The noun is a naming word. It may name a person, place, or thing. There is a bewildering variety of things in the world. So there is a bewildering number of nouns in a language.
Read the following passage and notice the underlined words:
Shakespeare was born in 1564 at Stratford-upon-Avon in England. He was a poet, playwright, and actor.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in English and the most prominent dramatist in the world. He enjoys enormous popularity even in the modern age for his plays and poems.
These are all nouns. Look back at the nouns in the passage above and think what they name.
There are five kinds of nouns in English. They are:
Proper nouns
Common nouns
Collective nouns
Material nouns
Abstract nouns
Activity-1: Notice the underlined words in the following passage and say what they refer to:
Rajshahi is a divisional city in Bangladesh. It is in the western part of the country. It stands on the river Padma. My friend Alamgir lives in this city. He is a professor of History. I often visit him and discuss many things with him. He speaks good English.
These are all proper nouns. A proper noun is the name of a particular person, place or thing. For example, "Rajshahi" is the name of a particular city and "History" is the name of a particular subject. Think of the other proper nouns in the passage. A proper noun usually begins with a capital letter. A proper noun is usually singular but some proper nouns are plural in form.
For example:
The Maldives is an island country.
Have you ever been to the Philippines?
The United Nations has a big responsibility.
Note: Although these nouns are plural in form, they take a singular verb with them.
Activity-2: Notice the underlined words in the following passage:
Nasima is a beautiful girl. She is a bright student too. She reads in a local college. She has many friends. She discusses her lessons with them. She attends classes regularly. Every teacher is fond of her.
These are common nouns. A common noun refers to every person, place or thing of the same class or kind. It does not refer to anything in particular. For example, the noun 'girl' may mean any girl in the world. A common noun can be both singular and plural. For example:
London is a big city.
There are many big cities in the world.
Note: A proper noun can be used as a common noun. Look at the following examples:
He is called the Shakespeare (= the greatest dramatist) of Bangladesh.
There are two Raghibs in this class.
Look at the underlined nouns in the following passage:
Salam comes from a big family. He has three brothers. His elder brother is a member of Parliament. His younger brother has recently joined the army. His other brother is a cricketer who plays for the national team. Salam himself is a Civil Servant who works for the government.
These are collective nouns. A collective noun is the name of a collection or
group of people or things taken together. For example, an army is a group of soldiers and a team is a group of players. Think of the other nouns in the passage as a group of persons spoken of as one whole. A collective noun can take both singular and plural verbs after it. For example:
The government has/have decided on a new pay scale.
The committee was/were in favour of my proposal.
Read the following passage and notice the underlined nouns:
Mrs. Rahman is now visiting a jeweller. She will buy some gold and silver to make some jewellery. Next, she will also go to a grocery shop. She needs to buy sugar, tea, milk, and oil.
These are material nouns. A material noun names a thing that has weight but
cannot be counted. It is a kind of mass noun which is considered uncountable.
It refers to any material or substance. The substance may be solid, liquid or gaseous. "Oxygen" is also a material noun.
Look at the underlined nouns in the following passage:
Mr. Haque was a freedom fighter. He is known for his bravery. He is working for a private company now. Everybody loves him for his honesty and sincerity. He is an admirer of freedom and justice.
These are abstract nouns. An abstract noun is the name of a quality, state or concept. It has no material form, shape, or size.
Activity 3: Think of some other abstract nouns and make a sentence with each of them.
Activity-4: Identify the nouns in the following passage, and say whether they are Proper, Common, Collective, Material, or Abstract nouns.
Hasan is a rich farmer who lives in a village in the district of Sirajganj. He has a lot of cultivable land. He grows rice, wheat, and other crops. He has a herd of cattle and other domestic animals. They provide him with milk and meat. Hasan is a kind man. He has love and sympathy for the poor class of people.