Nouns

It's not easy to describe a noun. In simple terms, nouns are "things" (and verbs are "actions"). Like food. Food (n) is something you eat (v). Or happiness. Happiness (n) is something you want (v). Or human being. A human being (n) is something you are (v).

These pages explain more about the grammar of nouns and offer example sentences, quizzes and songs.

What is a Noun?
With What is a Noun? Quiz

Noun Types
Common nouns and proper nouns, concrete nouns and abstract nouns, countable and uncountable, collective nouns, compound nouns

Countable Nouns and Uncountable Nouns
dog/dogs, rice, hair(s)
Why do some nouns have no plural?
With Countable and Uncountable Nouns Quiz

Common Nouns
The vast majority of nouns are common nouns. Words like car, dog, teacher, house, water, music, plane, sea—they are all "general" nouns and NOT the name of some person or place. We call them common nouns.
With Common Nouns Mini Quiz

Proper Nouns
Shirley, Mr Jeckyll, Thailand, April, Sony
Your name is a "proper noun". Do we say "Atlantic Ocean" or "the Atlantic Ocean"? Should I write "february" or "February"?
With Proper Nouns Quiz

Collective Nouns
A collective noun is a noun that represents a collection of individuals, usually people, such as a team, a family or a crew. With Collective Nouns Mini Quiz

Plural-Only Nouns
trousers, boxers, headphones, belongings
This is a small group of nouns that are always plural.
With Plural-Only Nouns Mini Quiz

Possessive
John's car, my parents' house
Adding 's or ' to show possession or ownership.
With Possessive Mini Quiz

Noun as Adjective
love story, tooth-brush, bathroom
Sometimes we use a noun to describe another noun. In that case, the first noun is "acting as" an adjective.

Compound Nouns
tennis shoe, six-pack, bedroom
A compound noun is a noun that is made with two or more words.
With Compound Nouns Quiz