Noun: Definition, Types & Examples (2023)

A Noun is the name of a Place, Person, or thing. It comes under Parts of Speech, which we have studied in the syllabus of English Grammar. As we all know that Noun plays an important role in the formation of any sentence.

In simple words, we can also say Nouns or a word that is the name of something (as a person, animal, place, thing, quality, idea, or action) and that is typically used in a sentence as the subject or object of a verb or as an object of a preposition. It plays the role of subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, object complement, appositive, or adjective.

Noun Definition:-

“A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, state, or quality. It can be singular or plural. Nouns are a part of speech“

NounExamples

Here are some examples of nouns:-

• Place– Goa, Tajmahal, Sea, River,Planet, Farmhouse, Tourist place, etc.
• Person– John, Biographer, Cardiologist, Cameramen, Actress, Politicians, etc.
• Things– Grains, Rocks, Trees, Forest, Paper, Glass, Metals, Plastic, etc.
• Ideas– Revolution, Resolution, Invention, Conclusion, Argument, etc.

How are Nouns Used in Sentences?

Nouns can be used as a subject and a verb. The subject in a sentence refers to the person, place, or thing, while the verb describes an action that is being performed by the subject.

Nouns as Subjects

The subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that acts as an action of the verb.

For Example, in this sentence “The lion chased the goat,”

• “lion” is the subject of the verb “chased.”

Nouns as Objects

Nouns and pronouns act as a role of objects in a sentence, and both can also be direct and indirect objects in a sentence.

For Example, in this sentence “Raghav is a brilliant student”

• Raghav is a Subjective Noun and Student is an objective Noun.

Objects can be Direct or Indirect:

Nouns as a Direct Object

Noun or Pronoun as a direct object receives the action of the verb.

For Example, in this sentence

• “He gave the keys to her mother,” “keys” is the direct object of the verb “gave.”

Nouns as an Indirect Object

Noun or Pronoun as an indirect object is indirectly affected by the action of the verb, usually placed before the direct object.

For Example, in this sentence

• “He gave flowers to his mother,” “mother” is the indirect object of the verb “gave.”

Nouns as Subject and Object Complements

An object complement is a word or phrase that follows a direct object or renames it. Names, Professions, and Positions act as a role of an object complement.

For Example,

• “I painted the room, Green.”

In this sentence, “Green” is the object complement because it follows the direct object “the room” and describes it.

When a noun is used to describe another type of noun. A subject complement can be a noun or noun phrase.

For Example,

• “The cookies taste delicious.”

In this sentence, “delicious” is used as a subject complement because it follows the linking verb “taste” and describes the subject “Cookies.”

Types of Nouns

There are several types of Nouns in English grammar, here are some of the most common types:-

1. Proper Noun
2. Common Noun
3. Collective Noun
4. Material Noun
5. Abstract noun
6. Singular Noun
7. Plural Noun
8. Compound Noun
9. Countable Noun
10. Uncountable Noun

Let us discuss these types of Nouns in detail with examples:

Proper Noun

A Proper noun is a noun that indicates a specific person or thing that does not require a limiting modifier and is frequently capitalized. It denotes the name of a person, place, or thing.

Examples:

• “John” is a proper noun as it is the name of a specific person
• “Sydney” is a proper noun as it is the name of a specific place
• “Samsung” is a proper noun as it is the name of a specific brand
• “Lassie” is a proper noun as it is the name of a specific pet animal
• “The Eiffel Tower” is a proper noun as it is the name of a specific landmark
• “The New York Times” is a proper noun as it is the name of a specific newspaper

Facts:

• It’s always written in uppercase
• We never use a/an before it
• It has genders: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter

Common Noun

The common noun can be used with a limiting modifier to name a group of people or things, or any individual within that group. It denotes the quality possessed by all.

Examples:

• “Tree” – The tree in the front yard is over 100 years old.
• “Book” – I am reading a book about the history of India.
• “Dog” – My dog likes to chase after tennis balls.
• “City” – The city is planning to build a new park.
• “Lake” – We went swimming in the lake last weekend.
• “Person” – That person over there is my friend from college.
• “Car” – The car’s engine makes a strange noise when it starts up.

Facts:

• Common nouns are divided into countable and uncountable
• We always use a/ an before singular countable noun

Collective Noun

It denotes the collection of people, things, or animals.

Examples:

Collective nouns for groups of animals:

• A herd of cattle
• A flock of birds
• A pack of wolves
• A school of fish

Collective nouns for groups of people:

• A crowd of people
• A group of friends
• A team of athletes
• A gang of thieves

Collective nouns for things/objects:

• A pile of rocks
• A stack of books
• A bundle of sticks
• A cluster of grapes

Material Noun

A material noun refers to a material or substance that is used to make things. It denotes the base features of the materials.

Examples:

• “The desk was made of solid oak.” (oak is a material noun)
• “She wore a gold necklace to the party.” (gold is a material noun)
• “The bridge was constructed with steel girders.” (steel is a material noun)
• “He built a fire using dry branches and twigs.” (branches and twigs are material nouns)

Facts:

• We never use a/an before it because it is uncountable
• We never make the plural of it by adding s/es

Abstract Noun

A noun expressing anything immaterial and abstract defines an abstract noun. Another prevalent interpretation of abstract nouns is that they refer to entities that are not visible to the naked eye. It denotes mental state, feelings, and emotions. Abstract nouns cannot be seen, smelled, heard, tasted, or touched. Intangible entities that do not exist as physical objects are referred to as abstract nouns.

Examples:

• Love: She felt a deep love for her family.
• Courage: His courage in the face of adversity was admirable.
• Intelligence: She has a high level of intelligence.
• Success: His success in business was due to his hard work.

Facts:

• We never use a/an before it because it is uncountable
• We never make the plural of it by adding s/es
• Abstract nouns can be made from the conversion of verbs and adjectives

So, this was everything about the basic kinds of Nouns. However, the concepts related to Nouns have been discussed in a different article. Do refer to that article for a complete understanding of the topic.

Singular Noun

Singular Nouns are those Nouns that denote a single or one person, one place, or one thing. Let us understand it with some examples.

Examples:

• “The cat slept on the windowsill.” (Singular noun “cat” refers to one animal)
• “She read a novel before bed.” (Singular noun “novel” refers to one book)
• “He took a single cookie from the jar.” (Singular noun “cookie” refers to one baked good)
• “The apple was red and shiny.” (Singular noun “apple” refers to one piece of fruit)
• “The car needs an oil change.” (Singular noun “car” refers to one vehicle)
  

Facts:

• We use a/an before the Singular Noun.
• We can make the plural of it by adding s/es

So, Singular Noun is all about the quantity of Place, Person, or Thing, which counts will always be one. In other words, we can say that Singular Nouns mean only one Person, Place, or Thing.

Plural Noun

A Plural noun is a noun that indicates more than one Person, Place, or Thing that can be easily made Plural by adding easily s, es or making changes in the spelling of a Singular Noun.

Examples:

• “The dogs barked loudly.” (dogs is a plural noun)
• “She bought a dozen eggs.” (eggs is a plural noun)
• “The children played in the park.” (children is a plural noun)
• “We saw several deer in the woods.” (deer is a plural noun)

Facts:

• It’s always written in uppercase
• We never use a/an before it
• It has genders: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter

Compound Noun

A compound noun is simply made up of two or more word that comes together to form a noun i.e. Policeman, Greenhouse, Bluebird, Smartphone.

Examples:

• “Bookshelf” – The bookshelf was filled with old books.
• “Raincoat” – I am going to wear my raincoat because it’s going to rain.
• “Haircut” – He got a new haircut.
• “Bedroom” – I am going to sleep in my bedroom tonight.

Facts:

• It is not necessary that both words are Nouns.
• It is formed with the help of more than one part of speech.

Countable Noun

Countable Nouns are those nouns that can be easily counted. These nouns can be singular or plural.

Examples:

• “I have two cats.” (cats – countable noun)
• “She bought a loaf of bread.” (loaf – countable noun)
• “He owns several cars.” (cars – countable noun)
• “We need to buy some eggs.” (eggs – countable noun)
• “The class has only five students.” (students – countable noun)

Facts:

• We can use words like some, any, a few, many, and a number of, with countable Nouns.
• It can be singular and plural too.
• It can be preceded by the indefinite article a or an.
• It can also be preceded by a number.

Uncountable Noun

Uncountable Nouns are those Nouns that can’t be counted. These nouns are always in singular form but can’t be counted. Nouns like sugar, rice, water, hair, and stars.

