Concept : Different Types of Nouns
The students will learn about different types of nouns including common nouns, proper, and collective nouns along with examples and images. They will also study common mistakes that should be avoided while using nouns.
In this learning concept, the students will learn the following:
- To identify collective, common and proper nouns.
- To find the appropriate collective nouns from options.
Every concept is taught to class 4 English students with the help of examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Once you go through this topic, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the page’s end.
Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept of different types of nouns provided in PDF format.
Definition:
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. A Noun is also termed as a ‘naming word’.
Examples:
1. Things: cup, spoon, chair, table, balloon, etc.,
2. Person: boy, girl, man, woman, teacher, john, Priya, etc.
3. 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.
Examples:
a. A swarm of bees attacked the man with the cane.
b. A herd of bees attacked the man with the cane. (herd- a group of cattle)
2. Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural.
Examples:
a. The committee was formed in 1916.
b. The committee is having lunch
Concept : Recap on Types of Noun in English and Abstract Nouns
This concept is about revising different types of nouns in English with examples and pictures. It also teaches the students about abstract nouns and common mistakes that should be avoided while using Nouns.
In this learning concept, the students will learn:
- To identify different types of nouns.
- To find abstract nouns for class 4.
Every concept is taught to class 4 English students with the help of examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Assess your learning by solving the two printable types of nouns and abstract nouns worksheets given at the end of the page.
Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept, recap on different types of noun and abstract nouns, provided in PDF format.
a. Proper Noun
A proper noun is the name of a particular person, animal, or thing. Words like Mary, Hyderabad, Mount Everest are all specific names used for a person, place, or mountain, respectively.
Examples:
 |
 |
 |
| Mary is dancing. |
Rahul likes wearing his blue jumpsuit. |
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in India. |
b. Common Noun
A common noun refers to names given to every person or thing of the same kind or class. This name is not the specific name given to person, place or a thing, but it is a general name given to a group of person, place or thing. For instance, cow, dog, girl, boy, state, land, etc.
Examples:
- This farmer owns many cows.
- My family will soon adopt a dog.
- My neighbour is a smart girl.
c. Collective Noun
A collective noun is a name given to a collection of people, animals, things. This collection refers to things of the same kind. Examples for this type of noun are a class of students, an army of ants, a pair of shoes, a cluster of coconuts, a mob of deer.
Examples:
 |
 |
 |
| The army of ants found their way back to their colony. |
The mob of deer ran away from the tiger. |
Always keep your pair of shoes together. |
Abstract Noun
Definition:
An abstract noun is a name given to a thought or idea. These ideas could be a name of a quality, emotion, state, or idea. The words beauty & sweetness describe a quality, whereas the words like childhood & adulthood are a person's state. These are words that describe an abstract thought or idea; hence they are called abstract nouns.
Examples:
 |
 |
 |
| She is beautiful. |
Her braveness saved many people that day. |
Happiness is something to crave for. |
Types of Abstract Nouns:
Abstract nouns can be classified into subcategories like quality, emotion, state, idea, etc. Abstract nouns cannot be counted; Hence they are uncountable nouns.
Most of the abstract words fall could be grouped in the categories listed below. Look at a few of the examples listed under each category.
1. Quality
Think about all the qualities that a person might want or not want are a part of abstract nouns.
Examples :
- Madonna is known for her beauty.
- Jaidev fed the poor out of the kindness of his heart.
2. Emotion
The emotions that a person feels, like anger, sorrow, and hatred are a few examples of abstract nouns.
Examples:
- Krutika felt grief after she lost the match.
- Anger and sorrow gave him the strength to fight in the war.
3. State
It is a specific condition that someone is in at a particular time—words like being, peace, chaos, liberty, etc.
Examples:
- Peace can be achieved through mediation.
- Lokesh couldn’t speak on the phone due to the chaos on the road.
4. Idea
Ideas refer to the thoughts that a person thinks of. This type could include words like beliefs, interest, sacrifice, etc.
