Definition of a noun
Nouns
We use a noun to name a person, place, or thing. In a sentence, it can be a subject or an object. In English, nouns do not have genders [masculine or feminine]. Jenny is a teacher. She lives in London with her husband, Bill, and their two children. Bill is a musician. He plays the guitar in a band. Their daughter goes to school and their son is studying medicine at King's College.
Common nouns and proper nouns
We use proper nouns for specific people, places, institutions or organisations. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter.
Common nouns are not the names of a specific or single person, place or thing. They do not start with a capital letter.
Examples
| Common nouns | Proper nouns |
| continent country town/city street station doctor uncle theatre river airport building woman president | Europe England Paris Oxford Street Victoria Station Doctor Smith Uncle James the National Theatre the River Seine Heathrow Airport Buckingham Palace the Queen the President |
Concrete nouns and abstract nouns
We use concrete nouns to name people or things which we can see, hear, touch, smell or taste - things which exist physically.
We use abstract nouns to name feelings, ideas and states - things which do not exist physically.
Examples
| Concrete nouns | Abstract nouns |
| chair computer man woman house dog cheese garden pen | love sadness hope comfort truth confidence fear bravery opportunity |
