classes and buses ). Some singular nouns also change spelling when made plural (e.g. countries and babies ).

• regular plural nouns: houses, cats, girls, countries

Not all nouns follow this pattern. Those that become plural in other ways are called irregular plural nouns . Some examples are man and men , wolf and wolves , foot and feet , and sheep and …  sheep.

• irregular plural nouns: person and people life and lives mouse and mice tooth and teeth

5) Concrete nouns

A concrete noun is something that can be perceived through the five senses. If you can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell something, it uses a concrete noun.

• concrete nouns: table, apple, rabbit, ear

6) Abstract nouns

Abstract nouns are intangible ideas that can’t be perceived with the five senses, such as social concepts, political theories, and character traits. For example, the abstract noun anger refers to an emotion and the abstract noun courage refers to a quality a person has.

• abstract nouns: love, creativity, democracy

7) Collective nouns

A collective noun  is a noun that functions as a singular noun while referring to a group of people or things. A collective noun refers to a group that functions as one unit or performs the same action at the same time. For example: the team plays in the main gym.

• collective nouns: crowd, flocks, committee, a sum of money

WATCH: We Asked: How Do You Remember The Definition Of A "Noun"?

8) compound nouns.

A compound noun combines two or more words into one. Compound nouns can appear as a single word, multiple words used separately, or words connected by hyphens.

• compound nouns: dry-cleaning, jack-in-the-box, toothpaste, haircut, output, ice cream, potato chip

9) Countable nouns

A countable noun (also known as a count noun ) is one that you can count. When you have three books or 10 pennies , you are describing a noun that is countable.

• countable nouns: table, apple, rabbit, ear

10) Uncountable nouns

An uncountable noun (also known as a mass noun ) is one that cannot be counted. For example, happiness cannot be counted. You don’t say that you have “a happiness” or “three happinesses.” Uncountable nouns typically don’t have plural forms.

• uncountable nouns: salt, seafood, luggage, advice

Nouns make up the majority of the English language. More nouns appear every year as people come up with new ideas, media, and technologies. However, a noun’s basic function never changes. It is a person, place, or thing, and it may be one or more of the types of nouns that we all know and love.

Nouns are great, but when you’re looking for clarity in writing, punctuation marks do the work! Learn about the major ones here.

Make Your Writing Shine!

• By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy policies.
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Ready to put your review to the test? Take this quiz on the types of nouns!

Ways To Say

Synonym of the day

Home » Nouns: Definition & Types With Examples | Vocabularyan

Nouns: Definition & Types With Examples | Vocabularyan

Nouns are like naming words. They’re often the first things you learn about in English class. They’re important because they give names to everything we can sense with our five senses: touch, see, smell, taste, hear, or hold. So, if you can point to it, describe it, or experience it, chances are it’s a noun!

Table of Contents

What is a Noun?

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. It could be anything you can see, touch, hear, taste, or smell. For example, “dog,” “house,” “love,” and “friend” are all nouns. Nouns are like labels that we use to talk about our world’s people, objects, or concepts.

Types of Nouns:

Nouns can be classified into several types based on their roles and characteristics. Here are some common types of nouns:

 1: Common Nouns

These are general names for people, places, things, or ideas.

  Examples: “dog,” “city,” “book,” and “happiness.”

2: Proper Nouns :

These are specific names for individual people, places, or things and are typically capitalized.

 Examples: “John,” “Paris,” “The Great Gatsby,” and “Coca-Cola.”

3: Concrete Nouns :

These are nouns that refer to things that can be perceived through the senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell).

 Examples: “table,” “music,” “tree,” and “chocolate.”

4: Abstract Nouns :

These are nouns that refer to ideas, concepts, feelings, or qualities that cannot be perceived through the senses.

Examples: “love,” “happiness,” “freedom,” and “justice.”

 5 :Countable Nouns :

These nouns can be counted and have both singular and plural forms.

Examples: “car” (singular) and “cars” (plural), “apple” (singular) and “apples” (plural).

 6: Uncountable (Mass) Nouns :

These are nouns that cannot be counted individually and do not have a plural form.

 Examples: “water,” “rice,” “knowledge,” and “money.”

7: Collective Nouns :

These are nouns that refer to groups of people or things as a single unit.

Examples: “team,” “herd,” “family,” and “flock.”

8: Compound Nouns :

These are nouns formed by combining two or more words.

Examples: “toothpaste,” “bluebird,” “firefighter,” and “mother-in-law.”

Example of Noun Sentences

• The dog barked loudly.
• We picnicked in the garden .
• The car zoomed by.
• My phone buzzed often.
• The teacher taught well.
• We hiked the forest .
• The coffee was good.
• My shoes were worn.
• The sun set beautifully.
• The computer showed data.
• A kite flew high.
• The movie was crowded.
• The artifact amazed him.
• The restaurant served diverse dishes.
• The music played loud.
• The river flowed gently.
• She studied constellations .
• The bicycle raced downhill.
• The painter worked diligently.
• The airplane flew swiftly.

Nouns Used as Different Components of a Sentence

These are some common ways in which nouns are used as different components of a sentence, helping to convey meaning and structure.

1: Subject : The subject of a sentence is the noun or noun phrase that performs the action of the verb or is described by the verb.

• “The cat” chased the mouse.
• “My friend” likes to play basketball.

2: Direct Object : The direct object receives the action of the verb. It answers the question “What?” or “Whom?” after the action verb.

• I bought “a book.”
• She painted “the wall.”

3: Indirect Object : The indirect object is the recipient of the direct object. It answers the question “To whom?” or “For whom?” or “To what?” or “For what?” after the action verb. Example:

• He gave “me” “a gift.”
• She made “us” and “some cookies.”

4: Object of a Preposition : A noun can also be the object of a preposition, which is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence.

• The book is “on” “the table.”
• She walked “to” “the park.”

5: Predicate Nominative (Subject Complement) : A predicate nominative follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject of a sentence.

• She is “a doctor.”
• The winner of the contest was “Jane.”

6: Appositive : An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames or further identifies another noun right beside it.

• My friend, “Tom,” is coming over.
• My favorite fruit, “apples,” is nutritious.

You May Also Like to Read

Adverbs of Time

Collective Nouns 

Parts of Speech Chart with Examples

You may also like

100 Words List of Antonyms with Examples

Opposite Words List of Long Pithy Quiet Silent Succinct To the point Concise Brief Shortened Crisp...

List of Adjectives to Describe Food with Meanings in English

Food is a delightful realm that encompasses a plethora of experiences, flavors, and sensations...