Examples:
- Soldiers made great sacrifices in the war.
- Rasesh has many interests.
Common Mistakes:
1. Some of the abstract nouns should not be used in plural form.
There was a lot of hatred between the soldiers during the war. ✅
There was a lot of hatreds between the soldiers during the war. ❌
2. Most abstract nouns cannot be used with plural verbs.
Kindness is rewarded by many. ✅
Kindness are rewarded by many. ❌
3. Some abstract nouns can be used in singular form, and some abstract nouns have a plural form.
Some words are given below:
| Singular |
Plural |
| curiosity |
curiosities |
| ego |
egos |
| peculiarity |
peculiarities |
Let’s take a look at all the types we studied today.
Concept : Types of Gender - Masculine, Feminine, & Neuter
The students will learn about the gender and the three different types of genders : masculine, feminine, and neuter gender. They will also know to change the genders of a noun if they add suffix.
In this learning concept, the students will learn the following:
- To change the gender of nouns
- To identify the correct gender.
Every concept is taught to class 4 English students with the help of examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Once you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the printable gender worksheet for class 4 given at the end of the page.
Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Masculine, Feminine and Neuter Gender provided in PDF format.
What is Gender?
- Gender is the term used to show if a person or animal is a male or a female.
- Words used to describe a gender are nouns that answer the questions ‘What is it?’ and ‘Who is it?’. These words give names to things, people, animals and places.
- Some can neither be male nor female, which are categorized as neuter gender.
- In the sentences given below, words like ‘girl’ belong to the feminine gender, and ‘boy’ belong to the masculine gender. But the word table is a non–living thing which is neither a male nor female, so it is described as neuter gender.
Examples:
 |
 |
 |
| a) Riya is a pretty girl. |
b) The table is clean |
c) Little Sam sat on the chair. |
- Masculine Gender
- All males whether it is a person or an animal who show masculine qualities are categorized as the masculine gender. For example, man, prince, hero, king, lion, etc.
- The nouns used to describe a male are nouns of the masculine gender.
Examples:
 |
 |
 |
| a) A man helped me, when I fell from my bicycle. |
b) He is the prince of England. |
c) Lion is the king of jungle. |
B. Feminine Gender:
- Any person showing the qualities of a female is called the feminine gender. For instance, woman, queen, lioness, etc.
- These nouns that refer to feminine qualities are therefore called feminine gender.
Examples:
 |
 |
 |
| a) The woman at the mall was very helpful. |
b) The lioness fought for her cubs. |
c) She is the queen of England. |
C. Neuter Gender:
Things that cannot be categorized as male or female gender. Hence the words like house, knife, tree, chair, cupboard are termed as neuter gender.
Examples:
Exceptions:
- The pronoun ‘He’ is used for a singular masculine noun, ‘she’ is used for singular feminine noun, and ‘it’ is used for a singular neuter noun.
- The pronoun ‘they ‘and ‘they may be used for masculine and feminine or neuter.
Changing Masculine Nouns into Feminine Nouns If You Add Suffix
Nouns can be changed from one form to the other. Some feminine nouns can be made from masculine nouns by the adding the suffix ‘ess’ to the noun.
Example:
| Masculine Gender |
Feminine Gender |
| Lion |
Lioness |
| Heir |
Heiress |
| Priest |
Priestess |
| Author |
Authoress |
| Prince |
Princess |
Exceptions:
- Sometimes the noun form does not take the suffix ‘ess’ instead the word changes completely.
Examples:
| Masculine Gender |
Feminine Gender |
| King |
Queen |
| Brother |
Sister |
| father |
Mother |
| Uncle |
Aunt |
2. Many nouns refer to people’s roles and a job which do not use a masculine or feminine noun but are neuter nouns. These words can be used irrespective of the gender of the person. For example, cousin, teacher, doctor, friend, & actor.
Examples:
 |
 |
| a) Eva is my friend. She is a doctor. |
b) Rohit is my brother. He is a doctor. |
