word classes revision guide

Brooke O'Neil                                             wednesday 10th october 

Nouns

nouns are by far the largest category of words in English. They signify all kinds of physical things both living and inanimate. They also signify imagined things like ‘a ghost’; and ideas or concepts, such as ‘love’, ‘guilt’ or ‘fate’.

They are divided into three main groups:

• - concrete nouns
• - abstract nouns
• - proper nouns

Concrete nouns signify things, either in the real or imagined world. If a word signifies something that can be detected with the senses, then it is a concrete noun, eg:

• - table
• - football
• - candle
• - car
• - building
• - phone

Examples in full sentences:

The football lay discarded on the pitch.

The candle glowed in the darkness.

The crowd cheered in excitement.

Abstract nouns refer to concepts and exist as ideas, rather than objects you can touch, eg:

• - love
• - hope
• - intelligence
• - hate
• - courage

Examples in full sentences:

There was hope in his eyes as he looked up.

Intelligence can be measured in several ways.

He was full of courage as he walked towards the battlefield.

Love is all around but hate hides in the shadows.

Proper nouns are also called naming nouns. They refer to the actual name of an individual example of a common noun. Names of people, places, companies, institutions, rivers (and more) are all proper nouns. Proper nouns begin with a capital letter.

Example in a sentence:

Ryan had never been to London before that Saturday.

Common nounProper noun girl Jessica river the River Taff country Egypt boy Alex waterfall Niagara Falls ocean Atlantic…