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CHAPTER 5 - THE NOUN - KINDS OF NOUNS - NOTES AND EXERCISES

 

CHAPTER 5

THE NOUN: KINDS OF NOUNS

 

 NOUN

A Noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing.

Note: The word ‘thing’ is used to mean anything that we can think of.

 

Look at the following sentence:

Asoka was a wise king.

 

The noun ‘Asoka’ = a particular king, but the noun ‘king’ = any other king as well as Asoka.

We call Asoka = Proper Noun, and king = Common Noun.

 

Similarly:

Sita = Proper Noun, while girl = Common Noun.

Hari = Proper Noun, while boy = Common Noun.

Kolkata = Proper Noun, while city = Common Noun.

India = Proper Noun, while country = Common Noun.

 

The word girl = Common Noun, because it is a name common to all girls, while Sita = Proper Noun because it is the name of a particular girl.

 

COMMON NOUN

A Common Noun is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or kind.

[Common here means shared by all.]

 

PROPER NOUN

A Proper Noun is the name of some particular person or place,

[Proper means one's own. Hence a Proper Name is a person's own name.]

 

Note 1 - Proper Nouns are always written with a capital letter at the beginning.

Note 2 - Proper Nouns are sometimes used as Common Nouns; as,

 

1. He was the Lukman (= the wisest man) of his age.

2. Kalidas is often called the Shakespeare (= the greatest dramatist) of India.

 

Common Nouns include what are called Collective Nouns and Abstract Nouns.

 

COLLECTIVE NOUN

A Collective Noun is the name of a number (or collection) of persons or things taken together and spoken of as one whole; as,

Crowd, mob, team, flock, herd, army, fleet, jury, family, nation, parliament, committee.

A fleet = a collection of ships or vessels.

An army = a collection of soldiers.

A crowd = a collection of people.

The police dispersed the crowd.

The French army was defeated at Waterloo.

The jury found the prisoner guilty.

A herd of cattle is passing.

 

ABSTRACT NOUN

An Abstract Noun is usually the name of a quality, action, or state considered apart from the object to which it belongs; as.

Quality - Goodness, kindness, whiteness, darkness, hardness, brightness, honesty, wisdom, bravery.

Action - Laughter, theft, movement, judgment, hatred.

State - Childhood, boyhood, youth, slavery, sleep, sickness, death, poverty.

The names of the Arts and Science (e.g., grammar, music, chemistry, etc.) are also Abstract Nouns.

[We can speak of a brave soldier, a strong man, a beautiful flower. But we can also think of these qualities apart from any particular person or thing, and speak of bravery, strength, beauty by themselves. So also we can speak of what persons do or feel apart from the persons themselves, and give it a name. The word abstract means drawn off.]

 

Abstract Nouns are formed:

(1) From Adjectives; as,

Kindness from kind; honesty from honest.

[Most abstract nouns are formed thus.]

(2) From Verbs: as,

Obedience from obey; growth from grow.

(3) From Common Nouns; as,

Childhood from child; slavery from slave.

 

Another classification of nouns is whether they are “countable” or “uncountable”.

Countable nouns (or countables) are the names of objects, people, etc. that we can count,

e.g., book, pen, apple, boy, sister, doctor, horse.

Uncountable nouns (or Uncountables) are the names of things which we cannot count,

e.g., milk, oil, sugar, gold, honesty. They mainly denote substances and abstract things.

Countable nouns have plural forms while uncountable nouns do not.

For example, we say “books” but we cannot say “milks”.

 

 

Exercise in Grammar 3

Point out the Nouns in the following sentences, and say whether they are Common, Proper, Collective or Abstract:

1. The crowd was very big.

2. Always speak the truth.

3. We all love honesty.

4. Our class consists of twenty pupils.

5. The elephant has great strength.

6. Solomon was famous for his wisdom.

7. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

8. We saw a fleet of ships in the harbour.

9. The class is studying grammar.

10. The Godavari overflows its banks every year.

11. A committee of five was appointed.

12. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

13. The soldiers were rewarded for their bravery.

14. Without health there is no happiness.

15. He gave me a bunch of grapes.

16. I recognized your voice at once.

17. Our team is better than theirs.

18. Never tell a lie.

19. Wisdom is better than strength.

20. He sets a high value on his time.

21. I believe in his innocence.

22. This room is thirty feet in length.

23. I often think of the happy days of childhood.

24. The streets of some of our cities are noted for their crookedness.

25. What is your verdict, gentlemen of the jury?

 

