1.2.2

Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns

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Lexis - Common and Proper Nouns

You may remember from your study of English at GCSE that nouns are people, places or things. But there are many different types of nouns, which are called sub-classes. Nouns are either specific or more general.

Common nouns

Common nouns

Common nouns are general, like dogs, writers and feelings.
These do not need capital letters unless they are starting a sentence.

Common nouns - examples

Common nouns - examples

I really like that writer!
- Writer here acts as a common noun.
My horse is so sweet.
- Horse here acts as a common noun.
The teacher gave me a gold star.
- Both the teacher and star here act as common nouns.

Proper nouns

Proper nouns

Proper nouns are specific objects, people or things.
- For example, Daniel, Shakespeare and English.
These always need a capital letter.

Proper nouns - examples

Proper nouns - examples

I really like Shakespeare!
- Shakespeare here acts a proper noun.
London is my home.
- London here acts as a proper noun.
I am very annoyed at James.
- James here acts as a proper noun.

Lexis - Abstract and Concrete Nouns

You may remember from your study of English at GCSE that nouns are people, places or things. But there are many different types of nouns, which are called sub-classes. Nouns are either tangible (touchable) or not.

Concrete nouns

Concrete nouns

Concrete nouns can be touched, like a plug, a phone and a tree.

Concrete nouns - examples

Concrete nouns - examples

I put my pen on the table.
- Both pen and table are concrete nouns.
The saddle is too big for the horse.
- Both saddle and horse are concrete nouns.
He plays the guitar really badly.
- Guitar is a concrete noun.

Abstract nouns

Abstract nouns

Nouns like love and pain are about feelings and states of being. We call these abstract nouns.

Abstract noun - examples

Abstract noun - examples

I felt the anger burn me up.
- Anger here is the abstract noun.
I felt sadness when he left.
- Sadness here is the abstract noun.
Teaching is my passion.
- Passion here is the abstract noun.

1

Language Levels

1.1

Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives

1.2

Lexis

1.2.1Introduction 1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns 1.2.3Collective Nouns 1.2.4Adjectives 1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs 1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs 1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs 1.2.8Mood of Verbs 1.2.9Adverbs 1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns 1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns 1.2.12Determiners 1.2.13Conjunctions 1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features 1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis

1.3

Grammar

1.3.1Morphology 1.3.2Clauses 1.3.3Phrases 1.3.4Present Tense 1.3.5Past Tense 1.3.6Future Tense 1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar

1.4

Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics 1.4.2Pragmatics

1.5

Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure 1.5.2Graphology & Orthography 1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.

2

Language, The Individual & Society

2.1

Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam 2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation 2.1.3Writing About Phonemes 2.1.4Phonological Simplification 2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition 2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language 2.1.7Lexical Development 2.1.8Stages of Development 2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development

2.2

Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism 2.2.2Interactionism 2.2.3Challenging Interactionism 2.2.4Nativism 2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer 2.2.6Cognitivism 2.2.7Social Constructionism 2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition 2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories

2.3

Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction 2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word 2.3.3Debates in Reading 2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition 2.3.5Other Reading Theories 2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading

2.4

Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography 2.4.2Kroll's Theory 2.4.3Barclay's Theory 2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy 2.4.5Other Writing Theories 2.4.6The Exam 2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing

3

Language Diversity & Change

3.1

The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender 3.1.2Dominance Theory 3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West 3.1.4Deficit Theory 3.1.5Difference Model 3.1.6Difference Model - Men 3.1.7Diversity Model 3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language

3.2

Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups 3.2.2Social Class 3.2.3Social Class 2 3.2.4Age 3.2.5Age - Teen Speak 3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study 3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study 3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups

3.3

Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups 3.3.2Jargon 3.3.3Conversations 3.3.4Hierarchy & Power 3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups

3.4

Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect 3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects 3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment 3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie 3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations 3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London 3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects

3.5

Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change 3.5.2Modelling Change 3.5.3Modelling Change 2 3.5.4Lexical Change 3.5.5Semantic Change 3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change

3.6

History of English

3.6.1Old English 3.6.2Old English 2 3.6.3Middle English 3.6.4Middle English 2 3.6.5Early Modern English 3.6.6Late Modern English 3.6.7Present Day English 3.6.8Global English 3.6.9American English 3.6.10Modelling Global English 3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

Jump to other topics

1

Language Levels

1.1

Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives

1.2

Lexis

1.2.1Introduction 1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns 1.2.3Collective Nouns 1.2.4Adjectives 1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs 1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs 1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs 1.2.8Mood of Verbs 1.2.9Adverbs 1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns 1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns 1.2.12Determiners 1.2.13Conjunctions 1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features 1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis

1.3

Grammar

1.3.1Morphology 1.3.2Clauses 1.3.3Phrases 1.3.4Present Tense 1.3.5Past Tense 1.3.6Future Tense 1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar

1.4

Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics 1.4.2Pragmatics

1.5

Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure 1.5.2Graphology & Orthography 1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.

2

Language, The Individual & Society

2.1

Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam 2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation 2.1.3Writing About Phonemes 2.1.4Phonological Simplification 2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition 2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language 2.1.7Lexical Development 2.1.8Stages of Development 2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development

2.2

Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism 2.2.2Interactionism 2.2.3Challenging Interactionism 2.2.4Nativism 2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer 2.2.6Cognitivism 2.2.7Social Constructionism 2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition 2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories

2.3

Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction 2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word 2.3.3Debates in Reading 2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition 2.3.5Other Reading Theories 2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading

2.4

Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography 2.4.2Kroll's Theory 2.4.3Barclay's Theory 2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy 2.4.5Other Writing Theories 2.4.6The Exam 2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing

3

Language Diversity & Change

3.1

The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender 3.1.2Dominance Theory 3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West 3.1.4Deficit Theory 3.1.5Difference Model 3.1.6Difference Model - Men 3.1.7Diversity Model 3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language

3.2

Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups 3.2.2Social Class 3.2.3Social Class 2 3.2.4Age 3.2.5Age - Teen Speak 3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study 3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study 3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups

3.3

Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups 3.3.2Jargon 3.3.3Conversations 3.3.4Hierarchy & Power 3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups

3.4

Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect 3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects 3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment 3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie 3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations 3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London 3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects

3.5

Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change 3.5.2Modelling Change 3.5.3Modelling Change 2 3.5.4Lexical Change 3.5.5Semantic Change 3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change

3.6

History of English

3.6.1Old English 3.6.2Old English 2 3.6.3Middle English 3.6.4Middle English 2 3.6.5Early Modern English 3.6.6Late Modern English 3.6.7Present Day English 3.6.8Global English 3.6.9American English 3.6.10Modelling Global English 3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

Practice questions on Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

1
Which of these are proper nouns?True / false
2
Which of these is a common noun?Multiple choice
3
Which of these is a common noun?Multiple choice
4
Which of these is a <b>proper</b> noun?Multiple choice
5
Which of these is a <b>proper</b> noun?Multiple choice

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Introduction

Collective Nouns