Nouns are the most important blocks of any language learning and English grammar learning. Nouns are the first things that people consider learning while trying to learn any new language. Do you know the English language comprises more nouns than any other type of word?
Introduction to Nouns
A noun is a word that refers to a person, place, thing, or idea. It is one of the basic blocks for how we relate to things around us. The other important block is verbs. They tell us what nouns actually do. Some of the examples are:
Person: sister, brother, prime minister, employee
Place: room, city, Asia, continent
Thing: hat, bottle, chair, table, ball
Idea: honesty, fear, kindness, friendship, truth
A noun that describing an idea, feeling, state or property is called an abstract noun.
How to Recognize Nouns?
Few tips to find the nouns in a sentence.
- – Nouns usually come after an article (a, an, the):
a cup, an automobile, the dry clean - – Nouns may be the plural forms of other singular nouns:
dogs– doga, tree – trees - – A noun might end with -‘s. That indicates it is the possessive form of the noun: professor – professor’s, girl – girl’s
- – Words that end in -ment, -hood, -dom, -cy, -ist, -ity, -ice, -ness, -tion, -sion, -ence, -ance, or -ism are nouns. They are originally made from other words. For example: justice, sadness, provision, guidance.
Types of Nouns
There are several types of nouns
- – Nouns that name specific people or things. They are called proper nouns. For example: David, Indian Ocean
- – Nouns that cannot be counted. They are known as non-countable nouns. For example: salt, water
- – Nouns that belong to a group of things are called collective nouns. For example: company, team
- – The words that can join to make one noun are usually known as compound nouns. For example: Cricket, father-in-law
Nouns can change their form. Nouns can assign to one thing (singular nouns). They can change their form to refer to more than one thing (plural nouns). Nouns can possess other things (possessive nouns). This is also explained by changing form.