 

ANSWERS:

1. The crowd was very big.

Ans: Crowd = collective

2. Always speak the truth.

Ans: truth = abstract

3. We all love honesty.

Ans: honesty = abstract

4. Our class consists of twenty pupils.

Ans: class = collective

Pupils = common

5. The elephant has great strength.

Ans: elephant = common

Strength = abstract

6. Solomon was famous for his wisdom.

Ans: Solomon = proper

Wisdom = abstract

7. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Ans: cleanliness = abstract

Godliness = abstract

8. We saw a fleet of ships in the harbour.

Ans: fleet = collective

Ships = common

Harbour = common

9. The class is studying grammar.

Ans: class = collective

Grammar = abstract

10. The Godavari overflows its banks every year.

Ans: Nile = proper

Bank = common

Year = common

11. A committee of five was appointed.

Ans: committee = collective

12. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

Ans: Jawaharlal Nehru = proper

Prime Minister = proper

India = proper

13. The soldiers were rewarded for their bravery.

Ans: soldiers = common

Bravery = abstract

14. Without health there is no happiness.

Ans: Health = abstract

Happiness = abstract

15. He gave me a bunch of grapes.

Ans: bunch = collective

Grapes = common

16. I recognized your voice at once.

Ans: voice = common

17. Our team is better than theirs.

Ans: team = collective

18. Never tell a lie.

Ans: lie = abstract

19. Wisdom is better than strength.

Ans: wisdom = abstract

20. He sets a high value on his time.

Ans: value = abstract; time = abstract

21. I believe in his innocence.

Ans: innocence = abstract

22. This room is thirty feet in length.

Ans: room = common; feet = common; length = abstract

23. I often think of the happy days of childhood.

Ans: days = common; childhood = abstract

24. The streets of some of our cities are noted for their crookedness.

Ans: streets = common; cities = common; crookedness = abstract

25. What is your verdict, gentlemen of the jury?

Ans: verdict = abstract; gentleman = common; jury = collective

 

 

Exercise in Composition 4

Write the Collective Nouns used to describe a number of

(1) Cattle;

(2) Soldiers;

(3) Sailors.

Ans:

Herd of cattle

Army of soldiers

Crew of sailors

 

Write the qualities that belong to boys who are

(1) Lazy;

(2) Cruel;

(3) Brave;

(4) Foolish.

Ans: laziness, cruelty, bravery, foolishness

 

 

Exercise in Composition 5

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Adjectives:

Long,

young,

humble,

decent, cruel,

bitter,

strong,

true,

short,

prudent,

dark,

deep,

wide,

wise,

good,

vacant,

sweet,

human,

broad,

free,

proud,

brave,

novel,

quick,

high,

poor,

just,

vain,

sane,

ignorant.

 

Ans:

Long = length

Young = youth

Humble = humility

Decent = decency

Cruel = cruelty

Bitter = bitterness

Strong = strength

True = truth

Short = shortness

Prudent = prudence

Dark = darkness

Deep = depth

Wide = width

Wise = wisdom

Good = goodness

Vacant = vacancy

Sweet = sweetness

Human = humanity

Broad = breadth

Free = freedom

Proud = pride

Brave = bravery

Novel = novelty

Quick = quickness

High = height

Poor = poorness

Just = justice

Vain = vanity

Sane = sanity

Ignorant = ignorance

 

 

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Verbs:

Laugh,

obey,

live,

expect,

excel,

know,

steal.

Believe,

Serve,

Hate,

Please,

Act,

Starve,

Occupy,

Choose,

Move,

Conceal,

Seize, Flatter,

Depart,

Persevere,

Defend,

Think,

Protect,

Advise,

Punish,

Die,

Succeed,

Free,

See,

Judge,

Pursue,

Relieve,

Converse,

Discover.

 

Ans:

Laugh = laughter

Obey = obedience

Live = life

Expect = expectation / expectancy

Excel = excellence

Know = knowledge

Steal = stealth

Believe = belief

Serve = service

Hate = hatred

Please = pleasure

Act = action

Starve = starvation

Occupy = occupation / occupancy

Choose = choice

Move = movement

Conceal = concealment

Seize = seizure

Flatter = flattery

Depart = departure

Persevere = perseverance

Defend = defence

Think = thought

Protect = protection

Advise = advice

Punish = punishment

Die = death

Succeed = success

Free = freedom

See = sight

Judge = judgement

Pursue = pursuit

Relieve = relief

Converse = conversation

Discover = discovery

 

 

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Common Nouns:

King,

man,

thief,

woman,

bankrupt,

infant,

owner,

rogue,

regent,

author,

mother,

agent,

hero,

beggar,

coward,

priest,

boy,

bond,

pirate,

pilgrim,

friend,

caption,

rascal,

patriot,

glutton.

