Nouns are usually things, people, names or places, but do not have to be tangible, and can be abstract in nature (such as a concept). Examples:

sea (a common noun), brother (a common noun), Sarah (a proper noun), New York (a proper noun), honesty (a common noun)

Proper nouns (as opposed to common nouns) are a specific name, so are always capitalised.

Because nouns have so many types, they constitute a large part of the English language. And because the subject of a sentence is always a noun, and a sentence always needs a subject, a noun is found in every English sentence.

Types of common nouns

Generally speaking, common nouns can be sub-divided into the following categories:

1. Concrete nouns – nouns that can be seen, heard or visualised. Examples:

I saw a swan. She was listening to a song.

2. Abstract nouns – usually ideas, concepts or processes that cannot be visualised. Examples:

Honesty is a virtue. The benefits of capitalism are clear.

3. Collective nouns – nouns that express a group of something. Examples:

There are 12 people in my team. Elephants live in a herd.

4. Singular nouns. Examples:

A man. A dog. An idea.

5. Plural nouns. Examples:

Men, dogs, Ideas.

Note that some words are already plural (men in the above case), so the original singular noun is not used with an s (so never mens).

6. Uncountable nouns. Examples:

Water, love, chocolate.

Note that uncountable nouns can be made countable by adding another noun. Example:

A glass of water. An act of love. A bar of chocolate.

Nouns as subjects, objects and complements

Subjects, objects and complements to these within clauses and sentences are always nouns. If an action is being used as a subject of a sentence, then that action is converted into a gerund (-ing form of the verb). Examples:

Martin is a fine dancer. (Martin is the subject and dancer is the subject complement.)

Fishing is a fun activity. (Fishing is the subject, and because it is an action, it must be a gerund.)

Tina has two brothers. (Tina is the subject and brothers are the object.)

Jan took the plane to Madrid. (Jan is the subject, plane is the object and Madrid is the indirect object.)

Appositive nouns

Appositive nouns are nouns that immediately proceed another noun to define it more clearly. Example:

My dog, Bruno, is a Labrador.

Compound nouns

Compound nouns are nouns that are comprised of two nouns, with the first noun further defining the noun. Example:

Seatbelt, powerhose, hairbrush

Pronouns and possessives

Often when a noun is obvious it is replaced by a pronoun. Pronouns can be the subject, object, possessive or even reflexive. Furthermore, both common and proper nouns can be made possessive by adding ‘s. Examples:

I don’t enjoy Latin. It is a difficult subject – subject pronoun

Tony is a good guy, I like him – object pronoun

It’s not your pen, it’s my pen (or mine) – possessive pronoun

Paul and Trevor are always hurting themselves – reflexive pronoun

That is Sheila’s bicycle – possessive noun.

Quick tips for recognising and using nouns

Ask whether the word names a person, place, thing, idea or event. If you can make it the subject or object of a sentence, or put determiners like a, an or the in front of it, it’s very likely a noun. Actions used as subjects usually appear as gerunds (the -ing form).

For plurals, most nouns add -s or -es, but watch for irregular forms (child → children, mouse → mice). Possessives use ‘s for singular owners (the cat’s bowl) and s’ for plural owners that already end in s (the girls’ backpacks).

• Countable vs uncountable: use many/few with countables and much/little with uncountables; convert uncountables with measure words (a cup of tea).
• Collective nouns name groups; verb agreement can be singular or plural depending on whether the group is considered as one unit or as individuals.
• Compound nouns can be written as one word, hyphenated, or two words-check common usage for each case.

FAQ

Can abstract ideas be nouns?

Yes. Words for feelings, qualities and concepts (honesty, freedom, love) are nouns even though they aren’t tangible objects.

How do I form the possessive of a name ending in s?

Either add ‘s (James’s book) or just an apostrophe (James’ book) depending on style guidance; both are widely accepted, but be consistent.

When should a collective noun take a singular or plural verb?

Use a singular verb when the group acts as a single unit (The team wins) and a plural verb when members act individually (The team are wearing their own shirts).

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