Nouns are naming words. They name people, animals, places, things or ideas.
Examples
Ismael, lion, cat, İstanbul, Toyota, computer…
TYPES OF NOUNS
There are various types of nouns:
- Proper nouns
- Common nouns
- Collective nouns
- Concrete nouns
- Abstract nouns
PROPER NOUNS
Proper nouns are specific names.the specific name may be that of a person, an animals, a place, a thing or an idea.
Example
Washington, Peter, United Nations etc
COMMON NOUNS
These are nouns that refer to things in general.
Examples
Lake, Town, Person, Newspaper, House etc…
Consider words in the table below
| Proper Nouns | Common Nouns |
| Nairobi | city/town |
| Michael | person |
| Lake victoria | lake |
| Daily nation | newspaper |
| Indian ocean | ocean |
| Kenya | country |
| Toyota | car |
Note: Common nouns do not start with capital letters unless they appear at the beginning os a sentence.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
Some things can be grouped together and spoken of as one whole.the name used for them is collective nouns.
These are three classes of collective nouns
-Collective noun for people
-Collective noun for animals
-Collective nouns for things
COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR PEOPLE
| a company of actors | a troupe of dancers/minstrels |
| a board of directors | a bench of magistrates/bishops/imams |
| a gang of of labourers/thieves | a tribe of natives |
| a bevy of girls/ladies | a school/class of pupils |
| a band of musicians/pilgrims | a staff of servants/teachers |
| a congragations of worshippers | a host of angels |
| a posses of policemen | a throng of peoples |
| a horde of savages | a regiment of an army/soldiers |
| a crowd of spectators | a batch of tourists |
| a battery of journalists | a crew of sailors |
COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR THINGS
| a flight of steps/stairs/airplanes | a heap/pile of stones |
| a bunch of bananas | a set /kit of tool |
| a a library of books | a quiver of arrows |
| a hedge of bushes | a peal of bells |
| a set of china | a batch of bread |
| a suit of china | a pack of cigarettes |
| a suit of clothes | a sheaf/ears of corn |
| a cluster of diamonds/stars | a galaxy/constallation of stars |
| a chest of drawers | a clutch of eggs |
| a hail of fire | a bouqet/bunch of flowers |
| a collection of stamps/pictures | a crate of fruits |
| a suite of furniture | a stack of hay |
COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR ANIMALS
| a swarm of bees | a flight of swallows |
| a flock of birds/sheep | a packof wolves/dogs |
| a herd of cattle/buffaloes/elphants | a brood of chickens |
| a shoal of fish/herring | a gaggle of geese |
| a stud of horses | a swarm/plague of insect/locust |
| a litter of kittens/pups/cubs | a troop of monkeys/baboons |
| a nest of mice/rabbits | |
| a team of oxen | |
| a parliament of owls | |
| a school of whales |