Noun is a part of speech that identifies people, places, objects, actions, qualities, and ideas. The English language has a great variety of nouns. These nouns have been grouped into several classifications, some of which overlap.
Mass nouns and count nouns.
Mass nouns identify things that cannot be divided into separate units, such as fruit and soil. Count nouns identify things that can be divided into units, such as apple and rose.
Mass nouns and count nouns do not differ completely because some words may belong to either group. In the sentence I bought cheese, for example, cheese is a mass noun. But in the sentence I bought the cheeses, cheese is a count noun. Count nouns, but not mass nouns, occur in the plural and with articles (a, an, the). When what is ordinarily a mass noun is used as a count noun, it generally refers to a specific type, as in specific types of cheese.
Abstract and concrete nouns.
Abstract nouns identify ideas and qualities that have no physical existence. Bravery, effort, and knowledge are abstract nouns. In contrast, concrete nouns identify objects that can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, or tasted. Airplane, layer cake, and skyscraper are concrete nouns. Some words can be used as either abstract or concrete nouns. Red as an abstract noun may specify the quality of redness. As a concrete noun, it may represent the color.
Abstract nouns usually function as mass nouns do. We do not say She had two knowledges or She had the knowledge. However, when a specific type of knowledge is discussed, it may be treated as a count noun, as in She has a good knowledge of atomic physics or She has the knowledge not to act badly.
Proper and common nouns.
Proper nouns identify particular names or titles and are always capitalized. Examples include Apollo 11, Beacon Street, Cherokee Park, New Year’s Eve, and President Lincoln. Proper nouns are generally used without articles, but there are exceptions, such as the United States or names of rivers, such as the Mississippi River.
All nouns that are not proper nouns are common nouns. They identify general categories of things, such as experiment, helper, holiday, and river.
Collective nouns
identify groups of persons, animals, or things. Examples include audience, class, crowd, family, flock, government, and team. A collective noun may be considered singular if the word is used as a unit. In this instance, the noun takes a singular verb. For example, The cast of the play was at its best. A collective noun is considered plural if the word is used in terms of its parts. The noun then takes a plural verb—The cast were applauded loudly for their performances.
Nominals
are words and phrases that function as nouns. Pronouns are the most common nominals, but other parts of speech may be used as nouns:
Adjective: The strongest was not best. Gerund: Clam digging is fun. Infinitive: To err is human. Prepositions: We knew the ins and outs. Pronoun: He took a walk.
Number and case.
English nouns may have endings that show number and case.
Number
is the form which indicates that the noun refers to one (singular) or to more than one (plural). Singular nouns indicate one, such as pear, apple, man, and mouse. Plural forms for these nouns are pears, apples, men, and mice. Abstract nouns, mass nouns, and proper nouns do not ordinarily have distinct plural forms. In special cases, these may be used as count nouns and take plurals, as in There are three Sams in this room.
Case
is the form that helps show the relation of a noun to other words in a sentence. In some languages, words have many different endings to show relationships. In English, word order, rather than endings, shows relationships. Modern English nouns have only two cases, common case and possessive case. Boys, man, and Sam are common-case forms. Boys’, man’s, and Sam’s are possessive-case forms.
Gender.
In English, nouns are sometimes said to have gender, but this is not regularly shown by endings. An English noun has gender only in the sense that it is referred to by one of three sets of pronouns: he or him, she or her, or it. For example, I found Jim and brought him home; I found Sally and brought her home; and I found a book and brought it home.
Nouns for which the corresponding pronoun is he or him are masculine nouns. Nouns for which the corresponding pronoun is she or her are feminine nouns. Nouns for which the corresponding pronoun is it are neuter nouns. Usually, masculine nouns name males, feminine nouns name females, and neuter nouns name inanimate or sexless things. However, there are some exceptions. Some people refer to ships as she, though most authorities prefer it. Babies are often referred to as it, except where the sex is known. Even when the sex is known, it is more common for many animals. In many languages, the relationship between gender and natural sex is not as close as it is in English. For example, learners of German must memorize noun genders.
There is a tendency in modern English to stop using special words for women. Some pairs are still common, such as actor and actress, but words like aviatrix for a female aviator are virtually obsolete.
