Page 20 - English Grammar - 8

A common noun refers to a general thing rather than a specific thing. Common nouns are
not capitalised unless they are used as part of a proper name or are placed at the beginning
of a sentence.

For example: school, box, book, dress, etc.
Sunrise Public School– Indian Railways.
A collective noun is a word that refers to a group. It can either be singular or plural, but is
usually used in the singular form.

For example: herd, class, team, group, etc.
A material noun is a word that is used to refer a substance or an ingredient from which a
thing is made.

For example: cotton, plastic, silver, etc.
An abstract noun refers to ideas, concepts, emotions, and other things you can’t physically
interact with. You can’t see, taste, touch, smell, or hear something identified as abstract
noun. However, you can be aware of it.
For example: richness, childhood, wickedness, bravery, etc.

We can form abstract nouns from: (a) adjectives (example: brave—bravery, short—shortage,
loyal—loyalty), (b) verbs (example: carry—carriage, grow—growth, agree—agreement), and
(c) common nouns (example: child-childhood, slave-slavery).

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Common, proper, collective, and material nouns are all parts of concrete nouns. Abstract nouns refer
to ideas, qualities, states, etc. We can just feel or understand the abstract nouns.

Practice Time 1

A. Underline the common nouns in the sentences given below.
1. Which university have you decided to apply?

2. I like to have a biscuit or two with my cup of tea.
3. These people speak a different language.
4. Do we have enough food to distribute?
B. Identify the proper nouns and using capital letters rewrite them in the given blanks.
5. Cross the river at that place.
Nouns 1. This book was written by charles dickens. __________________________

2. Once, egypt was ruled by a queen named cleopatra.
__________________________

__________________________
4. The planet nearest to the earth is venus.
3. The river narmada rises in madhya pradesh. __________________________
5. The great britain includes england, scotland and wales. __________________________

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