Examples:

• “Information” – Can you provide me with more information about the project?
• “Water” – Water is essential for human survival.
• “Furniture” – The furniture in the room needs to be rearranged.
• “Luggage” – I can’t find my luggage at the baggage claim.

Possessive Noun

A possessive noun is a noun that shows ownership or possession of something. It is formed by adding an apostrophe + “s” to the noun.

Examples:

• The dog’s bone (shows that the bone belongs to the dog)
• The children’s toy (shows that the toy belongs to the children)
• The company’s profits (shows that the profits belong to the company)
• The teacher’s desk (shows that the desk belongs to the teacher)

Facts:

• Possessive nouns are formed by adding an apostrophe and the letter “s” to the noun, or just an apostrophe if the noun is already plural and ends in “s”.
• Possessive nouns can be singular or plural, and they can indicate possession by one person or thing or by multiple people or things.
• Possessive nouns can be used to indicate a relationship between two nouns, such as “the dog’s ball” (showing that the dog possesses the ball)
• Do not use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns such as “its”, “hers”, “yours”, “theirs”, “ours”, and “mine”.

Noun Phrases

A Noun Phrase means a group of words that acts as a Noun. There are 4 types of Noun phrases-

• Determiners: A, my, the, his, her, etc.
• Possessive Determiners: Your, My, His, Her, etc.
• Quantifiers: Some, More, All, Few, etc.
• Numerals: One, Two, Three, Four, etc.

Examples:

• “The red sports car” – The noun phrase is “the red sports car” and it is used as the subject of the sentence “The red sports car is fast.”
• “The little girl with the curly hair” – The noun phrase is “the little girl with the curly hair” and it is used as the subject of the sentence “The little girl with the curly hair is singing a song.”
• “My favorite book” – The noun phrase is “my favorite book” and it is used to indicate possession in the sentence “I am reading my favorite book.”
• “The city of Paris” – The noun phrase is “the city of Paris” and it is used as the subject of the sentence “The city of Paris is known for its art and culture.”

Proper Noun vs. Common Noun

FAQs on Noun

Q1. What is the definition of a noun?

Answer:

A Noun can be defined as a Place, Person or Thing. For Example– City, Sea, Paper, Wood, Laptop, Plastic, Iron etc. are known as Noun.

Q2. How many types of nouns are there?

Answer:

There are Ten Types of Nouns, which are-

1. Proper Noun – Agra, Abhinav, Aluminium etc.
2. Common Noun – Priest, People, Girls, Boys, Metals, Capitals etc.
3. Collective Noun – Common People, Analog watch, Gold ring, etc.
4. Material Noun – Sugar, Sand, Fertilizers, Honey, Cardboard etc.
5. Abstract noun – Love, Hate, Compassion, Forgiveness, etc.
6. Singular Noun – Woman, Child, Boy, Girl, Man, Wife, Knife etc.
7. Plural Noun – Women, Children, Boys, Men, Wives, Knives etc.
8. Compound Noun – Paperweight, Milkman, Tennis court etc.
9. Countable Noun – Eyes, Sun, Gifts, Papers, Floors, rods, etc.
10. Uncountable Noun – Hairs, Stars, Water, Milk, Feelings like Love, Hate etc.

(Video) Nouns | Types of Noun with Examples

Q3. What is the main function of Nouns?

Answer:

A Noun can also act as a verb and as an adjective too. For Example- Money is a Noun while Money-minded is an adjective.

Q4. What are the examples of Abstract Nouns?

Answer:

Improvement, Quality, Courage, Optimism, etc.

Q5. What’s the difference between a noun and a pronoun?

Answer:

A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea, while a pronoun is a word that replaces a noun.
Examples:

• Noun: “The cat” (cat is a noun)
• Pronoun: “it” (it is a pronoun that replace the noun cat)
• Noun: “The boy” (boy is a noun)
• Pronoun: “He” (he is a pronoun that replaces the noun boy)

Q6. What is the basic difference between a Countable and an Uncountable Noun?

Answer:

Countable Nouns can be Singular or Plural while Uncountable Nouns can’t be counted.

Q7. How do you identify a noun in a sentence?

Answer:

Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas. They can be identified by their role in a sentence, being preceded by articles or determiners, or by having a plural form.

Examples: “dog” in “The dog barked,” “John” and “store” in “John went to the store,” “book” in “She read an interesting book.”