Meaning and Types of Noun — with Clear Examples and Example Sentences
WHAT IS A NOUN?
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.
It answers the questions “Who?” or “What?”
Examples – boy, teacher, Lagos, table, dog, love, happiness
Example Sentences
1. The boy is playing football.
2. Lagos is a big city.
3. I love music.
TYPES OF NOUN
There are 5 main types of nouns (sometimes grouped into more in advanced grammar). Let’s go through each type with examples and sentences
1. PROPER NOUN
A Proper Noun is the name of a specific person, place, or thing. It always begins with a capital letter.
Examples: John, Nigeria, Christmas, Samsung
Sentences:
John is my best friend.
We live in Nigeria.
Christmas comes in December.
2. COMMON NOUN
A Common Noun is a general name for a person, place, or thing. It does not begin with a capital letter (unless at the start of a sentence).
Examples: boy, city, car, dog, teacher
Sentences:
The boy is running.
My teacher is kind.
The dog is barking.
3. COLLECTIVE NOUN
A Collective Noun names a group of people, animals, or things considered as one.
Examples: team, family, flock, class, crowd
Sentences:
1. The team won the match.
2. My family is large.
3. A flock of birds flew over the house.
4. BSTRACT NOUN
An Abstract Noun names an idea, feeling, or quality — something you cannot see or touch.
Examples: love, honesty, happiness, courage, wisdom
Sentences:
1. Honesty is the best policy.
2. Love brings people together.
3. We must show courage in hard times.
5. CONCRETE NOUN
A Concrete Noun is something you can see, touch, taste, hear, or smell.
Examples: apple, car, music, chair, flower
Sentences:
1. She ate an apple.
2. The car is red.
3. The flower smells sweet.
BONUS TYPES (Sometimes Taught in Schools)
| Type | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Countable Noun | Can be counted (uses a, an, or numbers). | apple, car, book, pen |
| Uncountable Noun | Cannot be counted (no plural form). | water, sugar, rice, air |
Sentences:
I bought three books. (Countable)
Please give me some water. (Uncountable)
SUMMARY
A noun is a naming word — it tells who or what we are talking about. Every sentence usually contains at least one noun.
| Type of Noun | Definition | Examples | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Proper Noun | The name of a specific person, place, or thing. Always begins with a capital letter. | John, Nigeria, Christmas, Samsung | John is my best friend. We live in Nigeria. Christmas is in December. |
| 2. Common Noun | A general name for a person, place, or thing. It is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence. | boy, city, car, teacher | The boy is running. My teacher is kind. The dog barked loudly. |
| 3. Collective Noun | A word that names a group of people, animals, or things. | team, family, class, flock | The team won the match. My family is large. A flock of birds flew away. |
| 4. Abstract Noun | Names an idea, feeling, or quality that cannot be seen or touched. | love, honesty, courage, wisdom | Honesty is the best policy. Love unites people. She showed great courage. |
| 5. Concrete Noun | Names something you can see, touch, taste, hear, or smell. | apple, car, music, flower | She ate an apple. The car is red. The flower smells sweet. |
| 6. Countable Noun | Names things that can be counted; can be singular or plural. | book, pen, apple, chair | I bought three books. There is a chair in the room. |
| 7. Uncountable Noun | Names things that cannot be counted; no plural form. | water, rice, sugar, air | Please give me some water. Sugar is sweet. |
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