Unit - 1
Nouns
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Definition of Nouns
1.3 Noun and Noun Phrase
1.4 Kinds of Nouns
1.4.1 Proper nouns
1.4.2 Common nouns
1.4.3 Collective nouns
1.4.4 Material nouns
1.4.5 Abstract nouns
1.5 Nouns: Countability
1.5.1 Coun table nouns
1.5.2 Uncountable nouns
1.6 Nouns: Gender
1.6.1 Masculine and Feminine forms
1.6.2 Common/dual gender
1.7 Conclusion
1.8 Unit End Questions
1
,1.0 Objectives
This unit will give you a fairly good idea about the most common of the parts of
speech – Nouns. In Hindi you call them सं7ा
1.1 Introduction
Nouns are naming words. Every language has its own set of nouns and the list is
open ended i.e. newer nouns one added to the older ones with the changing times.
1.2 Definition of Nouns
A Nouns is the name of a person place or thing. A thing includes a quality (fear) a
material (gold), a collection (herd, army), a state (adherence) and an action (cheat,
mock, movement)
1.3 Noun and Noun Phrase
A noun is often called a' noun phrase. A noun phrase can be a single-word noun:
Teachers love their pupils. (noun phrase: teacher)
But a noun phrase is usually longer than a single word because it consists of an
adjective or a determiner plus a noun.
A good teacher loves his pupils. (noun phrase: a good teacher)
1.4 Kinds of Nouns
Nouns can be classified into five kinds:
1. Proper nouns
2. Common nouns
3. Collective nouns
4. Material nouns
5. Abstract nouns
2
,1.4.1 Proper nouns
A proper noun is the name of a particular person or thing, i.e. a name used for an
individual person or place, river, or mountain etc.:
Mary, Rahul, Godavari, India, Everest
1.4.2 Common nouns
A common noun refers to any and every person or thing of the same kind or class,
not to a particular person or thing:
cow, dog, girl, boy, man, woman
Common nouns Proper nouns
girl Latha
dog Rover
man Aslam
1.4.3 Collective nouns
A collective noun is the name of a collection, group of people, or things of the
same kind: class, team, government jury, federation
1.4.4 Material nouns
A material noun is the name of a material, substance, or ingredient things are made
of. They can be articles of food or drink as well:
iron, copper, steel, gold, coal, silver, rice, wheat, milk, water, tea, sugar
Note: A material noun is a type of common noun but a distinction is made between
the two. A common noun is usually a countable noun but a material noun is an
uncountable noun.
The cow gives us milk.
Cow is a common noun (countable), but milk is a material noun (uncountable).
1.4.5 Abstract nouns
An abstract noun is the name of a quality, state, or concept:
beauty, sweetness, childhood, love
3
, Note: Concrete nouns are names of material things, i.e. things having a material
form, shape or size. Abstract nouns are the names of qualities found in various
kinds of objects. Since they have no material form, they cannot be seen or touched.
We can know of them only through our mind:
Concrete nouns Abstract nouns
sugar weetness
book beauty
milk hatred
Patna fear
We can see sugar but cannot see sweetness, so sugar is a concrete noun and
sweetness an abstract noun. In short, concrete nouns refer to physical properties
and abstract nouns to mental roperties.
1.5 Nouns: Countability
Nouns are of two kinds from the viewpoint of countability:
a) Countable nouns b) Uncountable nouns
1.5.1 Cou table nouns
Nouns that can be counted are called countable nouns:
a book one book two books
an egg one egg two eggs
Generally a noun used in answer to the question how many? is a countable noun:
How many films did you watch?
I watched six films.
How many flights are there from here to Delhi?
There are only two flights.
Note: Common nouns and collective nouns are by and large countable.
1.5.2 Uncountable nouns
Nouns that cannot be counted are called uncountable nouns:
4
Nouns
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Definition of Nouns
1.3 Noun and Noun Phrase
1.4 Kinds of Nouns
1.4.1 Proper nouns
1.4.2 Common nouns
1.4.3 Collective nouns
1.4.4 Material nouns
1.4.5 Abstract nouns
1.5 Nouns: Countability
1.5.1 Coun table nouns
1.5.2 Uncountable nouns
1.6 Nouns: Gender
1.6.1 Masculine and Feminine forms
1.6.2 Common/dual gender
1.7 Conclusion
1.8 Unit End Questions
1
,1.0 Objectives
This unit will give you a fairly good idea about the most common of the parts of
speech – Nouns. In Hindi you call them सं7ा
1.1 Introduction
Nouns are naming words. Every language has its own set of nouns and the list is
open ended i.e. newer nouns one added to the older ones with the changing times.
1.2 Definition of Nouns
A Nouns is the name of a person place or thing. A thing includes a quality (fear) a
material (gold), a collection (herd, army), a state (adherence) and an action (cheat,
mock, movement)
1.3 Noun and Noun Phrase
A noun is often called a' noun phrase. A noun phrase can be a single-word noun:
Teachers love their pupils. (noun phrase: teacher)
But a noun phrase is usually longer than a single word because it consists of an
adjective or a determiner plus a noun.
A good teacher loves his pupils. (noun phrase: a good teacher)
1.4 Kinds of Nouns
Nouns can be classified into five kinds:
1. Proper nouns
2. Common nouns
3. Collective nouns
4. Material nouns
5. Abstract nouns
2
,1.4.1 Proper nouns
A proper noun is the name of a particular person or thing, i.e. a name used for an
individual person or place, river, or mountain etc.:
Mary, Rahul, Godavari, India, Everest
1.4.2 Common nouns
A common noun refers to any and every person or thing of the same kind or class,
not to a particular person or thing:
cow, dog, girl, boy, man, woman
Common nouns Proper nouns
girl Latha
dog Rover
man Aslam
1.4.3 Collective nouns
A collective noun is the name of a collection, group of people, or things of the
same kind: class, team, government jury, federation
1.4.4 Material nouns
A material noun is the name of a material, substance, or ingredient things are made
of. They can be articles of food or drink as well:
iron, copper, steel, gold, coal, silver, rice, wheat, milk, water, tea, sugar
Note: A material noun is a type of common noun but a distinction is made between
the two. A common noun is usually a countable noun but a material noun is an
uncountable noun.
The cow gives us milk.
Cow is a common noun (countable), but milk is a material noun (uncountable).
1.4.5 Abstract nouns
An abstract noun is the name of a quality, state, or concept:
beauty, sweetness, childhood, love
3
, Note: Concrete nouns are names of material things, i.e. things having a material
form, shape or size. Abstract nouns are the names of qualities found in various
kinds of objects. Since they have no material form, they cannot be seen or touched.
We can know of them only through our mind:
Concrete nouns Abstract nouns
sugar weetness
book beauty
milk hatred
Patna fear
We can see sugar but cannot see sweetness, so sugar is a concrete noun and
sweetness an abstract noun. In short, concrete nouns refer to physical properties
and abstract nouns to mental roperties.
1.5 Nouns: Countability
Nouns are of two kinds from the viewpoint of countability:
a) Countable nouns b) Uncountable nouns
1.5.1 Cou table nouns
Nouns that can be counted are called countable nouns:
a book one book two books
an egg one egg two eggs
Generally a noun used in answer to the question how many? is a countable noun:
How many films did you watch?
I watched six films.
How many flights are there from here to Delhi?
There are only two flights.
Note: Common nouns and collective nouns are by and large countable.
1.5.2 Uncountable nouns
Nouns that cannot be counted are called uncountable nouns:
4