The Rules of Articles in English Grammar with Examples

A, an ( indefinite articles)  and the (definite article) are the noun makers, noun modifiers, or...

Punctuation Marks with Rules and Examples PDF

Punctuation marks, like capitalization, are also essential in the English language while writing...

Leave a Comment X

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

What is a Noun? (Types, Definition, Examples, Word Lists)

What is a noun? How does a noun work? A noun typically refers to a person, place, or thing. There are many types of nouns and plural forms of abstract nouns. For example, a concrete noun, which is a type of noun that is perceived the senses (taste, touch, smell) would be Apple. Nouns are an essential part of speech.

What is a noun?

A noun is a word that identifies a place, thing, name, animal, or anything with an identity.A noun can be living, non-living, countable, non-countable, tangible, or non-tangible.

Deepen your understanding of nouns with a list of comprehensive noun examples.

Types of nouns

Nouns that name a person.

Some nouns identify a person’s name, irrespective of their gender. Use these nouns to address a specific person.

Nouns that name a place

Some nouns identify a place – a state, country, town , area, lane, apartment , street, or city. Or any location existing in the present, past , and future, reality or fictional world.

For example,  Hill Valley  (a fictional place in California) or  the USA  are nouns that name a place.

• Central Perk
• King Kong comic stores
• Blue dart grocery
• my living room
• the bathroom
• Fantasy land

Nouns that name things (intangible concepts, activities)

Nouns that identify intangible things – things that do not have a physical existence – are called abstract nouns .

Abstract nouns instead name a feeling , a perception, or a state of a being.

Abstract nouns rely on concrete nouns (nouns that have a physical existence) to complete their meaning.

Look at examples of abstract nouns in the given sentences.

• I’m in  love  with the new sci-fi book by Issac Asimov.
• Ron’s  happiness  was at its peak when he discovered that Lucas had brought him his favorite apartment.
• Her  beauty  was mesmerizing.
• Nina and Bonnie share great  chemistry .

Difference between a proper noun and a common noun

A  proper noun  is a distinctive identity given to a noun. It always begins with a capital letter, irrespective of its position in a sentence . For example,  Lucas  and  Maria  stay in  Germany .

On the other hand, a  common noun  is a group identity or a general identity given to a noun. They don’t begin with a capital letter. For example, A  boy  and a  girl  are studying Math.

Compare this list of examples to understand proper and common nouns better.

Examples of proper nouns vs. common nouns

City of New York

Girl Kristine

Animal Hippopotamus

Color Violet

Flower Rose

Subject English

University Oxford University

Apartment 21/B

Season Spring

Friend Mathew

Types of common nouns

There are three classifications for common nouns:

Concrete nouns

• Abstract nouns

Collective nouns

Concrete nouns  identify a material thing. You can sense all the concrete nouns with human touch, sight, smell, taste, or sound.

• Coffee beans

Abstract nouns  identify intangible and nonmaterial things. You can’t sense them directly, but you understand that it exists through external actions or signs.

For example, anger is an abstract noun . So you can’t see it directly but can gauge it through different (indirect) signs like a person yelling or throwing things forcedly.

Collective nouns  identify a group of things or nouns—for example, a bush of thorns, a bunch of flowers, or a pack of spades.

Use collective nouns when you want to address a group of nouns as a unit simultaneously.

Some other examples of collective nouns include:

• A flock of bees
• A pack of wolves
• An army of ants
• A crew of sailors
• A troop of warriors
• A grove of trees
• A bushel of apples

Grammar rules

• Only capitalize common nouns when they are the beginning word of the sentence.

For example:

1 – Lock the door.

Here, ‘door is a common noun, but it’s not capitalized.

2 – Coffee is the best therapy!

Here, coffee is a common noun, and it’s capitalized since it’s the beginning word of the sentence.

Here are some more examples to determine the proper capitalization of common nouns.

• Incorrect: Nina is the  President  of the happy club.
• Correct: Nina is the  president  of the happy club.
• Incorrect: Samuel eats four  Bananas  a day.
• Correct: Samuel eats four  bananas  a day.

Nouns as subject

A noun is also a subject. Therefore , you usually refer to the subject and construct the sentence around it.

Take the noun, Mandy, for example.

• Mandy is cooking sausages.

Here Mandy is the noun and the subject, and you construct the sentence around it by placing an action –  cooking , and the object –  sausages  around it.

Take another noun, Melissa.

• Melissa leads the content team at Blue House publishers.

Here Melissa is the noun and the subject, and you construct the sentence around it by placing an action –  leads  and the object –  content team at Blue House publishers  around it.

For  nouns as a subject , the noun used should be the performer of the verb in the sentence.

In Mandy and Melissa’s example, they are the performers of the verb ‘cooking’ and ‘leads,’ respectively.

Nouns as objects

A noun is also an object – direct or indirect. The ‘object’ is a noun at the receiving end of the verb. You usually refer to the object and construct the sentence around it.

Take the noun, laptop, for example.

• Assemble the laptop.

Here, ‘laptop’ is a noun and an object – you construct the sentence around it.

Take another noun, bookshelf.

• Clean the bookshelf.

Here, ‘bookshelf’ is a noun and an object – you construct the sentence around it.

Nouns as a subject and object complement

A complement is a part of a sentence that completes the sentence.

Nouns as a subject complement  is a noun that complements the subject in a sentence. It acts as the adjective of the subject.

Andy  is a  mechanic.

Here, ‘Andy’ is the subject, and ‘mechanic’ is the noun as a subject complement.

Robin  eats  grapes.

Here, ‘Robin’ is the subject, and ‘grapes’ is the noun as a subject complement.

Nouns as an object complement  is a noun that complements the object in a sentence. It acts as the adjective of the object.

They call  her crazy.

Here, ‘her’ is the object, and ‘crazy’ is the noun as an object complement.

Appositive nouns and nouns as modifiers

An  appositive noun  (or noun phrase) immediately follows another noun or noun phrase to give extra details about it.

For example, My sister, Brenda, looks after the farm.

Here,  Brenda  is the appositive noun next to another noun,  sister , and informs us about the sister’s name.

1 – A comma separates appositives that add extra information about a noun or noun phrase. You won’t change the sentence’s meaning even if you delete the ‘extra’ information.

• The coat comes in two colors, red and black.

Here,  color  is a noun, and  red  and  black  are appositive nouns.

2 – Don’t add a comma for appositives that add essential information about a noun or noun phrase. If you delete the ‘essential’ information, you will change the sentence’s meaning.