 

Ans:

King = kinghood

Man = manhood

Thief = theft

Woman = womanhood

Bankrupt = bankruptcy

Infant = infancy

Owner = ownership

Rogue = roguery

Regent = regency

Author = authorship

Mother = motherhood

Agent = agency

Hero = heroism

Beggar = beggary

Coward = cowardice

Priest = priesthood

Boy = boyhood

Bond = bondage

Pirate = piracy

Pilgrim = pilgrimage

Friend = friendship

Caption = captaincy

Rascal = rascality

Patriot = patriotism

Glutton = gluttony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVISE:

……………………….. is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing.

……………………….. is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or kind.

……………………. is the name of some particular person or place.

………………. Nouns are always written with a capital letter at the beginning.

…………………………. is the name of a number (or collection) of persons or things taken together and spoken of as one whole.

………………………………………… is usually the name of a quality, action, or state considered apart from the object to which it belongs.

……………………….. are the names of objects, people, etc. that we can count,

………………………………… are the names of things which we cannot count,

…………………. nouns have plural forms while ………………………….. nouns do not.

 

 

IDENTIFY THE CLASS OF THESE NOUNS:

Asoka

king.

Sita

Girl

Hari

Boy

Kolkata

City

India

Country

He was the Lukman (= the wisest man) of his age.

Kalidas is often called the Shakespeare (= the greatest dramatist) of India.

Crowd, mob, team, flock, herd, army, fleet, jury, family, nation, parliament, committee.

A fleet = a collection of ships or vessels.

An army = a collection of soldiers.

A crowd = a collection of people.

The police dispersed the crowd.

The French army was defeated at Waterloo.

The jury found the prisoner guilty.

A herd of cattle is passing.

Goodness, kindness, whiteness, darkness, hardness, brightness, honesty, wisdom, bravery.

Laughter, theft, movement, judgment, hatred.

Childhood, boyhood, youth, slavery, sleep, sickness, death, poverty.

The names of the Arts and Science (e.g., grammar, music, chemistry, etc.)

 

FORM ABSTRACT NOUNS:

kind;

honest.

obey;

grow.

child;

slave.

 

Identify countable or uncountable:

book, pen, apple, boy, sister, doctor, horse.

milk, oil, sugar, gold, honesty. They mainly denote substances and abstract things.

 

 

Exercise in Grammar 3

Point out the Nouns in the following sentences, and say whether they are Common, Proper, Collective or Abstract:

1. The crowd was very big.

2. Always speak the truth.

3. We all love honesty.

4. Our class consists of twenty pupils.

5. The elephant has great strength.

6. Solomon was famous for his wisdom.

7. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

8. We saw a fleet of ships in the harbour.

9. The class is studying grammar.

10. The Godavari overflows its banks every year.

11. A committee of five was appointed.

12. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

13. The soldiers were rewarded for their bravery.

14. Without health there is no happiness.

15. He gave me a bunch of grapes.

16. I recognized your voice at once.

17. Our team is better than theirs.

18. Never tell a lie.

19. Wisdom is better than strength.

20. He sets a high value on his time.

21. I believe in his innocence.

22. This room is thirty feet in length.

23. I often think of the happy days of childhood.

24. The streets of some of our cities are noted for their crookedness.

25. What is your verdict, gentlemen of the jury?

 

 

ANSWERS:

1. The crowd was very big.

Ans: Crowd = collective

2. Always speak the truth.

Ans: truth = abstract

3. We all love honesty.

Ans: honesty = abstract

4. Our class consists of twenty pupils.

Ans: class = collective

Pupils = common

5. The elephant has great strength.

Ans: elephant = common

Strength = abstract

6. Solomon was famous for his wisdom.

Ans: Solomon = proper

Wisdom = abstract

7. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Ans: cleanliness = abstract

