Nouns are a part of speech that comprise words that are used to name people, places, animals, objects and ideas. Almost every sentence will definitely have a noun, and they perform different roles in a sentence. Nouns can act as the subject, an indirect object, a direct object, a subject complement and an object complement. Nouns can also function as adjectives and verbs. Examples of Nouns: People – Rahul, Sheela, Man, Person, Tommy, Women, Girl, The Prime Minister Places – Bangalore, India, Mexico, North Pole, South Africa, The Nile River, Classroom, Bedroom, Basketball Court, Cricket Ground, Swimming Pool Animals/Birds/Aquatic Animals/Reptiles – Lion, Zebra, Snake, Ostrich, Flamingo, Bear, Cat, Fish, Shark Ideas – Evolution, Invention, Extinction, Argument, Destruction Objects/Things – Bat, Cycle, Curtains, Paper, Bag, Blackboard, Cupboard

Nouns can also function as verbs and adjectives with a slight change of spelling or by adding a suffix. For example, divorce can be used as a noun and a verb; money is a noun, while monetary is the adjective form of the verb. Nouns can also function as different components of the sentence as well.

1. Proper Nouns: Nouns that are used to name a person, place or thing specifically are called a proper noun. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter. Examples: My name is Rose. (Name of a particular person) This is my dog, Bruno. (Name of a specific pet animal owned by someone) David came back from Minsk. (Name of a specific place) Louis Philippe is a famous brand of men’s clothing. (Name of a particular clothing brand) 2. Common nouns: Common nouns are those nouns that refer to a generic item, group or place. This means that, unlike proper nouns, they are not used to identify specific people, places or objects. Common nouns are not capitalised unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence. Examples: I bought a pen yesterday. (Common object) I am going to school. (Common place) Only ten employees showed up to work today. (Common group) The car is out of fuel. (Common items) 3. Singular nouns: These are words that are used to name a single person, place, animal, bird or object. Examples: There is a little boy in front of our house. (Single person) That is my daughter. (Single person) I found a wounded sparrow in the bush. (Single bird) A red van has been following us for a long time. (Single object) 4. Plural nouns: Plural nouns refer to a number of people, places, animals or things. Nouns are made plural by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’ or ‘ies’ or ‘ves’ to the existing root word. Nouns that end with an ‘s’ remain the same. Some nouns remain the same in both their singular and plural forms, and some others have totally different spelling. Examples: I need some apples. Did you find the boxes you were looking for? I bought mangoes from the market. We took photos of some deer on our way. 5. Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted or measured. Examples: Tom brought ten packets of lays for the trip. (specific number – ten) Mom asked me to buy a dozen eggs. (specific – dozen means twelve) I saw an aeroplane around seven in the morning. (specific – an means one) 6. Uncountable nouns are those nouns that cannot be counted. This category of nouns includes both concrete and abstract nouns. Examples: I have a lot of homework to do. (Not specific) I have a cup of tea. (Cannot count) We are facing terrible weather today. (Cannot count) 7. Collective Nouns: A collective noun is a naming word that is used to denote a group of objects, animals or people. Examples: Collective nouns for groups of animals A pride of lions A flock of sheep A swarm of bees A herd of elephants Collective nouns for groups of people A band of musicians A board of directors A crew of sailors A company of actors Collective nouns for a number of things/objects A pair of shoes A chain of mountains A fleet of ships A bunch of grapes 8. Concrete Nouns: A concrete noun refers to objects that are material and can be perceived by the human senses. Examples: The book is on the table. I had a cup of coffee. Sharon opened the windows. Hardy goes to school by bus. 9. Abstract Nouns: Any entity that cannot be perceived by the five senses of the human body are called an abstract noun. Examples: Love is a strong emotion. Honesty is the best policy. It takes a lot of courage to raise your voice and stand up against injustice. You should not misuse the freedom you are given.