• She was sad over her lost pet.

Here, pet is a noun, and lost is an appositive noun. If you remove the appositive noun, the sentence won’t make any sense.

Regular nouns

A regular noun is any noun that forms plural by adding a -s or -es at the end.

For regular nouns ending with -x, -sh, -ch, -s, -z, or -ss, add an -es at the end of the word to form plurals. 

Regular nouns that form plurals by adding -es

Collective nouns identify a group of countable nouns—for example, team or audience.

Use a singular verb for a collective noun referring to a group as a unit.

For example, Joe’s  family   plans  a vacation every new year.

Here,  family  is a collective noun representing a unit. So, use the singular verb  plans .

Use a plural verb for a collective noun referring to a part that makes up the group.

For example, The Blue House  students   sing  in the choir on Tuesday .

Here,  students  is a collective noun representing every student from the Blue House. So, use the plural verb  sing .

Countable vs. uncountable nouns

Countable nouns are nouns you can count—for example, five numbers , one pen, and seven books.

On the other hand, uncountable nouns are nouns you cannot count—for example, water, rice, and air. So you can’t count them as one water, two rice, or nine air.

• Use a determiner (a/an), if needed, with a countable noun . For example,  an apple  or a  table .
• Uncountable nouns may identify abstract nouns.
• Use a singular verb with uncountable nouns. For instance, she  puts   water  in the glass.

Verbal noun

A verbal noun is derived from a verb but doesn’t act like a verb.

For example, ‘build’ is a verb, and ‘building’ is a verbal noun.

Verb Verbal Noun

Arrive Arrival

Decide Decision

Draw Drawing

Repeat Repetition

Gender-specific noun

Gender-specific nouns identify a masculine or a feminine noun—for example, man and woman. ‘Man’ identifies as a male, and ‘woman’ identifies as a female.

Use names to identify particular gender-specific nouns—for example,  Sheldon  and  Melissa . ‘Sheldon’ identifies as a male, and ‘Melissa’ identifies as a female.

Tiger Tigress

Rooster Hen

Peacock Peahen

Actor Actress

Attributive nouns

An attributive noun is a modifier that works as an adjective—for example,  chicken soup.  Here  soup  is a noun, and  chicken  is an attributive noun that provides extra details about the noun  soup .

• Use attributive nouns before and adjacent to a noun to make sense of its meaning.
• Telephone  brand
• Horror  movie
• Hawaiian  island

Understanding plural nouns

How do plural nouns work.

Plural nouns refer to more than one quantity of a specified noun.

Examples of plural nouns

Common plural noun confusion.

Plural nouns are either regular or irregular nouns. To decide how to form the plural of a singular noun, look at the ending letters of the word and modify the noun accordingly. 

Refer to our detailed guide on Irregular plural nouns here to eliminate confusion regarding plural nouns.

understanding possessive

Possessive nouns show ownership. They usually have an apostrophe .

• Tony has a car. 

Here Tony is not a possessive noun .

• He is driving Tony’s car.

Here Tony is a possessive noun.

What are irregular plural nouns?

An irregular plural noun follows different rules than simply adding a -s or -es at the end of a singular noun.

• Wolf becomes Wolves.
• Person becomes People.

What are noun phrases?

A noun phrase is a group of words that pose as a single noun.

• Ron and Edward study music.

The noun phrase is Ron and Edward, acting together as a single noun.

What are noun clauses?

A noun clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb and works as a single noun. It may or may not make complete sense by itself.

Further , a noun clause can be both a subject and object of a verb in a sentence.

• Patrick will do whatever you recommend.

Here, ‘whatever you recommend’ is a noun clause and works as a noun. The noun clause contains a subject ‘you’ and a verb ‘recommend.’

• What you said was inspiring.

Here, ‘what you said’ is a noun clause and works as a noun. In the noun clause, you is the subject, said is the verb.

List of Nouns

Nouns that start with A

• Andrew – the name of a boy
• Ambition – a feeling
• A host of sparrows – a group of sparrows as a single unit
• Amber – the name of a color
• Australia – the name of a country
• Ash – a powdery leftover from a burned object

Nouns that start with N

• Nose – part of a body
• Noon – time of a day
• Nina – the name of a girl
• National Institute of Science – the name of an organization
• Napkin – a piece of cloth
• Nostalgia – a feeling of affection for the past

Nouns that start with I

• Ink – a fluid used for painting or writing
• Irish – a person living in Ireland
• Innovation – the process of finding something new
• Igloo – a shelter-house built at snow
• Icecream – a dessert
• Impression – an impact of something

Nouns that start with O

• Ostrich – a bird’s name
• Omen – a positive sign
• Ontario – a Canadian province
• Omnivores – someone who eats both plants and animals
• Optimum – the best quality
• Oman – the name of a country 

Nouns that start with S

• Serendipity – a joyous event that happened by accident
• Salt – a substance used in cooking to add taste to the food
• Sample – an example of something
• Sandstone – a type of a rock
• Solace – the feeling of peace
• Sandwich – a food snack

Nouns that start with P

• Purifier – a machine that purifies water
• Princess – a monarch’s daughter
• Prime – the state of being at the top
• Pellets – tiny, little droplets of a liquid
• Penguin – a seabird 
• Pastry – a dessert 

Nouns that start with C

• Cathy – a girl’s name
• Christmas – a festive season
• Chocolates – a sweet
• Cookie – a sweet snack
• Catalog – a list of things or items
• Camel – the name of an animal

Nouns that start with R

• Radio – a machine to hear music
• Remark – a statement made at someone or something
• Rain – moisture
• Remembrance – an act of remembering something
• Reminiscence – a past story or memory
• Rebel – a person who is risen with angst

Nouns that start with M

• Mall – a shopping complex
• Mangroove – a shrub
• Member – a part of a community or an organization
• Mustache – growth of hair on the upper lip
• Maria – a girl’s name
• Medicine – a drug used to treat an illness

Nouns that start with E

• Eggplant – the name of a vegetable
• Eminem – a boy’s name
• Earth – the name of a planet
• Effort – the quality of working hard
• Ear – part of a body
• Earthworm – a worm found in soil

Nouns that start with W

• Watercolors – the watery type of colors
• Wafer – a crunchy snack
• Wallpaper – a decorative paper to stick on the wall
• Wage – payment
• Warden – an authoritative person in an institute
• Warmth – heat

