Nouns
Concept: Common, Proper, and Collective Nouns
Definition:
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. A Noun is also termed as a ‘naming word’.
Examples:
- Things: cup, spoon, chair, table, balloon, etc.,
- Person: boy, girl, man, woman, teacher, john, Priya, etc.
- Place: Mumbai, Bangalore, home, garden, school, ground, etc.
Types of Nouns:
Nouns are an important part the of English language. There are different types of nouns. Three types of nouns will be discussed below:
Common Noun:
A common noun refers to the name of a person, place, thing, etc., which is a name given in general. They do not begin with capital letters.
Examples:
- A lamp is next to the chair.
- The cupboard was open when they got home.
- Would you want a bottle & a box of candles?
Proper Noun:
The proper noun refers to a specific person, place thing. They always begin with capital letters.
Examples:
- Riya regularly reads stories before going to bed.
- Mumbai is a city filled with people with many dreams.
- Jupiter is light years away from the earth.
Collective Noun:
A collective noun is a word used to represent a group of things animals, or a thing like a bunch of keys, a pack of cards, etc.
Examples:
- My family gathers every Sunday to play Monopoly.(Family-At least 3 members)
- There are forty students in my class. (Class- a group of students)
- The army works hard to protect the country. (army-group of soldiers)
- I saw a school of fish at the aquarium. (school of fish- many fish that stay or swim together)
- The flock of geese flew across the sky. (flock- a number of birds travelling together)
Common Mistakes:
- Do not interchange collective nouns used for people with animals or with one type of animal and another.
- A swarm of bees attacked the man with the cane.
- A herd of bees attacked the man with the cane. (herd- a group of cattle)
- Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural.
- The committee was formed in 1916.
- The committee is having lunch
Examples:
Examples: