Nouns: Definition & Types with Examples
Nouns, also called naming words, would probably be the very first part of speech you would
have learnt in your English grammar classes. Anything we can touch, see, smell, taste, hear
and hold can be referred to as nouns.
Here is what we will be covering in this article about nouns:

What Is a Noun?

Examples of Nouns

Types of Nouns

Nouns Used as Different Components of a Sentence



Nouns Used as a Subject

Nouns Used as an Object

Nouns Used as a Complement
Multifunctional Nouns

Nouns Used as Verbs

Nouns Used as Adjectives
Frequently Asked Questions on Nouns
What Is a Noun?
Nouns are a part of speech that comprise words that are used to name people, places, animals,
objects and ideas. Almost every sentence will definitely have a noun, and they perform
different roles in a sentence. Nouns can act as the subject, an indirect object, a direct object, a
subject complement and an object complement. Nouns can also function
as adjectives and verbs.
Examples of Nouns:

People – Rahul, Sheela, Man, Person, Tommy, Women, Girl, The Prime Minister

Places – Bangalore, India, Mexico, North Pole, South Africa, The Nile River,
Classroom, Bedroom, Basketball Court, Cricket Ground, Swimming Pool

Animals/Birds/Aquatic Animals/Reptiles – Lion, Zebra, Snake, Ostrich, Flamingo,
Bear, Cat, Fish, Shark

Ideas – Evolution, Invention, Extinction, Argument, Destruction

Objects/Things – Bat, Cycle, Curtains, Paper, Bag, Blackboard, Cupboard
Types of Nouns
Nouns can be broadly classified into:
1. Proper Nouns: Nouns that are used to name a person, place or thing specifically are called
a proper noun. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.
Examples:
1.
1.

My name is Rose. (Name of a particular person)

This is my dog, Bruno. (Name of a specific pet animal owned by
someone)

David came back from Minsk. (Name of a specific place)

Louis Philippe is a famous brand of men’s clothing. (Name of a
particular clothing brand)
2. Common nouns: Common nouns are those nouns that refer to a generic item, group or
place. This means that, unlike proper nouns, they are not used to identify specific people,
places or objects. Common nouns are not capitalised unless they appear at the beginning of a
sentence.
Examples:
1.
1.

I bought a pen yesterday. (Common object)

I am going to school. (Common place)

Only ten employees showed up to work today. (Common group)

The car is out of fuel. (Common items)
3. Singular nouns: These are words that are used to name a single person, place, animal, bird
or object.
Examples:
1.
1.

There is a little boy in front of our house. (Single person)

That is my daughter. (Single person)

I found a wounded sparrow in the bush. (Single bird)

A red van has been following us for a long time. (Single object)
4. Plural nouns: Plural nouns refer to a number of people, places, animals or things. Nouns
are made plural by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’ or ‘ies’ or ‘ves’ to the existing root word. Nouns that
end with an ‘s’ remain the same. Some nouns remain the same in both their singular and
plural forms, and some others have totally different spelling.
Examples:
1.
1.

I need some apples.

Did you find the boxes you were looking for?

I bought mangoes from the market.

We took photos of some deer on our way.
5. Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted or measured.
Examples:
1.
1.

Tom brought ten packets of lays for the trip. (specific number – ten)

Mom asked me to buy a dozen eggs. (specific – dozen means twelve)

I saw an aeroplane around seven in the morning. (specific – an means
one)
6. Uncountable nouns are those nouns that cannot be counted. This category of nouns
includes both concrete and abstract nouns.
Examples:
1.
1.

I have a lot of homework to do. (Not specific)

I have a cup of tea. (Cannot count)

We are facing terrible weather today. (Cannot count)
7. Collective Nouns: A collective noun is a naming word that is used to denote a group of
objects, animals or people.
Examples:
1.
1.



Collective nouns for groups of animals

A pride of lions

A flock of sheep

A swarm of bees

A herd of elephants
Collective nouns for groups of people

A band of musicians

A board of directors

A crew of sailors

A company of actors
Collective nouns for a number of things/objects

A pair of shoes

A chain of mountains

A fleet of ships

A bunch of grapes
8. Concrete Nouns: A concrete noun refers to objects that are material and can be perceived
by the human senses.
Examples:

The book is on the table.

I had a cup of coffee.

Sharon opened the windows.

Hardy goes to school by bus.
9. Abstract Nouns: Any entity that cannot be perceived by the five senses of the human body
are called an abstract noun.
Examples:

Love is a strong emotion.

Honesty is the best policy.

It takes a lot of courage to raise your voice and stand up against injustice.

You should not misuse the freedom you are given.
Pronoun Types and Examples
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. A pronoun can act as a subject, direct
object, indirect object, object of the preposition, or other part of speech and takes the place of
any person, place, animal or thing. There are several types of pronouns: personal pronouns,
relative pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, reflexive pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and
possessive pronouns.
Types of pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are used to refer to a particular grammatical person: first person (I),
second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, they). Personal pronouns also take different
forms depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it
replaces. I, you, he, she, it, we they, me, him, her, us, and them are all personal pronouns.
Example
She is clever.
Example
Did you make a reservation for three?
Example
I hope you will invite them to the party.
Antecedents
Pronouns may refer to different persons or things ambiguously if the noun is not specified
clearly in the sentence. When using pronouns in a sentence, an antecedent should be used to
let the reader know what the pronoun is referring to. An antecedent is a noun or noun phrase
that is mentioned at the beginning of a sentence and replaced with a pronoun afterwards.
Example
Sam drank most of the juice that he bought.
Example
The team has tried its best to achieve success.
Example
Many people lost their jobs because of the economic slowdown.
Unclear/ambiguous pronoun antecedents
Example
If you arrive late to the play, she won't let you in.
Example
Sam sent a letter to Mark addressing the problems he encountered during his first year
at school.
Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns are used to connect relative clauses and independent clauses in order to
add more information about people and things. Relative pronouns are placed directly after the
noun or pronoun they modify. Who, whom, whose, which, that, when, and where are all
relative pronouns.
Example
Is the man who came to look for you your father?
Example
She likes books that tell stories of famous people.
Example
That store, where we usually buy our groceries, is closed for the holidays.
Who vs. whom: subject and object pronouns
When to use “who” or “whom” can be confusing. While both can be used as pronouns, their
usage differs. “Who” is used to refer to the subject of a sentence, while “whom” is used to
refer to the object of a verb or preposition.
Incorrect
Whom should be elected as the leader?
Correct
Who should be elected as the leader?
Incorrect
He is the person to who I am married.
Correct
He is the person to whom I am married.
Incorrect
You didn’t specify the officer who I should give this form to.
Correct
You didn’t specify the officer to whom I should give this form.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are used to refer to a specific person or thing within a sentence.
These pronouns can be used to indicate degrees of time and
space. This, that, these, those, such, none, and neither are all demonstrative pronouns.
Example
He is late again. That boy is really getting on my nerves.
Example
She loves all kinds of sports. These include badminton and soccer.
Example
I don't like math or science. Neither is fun.
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to unspecified or general people or things. Similar to
“indefinite” articles, these pronouns are used to refer to indefinite people or
things. Anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody, anyone, everyone, no
one, someone, anything, everything, nothing, and something are indefinite pronouns.
Example
No one likes to have to beg for something.
Example
Everyone is welcome to join the class.
Example
Anything is possible only if you keep trying.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used to refer back to the subject of the sentence. Reflexive pronouns
end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves"
(plural). Myself, yourself, yourselves, ourselves, himself, herself, itself, and themselves are
reflexive pronouns.
Example
I saw myself in the mirror.
Example
The book itself isn't difficult, but it's not fun to read.
Example
They recommend this movie even though they have never seen it themselves.
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions or find out more
information. Who, what, which, and whose are interrogative pronouns.
Example
Which essay did you like the best?
Example
Whose bag is this?
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are used to show possession or that something/someone belongs or is
associated closely with someone/something. My, our, your, his, her, its, and their are
possessive nouns. These pronouns can be used to avoid writing the same word twice and
therefore can make sentences more concise.
Example
I don't know where my sneakers went, so my sister lent me her sneakers.
I don't know where my sneakers went, so my sister lent me hers.
Example
Your plan sounds just as exciting as my plan.
Your plan sounds just as exciting as mine.
Definition of a Verb
The Oxford Learners’ Dictionary defines a ‘verb’ as “a word or group of words that express
an action (such as eat), an event (such as happen) or a state (such as exist)”. According to the
Cambridge Dictionary, a ‘verb’ is defined as “a word or phrase that describes an action,
condition, or experience”. The Collins Dictionary provides a much more elaborate definition
of a verb. According to them, “A verb is a word such as ‘ sing’, ‘ feel’, or ‘ die’ which is used
with a subject to say what someone or something does or what happens to them, or to give
information about them”.
General Classification of Verbs according to What They Signify
Before we get into a broad classification, let us first have a look at how verbs can be
classified generally according to what kind of action they signify.
Verbs Referring to Actions
Verbs referring to action (action verbs) are those that involve the movement of one’s body in
one way or the other. Some examples of verbs referring to actions are as follows:

Walk

Run

Talk

Sit

Read

Write

Jog

Cough

Sleep

Jump

Sing

Drink

Teach

Present

Build

Break

Tow

Toss

Hug

Fight
Verbs Referring to Experiences or Feelings
These are verbs that refer to something that you can feel or experience and do not necessarily
involve a movement of any kind. Some examples of verbs referring to feelings and
experiences are as follows:

Love

Hate

Envy

Believe

Trust

Feel

Entrust

Experience

Care

Cherish

Sense

Know

Recognise

Understand

Comprehend

Like

Need

Adore

Loathe

Appreciate
Verbs Referring to a State or Condition
These verbs are those that refer to situations or the state of being. All forms of ‘to be’ verbs
belong to this category. Some examples of verbs referring to a state or condition are as
follows:

Am

Is

Are

Was

Were

Have

Has

Will be

Appear

Seem

Become

Been

Being
The Various Types of Verbs with Examples
Verbs can be classified into numerous types according to their function or role in a sentence
or context. Let us look into the various types of verbs and some examples of each type of
verb.
Auxiliary Verbs/Helping Verbs
Auxiliary verbs or helping verbs, as the name suggests, is a verb that is used to help another
verb sound sensible and meaningful. It is used to change the other verb’s tense, mood or
voice. So, every time an auxiliary verb is used, you always have one more verb, which acts as
the main verb in a sentence.
Examples of auxiliary verbs are as follows:

Am

Is

Are

Was

Were

Have

Has

Do

Will

Can
One point you have to take care of when you use auxiliary verbs is that you should conjugate
the auxiliary verb correctly according to the tense form of a sentence. Another specific fact
about auxiliary verbs is that they can also be used as a main verb. Also, there are verbs called
modal verbs that can be used as a helping verb.
Work out exercises on auxiliary verbs to practise.
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are those verbs that are used to denote the possibility, probability, capability or
necessity of something happening. Modal verbs, unlike other auxiliary verbs, cannot be used
as a main verb in a sentence.
Examples of modal verbs are as follows:

Can

Could

Will

Would

May

Might

Should

Must

Ought to
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs include phrases that are formed by combining two or more parts of speech that
performs the same function as a verb in a sentence. In most cases, a phrasal verb results from
a combination of a verb and a preposition.
Some examples of phrasal verbs are as follows:

Go by

Lay off

Log in

Get off

Run out

Go all out

Think through

Fed up

Taken aback

Act on

Back away

Back up

Look up

Mix up

Opt out

Pop in
Check out the list of phrasal verbs and exercise on phrasal verbs.
Linking Verbs
A linking verb, just like the name suggests, is a type of verb that is used to link the subjects in
a sentence to the other parts of the sentence so that it is meaningful. It connects the subject to
the object, an adjective and even a prepositional phrase. All ‘to be’ forms of verbs and verbs
like ‘seem’ and ‘become’ can act as linking verbs.
Have a look at the following examples to understand how verbs perform the role of a linking
verb in sentences.
Example 1: Connecting Nouns to Other Nouns in a Sentence
Danny is my brother.
In the above example, the verb ‘is’ is used to connect the subject ‘Danny’ as the ‘brother’ of
the speaker. In this sentence, the words ‘Danny’ and ‘brother’ are used to refer to the same
person.
Example 2: Connecting a Noun to a Prepositional Phrase in a Sentence
The children were in the park.
In Example 2, the verb ‘were’ is used to connect the subject ‘the children’ to the prepositional
phrase ‘in the park’.
Example 3: Connecting a Noun/Subject to an Adjective
Your presentation of the life cycle of the silkworm was excellent.
In the above example, the verb ‘was’ is used to link the subject ‘Your presentation of the life
cycle of a silkworm’ to the adjective ‘excellent’.
Example 4: Connecting the Subject/Noun to the Predicate using Seem/Become
This book on a treasure hunt seems interesting.
In this sentence, the subject ‘This book on a treasure hunt’ is connected to the adjective
‘interesting’ with the linking verb ‘seem’.
The students became bored after two continuous hours of classes and were not ready to take
another hour of class without a break in between.
In the above sentence, the subject ‘The students’ has been linked to the rest of the sentence
with the linking verb ‘became’.
Different Categories of Verbs
Verbs can be divided into different categories according to their behaviour when used in a
context. Let us look at the categories explained below.
Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs
As you can see, verbs are used to denote actions, and they can be used in different forms to
indicate when the subject in a sentence is carrying out an action. A regular verb can be
conjugated to show if the action takes place in the past or if the action is taking place
continuously.
In most cases, the past form of the verb is formed by adding an ‘ed’ to the root verb for
regular verbs. On the other hand, there are other verbs that do not follow this rule. They are
called irregular verbs. These verbs have their own unique forms. If you are wondering how to
learn these irregular verbs, read the article on irregular verbs to find out how.
Have a look at the examples given below.

