What is Noun ? Classification of Noun

 

NOUN

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

For example  : Ram Sita , Mohan , Gita , Delhi ,Kolkata , Pen , Paper  Cigarette , Soldier  etc.

Classification of Noun 

 Noun is  classified into  four groups . They are :

1. Common Noun 

2. Proper Noun 

3. Collective Noun 

4. Abstract Noun  

# Look at the sentences :

 Akbar was a  great king .

 The noun ' Akbar 'refers  to a particular king ,

but the Noun ' king' might be used with any other king . We call Akbar a Proper noun  and King a Common Noun.

Similarly, 

# Gita is a girl .

Here Gita  is  a  proper Noun , while girl is a common  Noun.

# Delhi is a city .

Here , Delhi is a proper Noun  while  city is a common  Noun 

The words-- girl , city  - in the above examples  are all common  nouns  because they are the names  common to all girls  ,  cities while  Gita , Delhi  are all Proper nouns  because , they  are the names  of particular girl , city

Thus , 

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

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

[ proper means  one's own . Hence, a Proper  Noun is a  person's own name .]

Note . 1: Proper nouns  are always written with a  capital letter  at the begging .

Note 2: Proper Nouns are  sometimes used as common nouns: 

For example , 

# Sachin is the Bradman of  India. 

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

3. A  Collective noun is the name of a number or collection  of persons or things taken together and spoken of as one whole , For example ,

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

A fleet = a collection of ships or vessels .

An army = a collection of soldiers .

A crowd = a collection of cattle .

Thus , when a name denotes a groups  of similar individuals , considered as one  undivided  whole , it is called  a  Collective Noun .

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

Quality           Action            State

                     Laughter              Childhood

Goodness     Theft                     Boyhood

Kindness     Movement             Youth

Whiteness   Judgement             Slavery

Darkness     Hatred                   Sleep

Hardness     Heroism                Sickness 

Brightness

Honesty                                    Poverty

Wisdom 

Bravery

The names of the Arts and Science [ e.g. grammar , music , chemistry , physics 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 , we can also speak of what persons do or feel apart from the persons themselves, and give it a name. The word abstract means drawn off.]

Formation of Abstract Nouns

 Abstract  Nouns  are generally formed from common  nouns Verbs and Adjectives by  adding  such suffixes as :     hood----- cry----ism-----ships,-------  ment , ----- ice,--- ness ,----- ter, ----ty,---- th---,etc

(A)  From common Nouns

boy                                       boyhood  

infant                                    infancy 

thief                                      theft    

slave                                   slavery  

friend                                 friendship

judge                                  judgement

 girl                                    girlhood

agent                                 agency

hero                                  heroism

bond                                 bondage

leader                               leadership

corard                              cowardice

(b)  From verbs:

live                                    life

know                                 knowledge

see                                     sight

advise                                advice 

laugh                                 laughter

please                                pleasure

grow                                  growth

    

govern                              government

serve                                service

obey                                 obedience

practise                            practice

think                                thought

prepare                            preparation

(c) From adjectives :

\great                                      greatness

poor                                       poverty                      

young                                    youth

wise                                      wisdom

long                                     length

deep                                    depth

grand                                  grandeur

good                                    goodness

honest                                 honesty

just                                     justice

true                                     truth

broad                                  breadth

wide                                   width

sole                                    solitude

kind                                  kindness