Nouns that start with B

• Batman – a fictional comic character
• Brother – a man or a boy 
• Bribe – illegal money offered to someone 
• Bristles – hair of a brush
• Ben – a boy’s name
• Biscoff – a cookie brand

Nouns that start with V

• Vanity – the quality of being useless
• Veronica – the name of a girl
• Vampire – a fictional character
• Violin – a musical instrument
• Vacation – holiday

Nouns that start with K

• Kim – the name of a boy
• Kettle – a utensil to serve tea
• Kite – a playing tool
• Kenya – the name of a country
• Krish – a boy’s name
• Kangaroo – the name of an animal

Nouns that start with G

• Gains – achievement
• Glitter – a shiny material
• Gallon – a unit to measure fluids
• Groom – the male in a wedding
• Guitar – a musical instrument

Nouns that start with J

• Jim – a boy’s name
• Jawbone – a type of a bone 
• Jealousy – a negative emotion
• Jitter – a state of being nervous
• Juice – a fruit or vegetable extract in the form of a fluid
• Joe – a boy’s name

Nouns that start with F

• Fan – the name of a machine
• Fuschia – the representation of a color
• Function – an event
• Fun – state of enjoying oneself
• Felton – the surname of an individual

A noun that receives the action performed by the subject usually interacts with a direct object. When a noun that is the recipient of a direct object can also get referred to as an indirect object.

Pronouns can identify a person. Although, they do not identify a place or thing.

Proper nouns are words that note names, like “America” or “Sam.” Proper nouns refer to a place or name.

Yes, depending on how many there are (and countable or uncountable), will depend on how their plural form is used. Some nouns have a plural form identical to that of the singular: sheep/sheep.

A noun phrase functions in a clause or sentence to play the role of a subject, object, or complement of a verb or preposition.

Mass nouns are used after the words “a” or “an” or after a number.

“Courage” is a great example of an abstract noun. Courage cannot be seen or sensed. Although, we know that it exists.

Inside this article

Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

Core lessons

• Abstract Noun
• Accusative Case
• Active Sentence
• Alliteration
• Adjective Clause
• Adjective Phrase
• Adverbial Clause
• Appositive Phrase
• Body Paragraph
• Compound Adjective
• Complex Sentence
• Compound Words
• Compound Predicate
• Common Noun
• Comparative Adjective
• Comparative and Superlative
• Compound Noun
• Compound Subject
• Compound Sentence
• Copular Verb
• Collective Noun
• Colloquialism
• Conciseness
• Conditional
• Concrete Noun
• Conjunction
• Conjugation
• Conditional Sentence
• Comma Splice
• Correlative Conjunction
• Coordinating Conjunction
• Coordinate Adjective
• Cumulative Adjective
• Dative Case
• Declarative Statement
• Direct Object Pronoun
• Direct Object
• Dangling Modifier
• Demonstrative Pronoun
• Demonstrative Adjective
• Direct Characterization
• Definite Article
• Doublespeak
• Equivocation Fallacy
• Future Perfect Progressive
• Future Simple
• Future Perfect Continuous
• Future Perfect
• First Conditional
• Gerund Phrase
• Genitive Case
• Helping Verb
• Irregular Adjective
• Irregular Verb
• Imperative Sentence
• Indefinite Article
• Intransitive Verb
• Introductory Phrase
• Indefinite Pronoun
• Indirect Characterization
• Interrogative Sentence
• Intensive Pronoun
• Inanimate Object
• Indefinite Tense
• Infinitive Phrase
• Interjection
• Intensifier
• Indicative Mood
• Juxtaposition
• Linking Verb
• Misplaced Modifier
• Nominative Case
• Noun Adjective
• Object Pronoun
• Object Complement
• Order of Adjectives
• Parallelism
• Prepositional Phrase
• Past Simple Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Progressive Tense
• Present Simple Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• Personal Pronoun
• Personification
• Persuasive Writing
• Parallel Structure
• Phrasal Verb
• Predicate Adjective
• Predicate Nominative
• Phonetic Language
• Plural Noun
• Punctuation
• Punctuation Marks
• Preposition
• Preposition of Place
• Parts of Speech
• Possessive Adjective
• Possessive Determiner
• Possessive Case
• Possessive Noun
• Proper Adjective
• Proper Noun
• Present Participle
• Quotation Marks
• Relative Pronoun
• Reflexive Pronoun
• Reciprocal Pronoun
• Subordinating Conjunction
• Simple Future Tense
• Stative Verb
• Subjunctive
• Subject Complement
• Subject of a Sentence
• Sentence Variety
• Second Conditional
• Superlative Adjective
• Slash Symbol
• Topic Sentence
• Types of Nouns
• Types of Sentences
• Uncountable Noun
• Vowels and Consonants

Popular lessons

Stay awhile. Your weekly dose of grammar and English fun.

The world's best online resource for learning English. Understand words, phrases, slang terms, and all other variations of the English language.

• Abbreviations
• Editorial Policy

Use of cookies

Lund University uses cookies to ensure that the website functions properly and to improve your experience.

Read more in our cookie policy

• AWELU contents
• Writing at university
• Different kinds of student texts
• Understanding instructions and stylesheets
• Understanding essay/exam questions
• Peer review instructions
• Dealing with feedback
• Checklist for writers
• Research writing resources
• Administrative writing resources
• LU language policy
• Introduction
• What characterises academic writing?
• The heterogeneity of academic writing
• Three-part essays
• IMRaD essays
• How to get started on your response paper
• Student literature review
• Annotated bibliography
• Three versions of the RA
• Examples of specificity within disciplines
• Reviews (review articles and book reviews)
• Popular science writing
• Research posters
• Grant proposals
• Writing for Publication
• Salutations
• Structuring your email
• Direct and indirect approaches
• Useful email phrases
• Language tips for email writers
• Writing memos
• Meeting terminology
• The writing process
• Identifying your audience
• Using invention techniques
• Developing reading strategies
• Taking notes
• Identifying language resources
• Choosing a writing tool
• Framing the text: Title and reference list
• Structure of the whole text
• Structuring the argument
• Structure of introductions
• Structure within sections of the text
• Structure within paragraphs
• Signposting the structure
• Using sources
• What needs to be revised?
• How to revise
• Many vs. much
• Other quantifiers
• Quantifiers in a table
• Miscellaneous quantifiers
• Adjectives and adverbs
• Capitalisation
• Sentence fragment
• Run-on sentences
• What or which?
• Singular noun phrases connected by "or"
• Singular noun phrases connected by "either/or"
• Connected singular and plural noun phrases
• Noun phrases conjoined by "and"
• Subjects containing "along with", "as well as", and "besides"
• Indefinite pronouns and agreement
• Sums of money and periods of time
• Words that indicate portions
• Uncountable nouns
• Dependent clauses and agreement
• Agreement with the right noun phrase
• Some important exceptions and words of advice
• Atypical nouns
• The major word classes
• The morphology of the major word classes
• Words and phrases
• Elements in the noun phrase