Godliness = abstract

8. We saw a fleet of ships in the harbour.

Ans: fleet = collective

Ships = common

Harbour = common

9. The class is studying grammar.

Ans: class = collective

Grammar = abstract

10. The Godavari overflows its banks every year.

Ans: Nile = proper

Bank = common

Year = common

11. A committee of five was appointed.

Ans: committee = collective

12. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

Ans: Jawaharlal Nehru = proper

Prime Minister = proper

India = proper

13. The soldiers were rewarded for their bravery.

Ans: soldiers = common

Bravery = abstract

14. Without health there is no happiness.

Ans: Health = abstract

Happiness = abstract

15. He gave me a bunch of grapes.

Ans: bunch = collective

Grapes = common

16. I recognized your voice at once.

Ans: voice = common

17. Our team is better than theirs.

Ans: team = collective

18. Never tell a lie.

Ans: lie = abstract

19. Wisdom is better than strength.

Ans: wisdom = abstract

20. He sets a high value on his time.

Ans: value = abstract; time = abstract

21. I believe in his innocence.

Ans: innocence = abstract

22. This room is thirty feet in length.

Ans: room = common; feet = common; length = abstract

23. I often think of the happy days of childhood.

Ans: days = common; childhood = abstract

24. The streets of some of our cities are noted for their crookedness.

Ans: streets = common; cities = common; crookedness = abstract

25. What is your verdict, gentlemen of the jury?

Ans: verdict = abstract; gentleman = common; jury = collective

 

 

Exercise in Composition 4

Write the Collective Nouns used to describe a number of

(1) Cattle;

(2) Soldiers;

(3) Sailors.

Ans: herd of cattle

Army of soldiers

Crew of sailors

 

Write the qualities that belong to boys who are

(1) Lazy;

(2) Cruel;

(3) Brave;

(4) Foolish.

Ans: laziness, cruelty, bravery, foolishness

 

 

Exercise in Composition 5

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Adjectives:

Long,

young,

humble,

decent, cruel,

bitter,

strong,

true,

short,

prudent,

dark,

deep,

wide,

wise,

good,

vacant,

sweet,

human,

broad,

free,

proud,

brave,

novel,

quick,

high,

poor,

just,

vain,

sane,

ignorant.

 

Ans:

Long = length

Young = youth

Humble = humility

Decent = decency

Cruel = cruelty

Bitter = bitterness

Strong = strength

True = truth

Short = shortness

Prudent = prudence

Dark = darkness

Deep = depth

Wide = width

Wise = wisdom

Good = goodness

Vacant = vacancy

Sweet = sweetness

Human = humanity

Broad = breadth

Free = freedom

Proud = pride

Brave = bravery

Novel = novelty

Quick = quickness

High = height

Poor = poorness

Just = justice

Vain = vanity

Sane = sanity

Ignorant = ignorance

 

 

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Verbs:

Laugh,

obey,

live,

expect,

excel,

know,

steal.

Believe,

Serve,

Hate,

Please,

Act,

Starve,

Occupy,

Choose,

Move,

Conceal,

Seize, Flatter,

Depart,

Persevere,

Defend,

Think,

Protect,

Advise,

Punish,

Die,

Succeed,

Free,

See,

Judge,

Pursue,

Relieve,

Converse,

Discover.

 

Ans:

Laugh = laughter

Obey = obedience

Live = life

Expect = expectation / expectancy

Excel = excellence

Know = knowledge

Steal = stealth

Believe = belief

Serve = service

Hate = hatred

Please = pleasure

Act = action

Starve = starvation

Occupy = occupation / occupancy

Choose = choice

Move = movement

Conceal = concealment

Seize = seizure

Flatter = flattery

Depart = departure

Persevere = perseverance

Defend = defence

Think = thought

Protect = protection

Advise = advice

Punish = punishment

Die = death

Succeed = success

Free = freedom

See = sight

Judge = judgement

Pursue = pursuit

Relieve = relief

Converse = conversation

Discover = discovery

 

 

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Common Nouns:

King,

man,

thief,

woman,

bankrupt,

infant,

owner,

rogue,

regent,

author,

mother,

agent,

hero,

beggar,

coward,

priest,

boy,

bond,

pirate,

pilgrim,

friend,

caption,

rascal,

patriot,

glutton.

 

Ans:

King = kinghood

Man = manhood

Thief = theft

Woman = womanhood

Bankrupt = bankruptcy

Infant = infancy

Owner = ownership

Rogue = roguery

Regent = regency

Author = authorship

Mother = motherhood

Agent = agency

Hero = heroism

Beggar = beggary

Coward = cowardice

Priest = priesthood

Boy = boyhood

Bond = bondage

Pirate = piracy

Pilgrim = pilgrimage

Friend = friendship

Caption = captaincy

Rascal = rascality

Patriot = patriotism

Glutton = gluttony

 

 

 

 

 

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