Dileep searched for his white shirt in his cupboard, but he did not find it. (Root verb
– search)

Did you find the book you were looking for?
In the above examples, the verb ‘searched’ is the past form of the regular verb ‘search’ by
adding an ‘ed’ and the verb form ‘looking’ indicates the continuous form of the regular verb
‘look’ by adding an ‘ing’ to the end of the root verb.

Selena read the book on the evolution of life on earth.

Vineeth found the keys that went missing yesterday.
In the above examples, the verb ‘read’ stays the same in the past form and when used as a
past participle. ‘Found’ is the past form of the root verb ‘find’.
Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs
Transitive and intransitive forms of verbs are used to denote how a verb acts when used with
a direct object and an indirect object. Let us look at a few examples.

Vincent gave a box of chocolates to his brother. (Indirect object – his brother, Direct
object – a box of chocolates)

Garry passed the water bottle to Kevin, who was sitting in the first row. (Indirect
object – Kevin, Direct object – the water bottle)

The little girl ran around the park for two hours.

Francey walked to school every day.

My mom cleaned the house today. (Direct object – the house)

Seena did not like the movie. (Direct object – the movie)
In the above examples, the verbs ‘gave’ and ‘passed’ in the first two sentences are seen to
take a direct object and an indirect object, whereas the verbs ‘ran’ and ‘walked’ take no
object at all. In the last two sentences, the verbs ‘cleaned’ and ‘did not like’ take a direct
object and no indirect object.
Verbs that take a direct object alone are called transitive verbs, and those verbs that do not
take either a direct object or an indirect object are called intransitive verbs.
ADJECTIVE
An adjective is a describing word. Adjective describes a noun or a pronoun.
The red carpet.
Deep thoughts.
A busy street.
She is beautiful today.
☛Adjectives have different endings. Some adjectives end in -ful or -less.
careful, colorful, harmful, faithful, hopeful.
careless, colorless, harmless, faithless, hopeless.
☛Some adjectives end in -y.
a noisy room, a rainy day, a dirty carpet.
☛Some adjectives end in -ive.
a creative person, an active hour, talkative person.
☛Some adjectives end in -ing.
a smiling face, loving parents, a caring doctor.
ADVERB
A word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence. It tells you
about an action, or the way something is done.
☛A lot of adverbs end in -ly.
We are happily married.
Tom calls me regularly.
Suddenly, she knows. It’s love!
☛Many adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.
How to make adjective to adverbEasy word transformation list
PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word that connects one thing with another, showing how they are
related.
Prepositions tell us about time, position or place.
Some examples of prepositions are words like ‘in,’ ‘at,’ ‘on,’ ‘of,’ ‘to,’ ‘from.’
She is in love.
Book was on the table.
I am from France.
He is calling to you.
Where are you at?
Learn more about prepositions here.
CONJUNCTION
A conjunction is a linking word that used to connect clauses or sentences. For example
and, or, but, as, if.
Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and clauses together.
a teacher and students.
a male or female?
☛Words such as before, after, as, when, while, until, since, are conjunctions of time.
Maryam could play guitar before she was four.
She always brush her teeth after eating her meal.
There are four categories of conjunctions:
Coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
Correlative conjunctions: both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but, whether/or.
Subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as,
as though, because, before, by the time, even if, even though, if, in order that, in case, in
the event that, now that, once, only, only if, provided that, since, so, supposing, that, than,
though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether or not,
while.
Conjunctive adverbs: however, therefore.
INTERJECTION
An interjection is a word that expresses an emotion, sudden, strong feeling such as
surprise, pain, or pleasure.
☛It is often followed by an exclamation point.
Cheers!
Ouch!
Oh my God!
Oh dear!
Good luck!
Help!
Gosh!
Hey!
Look out!