Classes of nouns

• Determiners
• Elements in the verb phrase
• Classes of main verbs
• Auxiliary verbs
• Primary auxiliary verbs
• Modal auxiliary verbs
• Meanings of modal auxiliaries
• Marginal auxiliary verbs
• Time and tense
• Simple and progressive forms
• The perfect
• Active and passive voice
• Adjective phrases
• Adverb phrases
• Personal pronouns
• Dummy pronouns
• Possessive pronouns
• Interrogative pronouns
• Indefinite pronouns
• Quantifiers
• Prepositions and prepositional phrases
• More on adverbials
• The order of subjects and verbs
• Subject-Verb agreement
• Hyphen and dash
• English spelling rules
• Commonly confused words
• Differences between British and American spelling
• Vocabulary awareness
• Useful words and phrases
• Using abbreviations
• Register types
• Formal vs. informal
• DOs & DON'Ts
• General information on dictionary use
• Online dictionary resources
• What is a corpus?
• Examples of the usefulness of a corpus
• Using the World Wide Web as a corpus
• Online corpus resources
• Different kinds of sources
• The functions of references
• Paraphrasing
• Summarising
• Reference accuracy
• Reference management tools
• Different kinds of reference styles
• Style format
• Elements of the reference list
• Documentary note style
• Writing acknowledgements
• What is academic integrity?
• Academic integrity and writing
• Academic integrity at LU
• Different kinds of plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• About Awelu

• Start here AWELU contents Student writing resources Research writing resources Administrative writing resources LU language policy
• Genres Introduction The Nature of Academic Writing Student writing genres Writing in Academic Genres Writing for Publication Writing for Administrative Purposes
• Writing The writing process Pre-writing stage Writing stage Rewriting stage
• Language Introduction Common problems and how to avoid them Selective mini grammar Coherence Punctuation Spelling Focus on vocabulary Register and style Dictionaries Corpora - resources for writer autonomy References
• Referencing Introduction Different kinds of sources The functions of references How to give references Reference accuracy Reference management tools Using a reference style Quick guides to reference styles Writing acknowledgements
• Academic integrity What is academic integrity? Academic integrity and writing Academic integrity at LU Plagiarism

The head of a noun phrase

(1) the blue car that Lisa bought (2) the yellow car that is parked outside my office (3) a French car with four-wheel steering

Proper nouns and common nouns

• More on capitalisation

Countable and uncountable nouns

Partitive constructions.

(1) *many pork; *quite a few pork; or *a large number of pork.

(2) much pork; a large amount of pork; or lots of pork.

(3) a bottle of water; a clap of thunder; a grain of wheat; a slice of ham; a state of mind; a piece of bread; a box of chocolate; an act of violence

(4) seven bottles of water; six slices of ham; two boxes of chocolate

Uncountable/Countable nouns

(1) She had three beers yesterday . (2) This is actually a beer that I don't like.

Inherently plural nouns

(4) My new jeans are Italian. (5) We have to buy Peter new pyjamas , since his old ones are worn out. (6) In this experiment, headphones are to be used. (7) The ship's doctor made use of tweezers to remove the foreign object. (8) The minutes were kept by Sheila. (9) The goods have been exported to Germany. (10) All our valuables have been stolen. (11) The police are investigating the case. (12) There were hundreds of police present in Stockholm in connection with the royal wedding.

(13) Do you know how many people are here? (14) The cattle were seen grazing in the field. (15) We do not want vermin in our house, but they are here anyway.

Inherent plurals

This may not seem so problematic at first sight. Sometimes we use the corresponding nouns in much the same way in Swedish. This is the case with jeans , for instance which requires a plural adjective in Swedish:

(1) Mina nya jeans var inte dyra .

This is often explained by the fact that jeans , trousers ('byxor'), tights , etc. somehow consist of two parts. The Swedish noun pyjamas , however, is different from its English counterpart, in spite of the fact that pyjamas traditionally consist of two parts. In Swedish we get (2), while the corresponding English sentence would be (3):

(2) Jag måste köpa honom en ny pyjamas . (3) I must buy him new pyjamas .

In other words, we cannot use * a new pyjamas , since pyjamas is always plural in English.

Headphones corresponds to Swedish hörlurar , which is also normally plural, even though (4) is fully grammatical:

(4) Min ena hörlur är trasig .

The Swedish word corresponding to the English tweezers is pincett . This noun is not plural in Swedish, even though it can be said to consist of two parts. It seems as if this rule or tendency (i.e. that nouns that denote objects that consist of two parts are treated as plural) is stronger in English than in Swedish. This means, for instance, that (5) does not correspond to (6) or (7), but to (8):

(5) Jag behöver en pincett nu. (6) *I need a tweezers now. (7) *I need a tweezer now. (8) I need (some) tweezers now.

Even though minutes is plural in English, the corresponding Swedish word protokoll is a regular noun that can be either singular or plural:

(9) Protokollet var välskrivet . (10) Protokollen hade inte blivit justerade .

Goods corresponds to Swedish varor . However, in Swedish it is perfectly normal to use the singular vara (11), while good is not normally used in the singular in English (12):

(11) Jag letar efter en viss vara . (12) *I'm looking for a certain good .

However, in the field of economics, the singular good is actually used, as in the authentic (13):

(13) Money is a good that acts as a medium of exchange in transactions. Classically it is said that money acts as a unit of account, a store of value, and a medium of exchange. Most authors find that the first two are nonessential properties that follow from the third. In fact, other goods are often better than money at being intertemporal stores of value, since most monies degrade in value over time through inflation or the overthrow of governments ( https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-money-in-economics-p2-1146354 , emphasis by AWELU).

Just like valuables is plural in English, värdesaker is plural in Swedish. The singular värdesak is normally not used in Swedish, even though it occurs. So does in fact the singular valuable in English, but this, too, is rather infrequent.

Finally in this subsection we have some nouns that do not end in a plural -s, but which are problematic because they are always plural, often in a collective or generic sense. For instance, when we use the police , we normally refer to the whole police force, and when we talk about people , we often talk about people in general.

It is important, however, that we understand that there is a clear difference between being uncountable and being inherently plural with a (typically) collective/generic meaning. Grammatically, the most important difference is that while uncountable nouns always take singular subject-verb agreement, plural nouns always take plural agreement.

Even though these nouns are inherently plural and collective in English, this need not be the case in other languages, such as Swedish. For instance while (14) is fully grammatical in Swedish, (15) is not possible to use in English. Instead we have to use (16):

(14) Polisen var ung och stilig. (15) *The police was young and handsome. (16) The policeman was young and handsome.

Nouns in -ics

(16) Statistics is becoming increasingly popular among our students. (17) Mathematics is an integral part of our culture. (18) Western economics has tended not to be influenced by theories from other parts of the world.

(19) These statistics show that our production of beef has almost doubled. (20) The acoustics of the new concert hall are very lively.

Zero plurals

(21) My sheep is black. (22) My sheep are black.

Foreign plurals

(23) These data show that our initial assumption was right. (24) The media have become more interested in environmental issues.

Home — Essay Samples — Science — English Language — Nouns in the English Language

Nouns in The English Language

• Categories: English Language

About this sample

Words: 2272 |

12 min read

Published: Apr 11, 2019

Words: 2272 | Pages: 5 | 12 min read

• Proper and common nouns
• Personal names (both first names like Diana and Chris, as well as surnames like Popescu);
• Nationalities (the Japanese, the British)
• Languages (English, Romanian, Spanish);
• Titles (Mr. John, Miss Deborah, Mrs. Kerry, Dr. Smith, Queen Elisabeth, Lord Byron, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sergent Jackson, Professor Bright);
• Animals (Spot, Missy);
• Calendar items (January, Monday, Christmas);
• Geographical names like:
• continents (Europe, Africa)
• countries (the United States of America, Greece)
• rivers, lakes, oceans, seas (the Black Sea, the Danube, Lake Michigan)
• mountains (the Alps) and so on.
• Celestial bodies (the Moon, Venus)
• Cardinal points, when they are not used geographically (North, West);
• Institutions (the European Union, the National Theatre, the British Museum);
• Newspapers, titles of books, magazines (the Guardian, Vogue, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
• Countable and uncountable nouns
• it has a plural form (girl – girls, table - tables);
• it can be preceded by the indefinite article a/an (a cat, an argument);
• it can be preceded by How many or (a) few (How many pencils have you got?; My cousin has a few books);
• it can be preceded by numbers (one pencil box with three rulers).
• it has not a plural form (sugar, silver, blood);
• it cannot be preceded by the indefinite article a/an (Such fine weather!);
• it can be preceded by How much or (a) little (How much honey do you want?; My parents have little furniture);
• it cannot be preceded by numbers.
• liquids (water, oil, milk);
• gas (air, oxygen, steam);
• food (spaghetti, butter, soup, bread, cheese, cookery, food, meat, toast );
• abstract ideas (chaos, advice, education, fun, gossip, hospitality, information, knowledge, luck, news, nonsense, patience, progress, strength, stuff );
• subjects / fields (mathematics, art, politics, poetry, vocabulary);
• mass nouns (hair, transportation, furniture, grass, money);
• grain and powder (sugar, rice, sand);
• natural phenomena (rain, snow, darkness, lightning, sunshine, thunder);
• sports (football, chess, poker);
• activities (reading, swimming, working, dancing, laughter, leisure, shopping, smoking, spelling, work);
• feelings (sadness, anger, courage, happiness, jealousy);
• states of being (adulthood, power, sleep, stress, safety, stupidity, violence, wealth).
• Concrete and abstract nouns; collective nouns

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Science

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

5 pages / 2195 words

2 pages / 1082 words

6 pages / 2811 words

8 pages / 3815 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on English Language

What i learned in english class? I’ve learned many things through the course of this class: how to write a good essay, how to get batter at some essays I’ve already written in the past. I’ve learned how to locate my resources to [...]

Old English literature holds a significant place in the historical and cultural heritage of the English language. Understanding and accurately translating Old English texts is crucial for scholars and students alike, as it [...]

The English language is widely regarded as the global lingua franca, serving as a common means of communication for people from diverse linguistic backgrounds. However, despite its widespread use, the English language presents a [...]

Throughout my college journey, I have had the pleasure of taking various classes that have enriched my academic experience. However, one class, in particular, stands out from the rest - my English class. This course has not only [...]

In English language there are eight parts of speech and they are: Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The parts of speech show the function of a word in context of its meaning and [...]

Poetry is one of the most important and powerful forms of writing because it takes the English language, a language we believe we know, and transforms it. Suddenly the words do not sound the same or mean the same. The pattern of [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• AI Title Generator
• Poem Title Generator
• Book Title Generator
• YouTube Title Generator
• Essay Title Generator
• Title Rewriter
• Title Capitalization
• Sentence & Paragraph Rewriter
• Essay Writer
• Book Title Wizard
• Character Name Generator
• Name Generators
• Pokemon Name Generator
• Character Backstory Generator
• Song Generator
• Poem Generator
• Word Search Puzzles
• Ideation Articles
• Random Topic Generator
• Writing Prompt Generator
• Random Essay Title Generator
• Writing Articles
• Online Word Counter
• Online Grammar Checker
• Headline Analyzer
• Best Book Writing Software and Book Writing Apps
• 150 Best Resources for Writers
• Productivity
• English Language
• Grammar Tips
• Headline Analyzer Tool
• Title Capitalization Rules
• For WordPress
• Publishing Articles
• Email Marketing
• Book Articles
• How to Get A Book Published
• Best Literary Agencies
• How To Self Publish a Book

Common Nouns (With Types & Examples!)

We use common nouns daily, but what exactly are they, and why do you need to know the different types and their differences? Our guide is here to explain.

Table of Contents

What Are Common Nouns?

A common noun can refer to a person, thing, or place. It comes in a more generic form, meaning the noun does not give specific details about its nature. 

Tip:  You can tell if a word is a common noun by its generic classification, lowercase spelling, and if you can use limiting modifiers. A common noun is helpful if you must create a broader context for your novel or essay. 

Examples of Common Nouns

• I heard that  the TV show  was canceled.
• The  city  is always so busy in the morning.
• The  girl  is not a fan of that  restaurant .
• The  book  seemed to drag on forever.
• That  district  is popular with tourists.
• There were many people in the  park  today.
• Violent crime is a problem throughout that  nation .
• The  street  was in dire need of repair.
• This  town  is always quiet after dark.
• That  country  is known for its many tourist destinations.
• Random Noun Generator
• 26 Funny Nouns You Should Start Using
• Nouns That Start With A
• Nouns That Start With C
• Nouns That Start With E
• Nouns That Start With G
• Nouns That Start With I
• Nouns That Start With N
• Nouns That Start With M
• Nouns That Start With S

Common vs. Proper Nouns: What’s the Difference?

