Parts of Speech

Words are classified into different kinds or groups called Parts of Speech according to their use and function in a
sentence. They are eight in number-Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction and
Interjection.

Noun

The Noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing. The word thing includes (i) all objects that we can
see, touch, hear, smell or taste, and (ii) something we can think of but cannot perceive through our senses. There are
five different kinds of noun. They are :

1. Proper Noun: A Proper Noun is the name of some particular person or place, [Proper means one's own. Hence a
Proper Name is a person's own name.]

Proper Nouns are always written with a capital letter at the beginning.

Proper Nouns are sometimes used as Common Nouns:

1. He was the Lukman (= the wisest man) of his age.

2. Kalidas is often called the Shakespeare (= the greatest dramatist) of India.

2. Common Noun: A Common Noun is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or kind.
[Common here means shared by all.]

Eg: The word girl is a Common Noun, because it is a name common to all girls, while Sita is a Proper Noun
because it is the name of a particular girl. Common Nouns include what are called Collective Nouns and
Abstract Nouns

3. Collective Noun: A Collective Noun is the name of a number (or collection) of persons or things taken together and
spoken of as one whole; as, Crowd, mob, team, flock, herd, army, fleet, jury, family, nation, parliament, committee.

A fleet = a collection of ships or vessels.

An army = a collection of soldiers.

A crowd = a collection of people.

The police dispersed the crowd.

The French army was defeated at Waterloo.

The jury found the prisoner guilty.

A herd of cattle is passing.

4. Material Noun: It denotes the matter or substance of which something is made from.

Eg: Wood, clay, rubber, iron, silver, gold, cloth, etc.

5. Abstract Noun: An Abstract Noun is usually the name of a quality, action, or state considered apart from the object
to which it belongs:

Quality - Goodness, kindness, whiteness, darkness, hardness, brightness, honesty, wisdom, bravery.

Action - Laughter, theft, movement, judgment, hatred.

State - Childhood, boyhood, youth, slavery, sleep, sickness, death, poverty.

The names of the Arts and Science (e.g., grammar, music, chemistry, etc.) are also Abstract Nouns.

Abstract Nouns are formed:

(1) From Adjectives; as, Kindness from kind; honesty from honest. [Most abstract nouns are formed thus.]

(2) From Verbs: as, Obedience from obey; growth from grow.

(3) From Common Nouns; as, Childhood from child; slavery from slave.

Another classification of nouns is whether they are “countable” or “uncountable”.

Countable nouns (or countables) are the names of objects, people, etc. that we can count, e.g., book, pen, apple, boy,
sister, doctor, horse.

Uncountable nouns (or uncountables) are the names of things which we cannot count, e.g., milk, oil, sugar, gold,
honesty. They mainly denote substances and abstract things.

Countable nouns have plural forms while uncountable nouns do not. For example, we say “books” but we cannot say
“milks”.

THE NOUN: GENDER

You know that living beings are of either the male or the female sex.

A noun that denotes a male animal is said to be of the Masculine Gender.

Boy (Lion, Hero, Cock-sparrow)

A noun that denotes a female animal is said to be of the Feminine Gender.

Girl (Lioness, Heroine, Hen-sparrow)

A noun that denotes either a male or a female is said to be of the Common Gender; such as Parent, child, friend,
pupil, servant, thief, relation, enemy, cousin, person, orphan, student, baby, monarch, neighbour, infant.

A noun that denotes a thing that is neither male nor female (i.e., thing without life) is said to be of the Neuter Gender;
as, Book, pen, room, tree.
Point out the Nouns in the following sentences, and say whether they are Common, Proper, Collective or Abstract:

1. The crowd was very big.

2. Always speak the truth.

3. We all love honesty.

4. Our class consists of twenty pupils.

5. The elephant has great strength.

6. Solomon was famous for his wisdom.

7. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

8. We saw a fleet of ships in the harbour.

9. The class is studying grammar.

10. The Godavary overflows its banks every year.

11. A committee of five was appointed.

12. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

13. The soldiers were rewarded for their bravery.

14. Without health there is no happiness.

15. He gave me a bunch of grapes.

16. I recognized your voice at once.

17. Our team is better than theirs.

18. Never tell a lie.

19. Wisdom is better than strength.

20. I believe in his innocence.

Write the Collective Nouns used to describe a number of

(1) Cattle;

(2) Soldiers;

(3) Sailors;

Write the qualities that belong to boys who are

(1) Lazy;

(2) Cruel;

(3) Brave;

(4) Foolish.

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Adjectives:

Long,

young,

humble,

decent,

cruel,

bitter,

strong,

true,

dark,

deep,

wide,

wise,
vacant,

sweet,

free,

proud,

brave,

novel,

poor,

just,

vain,

sane,

ignorant.

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Verbs:

Laugh,

obey,

live,

expect,

excel,

know,

Believe,

Serve,

Hate,

Please,

Act,

Starve,

Occupy,

Move,

Flatter,

Depart,

Persevere,

Protect,

Punish,
Die,

Succeed,

Judge,

Form Abstract Nouns from the following Common Nouns:

bankrupt,

infant,

regent,

agent,

coward,

priest,

boy,

pirate,

friend,

glutton.