A common noun is a general classification of something, while a proper noun is a specific manner of classifying something.

For instance, the word “cat” is a common noun since it is a generalized term. However, if you are talking about your cat Simba, the name Simba is a proper noun.

Another example is “TV show.” It does not tell us which TV show is referenced, so it is a common noun. But if you are talking about a specific TV show like  Supernatural , the title of the show is a proper noun.

Tip:  Amazingly, not every common noun will have a proper noun to go along with it. When in doubt, remember that proper nouns are always capitalized, whereas common nouns are in lowercase. 

Common Countable Nouns

As its name suggests, countable nouns are people, places, or things you can count. They can appear in either singular or plural form. A determiner in the “a” or “an” form can precede a countable noun. You can also use numbers, for example, “two cats” or “three cats.”

• Guitar 
• Apple 
• Stranger 
• Orange 
• Shirt 
• Island 

Common Uncountable Nouns

Common uncountable nouns do not have a concrete or finite number. Mass nouns and emotions are often uncountable.  

For example, the noun “information” falls under this type because you cannot count it. 

There is never an “a/an” article preceding it, nor does it have a plural “s” ending. In other words, there is no way of quantifying it. 

Tip: Depending on the statement’s context, you can use a partitive structure, which uses quantity + measure word. For instance, coffee is an uncountable noun, but adding two (quantity) + cups (measure word) allows you to determine the amount of coffee . 

• Information 
• Furniture 
• Transportation 
• Oxygen 
• Chewing gum 
• Weather 
• Chaos 

Common Collective Nouns

You use common collective nouns to group certain people, places, or things. Most collective nouns are common, although some can be proper nouns. For example, an “army” is a collective noun used to describe a group of ants. 

Tip:  Collective nouns are treated as singular. For instance, you don’t say,  The army  are  preparing for the war.  If you use a grammar checker, it will underline “are” because it doesn’t agree with the subject. To correct it, you should use “is” instead. 

• Family 
• Staff 
• Flock 
• Tribe 
• Kennel 
• Heard 
• Group 
• Swarm 
• Choir 

Common Concrete Nouns

A common concrete noun can be a thing, place, or person you encounter using any of your five senses. If the word refers to something that cannot be seen, tasted, smelled, touched, or heard, it simply isn’t a concrete noun. 

Tip:  A concrete noun can be a proper or common noun. For example, you can see a ‘car’ (as a common noun) or a ‘Honda’ (as a proper noun), so either word is a concrete noun.

• Balloon 
• Blender 
• Bucket 
• Drumset 
• Painting 
• Blouse 
• Paper 

Common Abstract Nouns

Common abstract nouns are the complete opposite of concrete nouns. You cannot see, touch, smell, taste, or hear them. Instead, they describe a feeling, idea, or quality. “Love” is an abstract noun since it describes a feeling you cannot see. You can, however, make associations based on the word “love.” 

Tip:  Proper nouns cannot be abstract.

• Compassion 
• Confidence 
• Hatred 
• Horror 
• Maturity 
• Hatefulness
• Satisfaction 
• Happiness 
• Loneliness 
• Opinion 

Common Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns show ownership of something and often have an apostrophe s (‘s) ending. Almost any type of noun – including abstract nouns – can be possessive. An example of a common possessive noun is “cat’s,” which shows the cat possesses something. 

To further illustrate this, consider this sentence: 

The cat’s collar was a splendid shade of purple. 

In this sentence, we have a common noun (cat) that is in possessive form when talking about its collar.

Tip:  If the noun is plural or ends with an “s,” the apostrophe is after the letter the S. In singular form, you should place the apostrophe before the S. 

• Cat’s collar 
• Women’s shoes 
• Children’s dolls 
• Dog’s house 
• Car’s engine 

Common Compound Nouns 

Common compound nouns consist of two words that can be:

• Two nouns 
• A verb and a noun
• Adjective and a noun 
• Preposition and a noun 
• Verb + preposition 

Here are some examples: 

• Hallway 
• Lunchtime 
• Sweatshirt 

List of Common Nouns

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Flier or Flyer: What’s the Correct Spelling?

PDA Meaning: What Does It Mean?

Gist Meaning: What Is Gist?

Et al. Meaning: What Does It Mean and How to Use It?

Colloquial Meaning: What Does It Mean?

OG Meaning: What Does It Mean?

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Accessibility

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

Types of Nouns in English with Examples

Nouns are an essential part of the English language, as they help us to identify and label people, places, things, and ideas. There are several types of nouns in English, each with its unique characteristics. Whether you’re a student or just looking to improve your English language skills, understanding the different types of nouns will help you communicate more effectively. In this article, we will explore the different types of nouns and provide examples to help clarify their meanings. So let’s get started!

Table of Contents

What are Nouns?

A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. It’s like a naming word that gives a name to anything we can see, touch, hear, or even think about. It can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. Nouns are essential in any language as they help us communicate about the world around us.

• Person: Nouns can name people, like “Sarah,” “teacher,” “friend,” or “doctor.” These words help us talk about individuals and their roles in our lives.
• Place: When we talk about locations, we use nouns such as “city,” “park,” or “school.” Nouns help us describe where events happen.
• Thing: Nouns are also used for objects or things, such as “book,” “car,” or “toy.” They help us identify and discuss the stuff around us.
• Idea: Even abstract concepts or things we can’t touch, like “love,” “freedom,” or “happiness,” have nouns to represent them. Nouns make it possible for us to talk about thoughts and feelings.

Examples of Nouns:

• Person: Sarah, teacher, doctor
• Place: Park, school, beach
• Thing: Car, book, computer
• Idea: Freedom, happiness, love

Nouns play a crucial role in constructing sentences and expressing thoughts. They can serve as the subject, object, or complement in a sentence. For instance, in the sentence “The cat (noun) sat on the mat (noun).” “cat” is the subject, and “mat” is the object.

Types of Nouns

1. common nouns:.

Common nouns are general names for people, places, things, or ideas. They are not specific and do not begin with a capital letter unless at the beginning of a sentence.

• Person: teacher, student
• Place: city, school
• Thing: book, table

2. Proper Nouns:

Proper nouns, on the other hand, are specific and unique. They always begin with a capital letter, designating particular individuals, places, or things.

• Person: John, Mary
• Place: Paris, Mount Everest
• Thing: Mona Lisa, iPhone

3. Concrete Nouns:

Concrete nouns are tangible and represent things that can be perceived through the senses. They bring our world to life.

• Person: baby, musician
• Place: beach, bakery
• Thing: puppy, chocolate

4. Abstract Nouns:

Abstract nouns, in contrast, represent concepts, feelings, or qualities that can’t be touched or seen. Examples include “love,” “happiness,” and “freedom.”

• Idea: freedom, courage
• Emotion: love, happiness
• Concept: democracy, justice

5. Countable  Nouns

Countable nouns can be quantified as individual units, and they can take both singular and plural forms.

• Singular: apple, car
• Plural: apples, cars

6. Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns, also known as mass nouns, represent things that cannot be counted as separate units.

• Uncountable: water, happiness

7. Collective Nouns:

Collective nouns refer to groups of people, animals, or things. They can be singular or plural depending on whether the emphasis is on the group as a whole or its individual members.

• People: team, family
• Animals: herd, flock
• Things: bunch, collection

8. Compound Nouns :

Compound nouns are formed by combining two or more words to create a new noun. Examples include “toothpaste,” “sunflower,” and “breakfast.”

• Noun + Noun: toothpaste, basketball
• Adjective + Noun: blackboard, blueberry

9. Possessive Nouns:

Possessive nouns show ownership or possession. They are often formed by adding an apostrophe and “s” (‘s) to the end of a noun. Examples include “Sarah’s car” and “the cat’s tail.”

• Singular Possessive: cat’s tail, girl’s book
• Plural Possessive: cats’ tails, girls’ books

10. Relative Nouns

Relative nouns introduce relative clauses in sentences and help connect ideas. Examples include “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “which,” and “that.”

• Who: The girl who sings well.
• Which: The book which I bought yesterday.
• That: The car that is parked outside.

11. Indefinite Nouns

Indefinite nouns refer to non-specific people or things and are often used with words like “some” or “any.”

• Somebody called while you were out.
• I don’t have any specific plans for the weekend.

12. Gerunds

Gerunds are verbs ending in -ing that function as nouns, representing activities or actions.

• Swimming is my favorite sport.
• I enjoy reading before bedtime.

Example Sentences

• I saw a bird in the tree.
• The sun sets in the west.
• My teacher is very kind.
• She owns a cute puppy .
• The clock ticked loudly.
• I want to buy a new phone .
• The flower bloomed in spring.
• My family and I went on vacation.
• The team celebrated their victory.
• The dog barked loudly in the park.
• Water is essential for life on Earth.
• Paris is known as the “City of Lights .
• Freedom is a fundamental human right.
• She wore a stunning gown to the party..
• The library is filled with interesting books .
• The team celebrated their victory with joy.
• Paris is famous for the iconic Eiffel Tower .

Types of Nouns Exercises

Q1. What type of noun is “mountain”?

• Common noun
• Proper noun
• Concrete noun
• Abstract noun

Q2. Identify the abstract noun in the following sentence: “His courage impressed everyone.”

Q3. Which noun is countable?

Q4. In the phrase “blackboard,” what type of noun is “black”?

Q5. Choose the proper noun in the options:

Q6. Identify the compound noun in the following: “Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun.”

Q7. Which sentence contains an uncountable noun?

• She has three cats.
• He drank some water.
• The children played with toys.
• I saw many birds in the sky.

Q8. What is the possessive noun in this phrase: “The teacher’s lesson was informative.”

• Teacher’s
• Informative

Q9. What does a possessive noun show?

• Ownership or possession
• Verb agreement

Q10. What type of noun is “freedom”?

• Collective noun
• c. Concrete noun
• a. Adjective
• a. Sunglasses
• b. He drank some water.
• a. Teacher’s
• b. Ownership or possession
• a. Abstract noun

Q1: What is a common noun?

A common noun is a general name for a person, place, thing, or idea. It doesn’t refer to any specific individual or item. Examples include “teacher,” “city,” and “book.”

Q2: Can you explain Concrete Nouns?

Concrete nouns refer to tangible, touchable things that appeal to our senses. Examples include “baby,” “beach,” and “puppy.”

Q3: What are Abstract Nouns?

Abstract nouns represent ideas, emotions, or concepts—things we can’t touch but deeply feel. Examples include “freedom,” “love,” and “democracy.”

Q4: What are compound nouns?

Compound nouns are formed by combining two or more words to create a new, specific entity. They can be a combination of two nouns, an adjective and a noun, or other combinations. Examples include “toothpaste,” “blackboard,” and “basketball.”

Q5: How do Countable Nouns differ from Uncountable Nouns?

Countable nouns can be counted individually and have both singular and plural forms (e.g., “apple” and “apples”). Uncountable nouns represent something as a whole and usually don’t have a plural form (e.g., “water” and “happiness”).

Q6: What is the distinction between Proper Nouns and Common Nouns?

Proper nouns are specific names for unique individuals, places, or things and always start with a capital letter (e.g., “John,” “Paris”). Common nouns are general names without specific identities (e.g., “person,” “city”).

Q7: What are the 8 types of nouns?

The eight types of nouns are:

• Common Nouns
• Proper Nouns
• Concrete Nouns
• Abstract Nouns
• Collective Nouns
• Countable Nouns
• Uncountable Nouns
• Compound Nouns

You May Also Like:

• 100 Abstract Nouns List in English
• Countable and Uncountable Nouns
• 500 Compound Words List in English
• 60 Examples of Compound Sentences
• Nouns Worksheets with Answers in English

12 Types of Nouns How many types of noun Types of Nouns Types of Nouns Exercises Types of Nouns in English Types of Nouns with Examples Types of nouns worksheet What are Nouns? What are the 8 types of nouns? What are the types of noun

Transitional Words and Phrases with Examples

Singular and Plural Nouns with Rules and Examples

Copyright © 2024 by englishan

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Privacy policy.

To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. %privacy_policy%

Add to Collection

Public collection title

Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples

The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples

Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.

Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type. 

In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about types of essays.

An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.

Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.

The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:

• The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
• The body presents your evidence and arguments
• The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance

The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.

Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.

The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.

A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.

Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.

A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.

Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.

Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.

A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.

Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.

Rhetorical analysis

A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.

The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.

The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.

The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Literary analysis

A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.

Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.

The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.

Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/essay-types/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write an argumentative essay | examples & tips, how to write an expository essay, how to write an essay outline | guidelines & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”