Nouns · Kindergarten

A noun is a word that names a person, a place, a thing or an idea: teacher, Cairo, table, happiness. Most sentences have at least one. There are four main kinds of noun, and each one tells you something different.

Key facts

  • Common nouns name any person, place or thing: girl, city, pencil. They start with a small letter.
  • Proper nouns name a particular person, place, day or month: Amira, London, Monday, July. They always start with a capital letter.
  • Collective nouns name a group: a team of players, a flock of birds, a herd of elephants, a swarm of bees.
  • Abstract nouns name ideas, feelings and qualities you can't see or touch: courage, friendship, fear, honesty.
  • A quick test: a noun can usually follow the, a or my: the table, a team, my fear.

Worked examples

Example 1

Find the nouns: The old man walked slowly to the shop.

Answer: man and shop

Example 2

What kind of noun is Durban?

Answer: A proper noun

Example 3

Choose the collective noun: a ___ of wolves (flock / pack / swarm)

Answer: a pack of wolves

Example 4

Is kindness a common noun or an abstract noun?

Answer: An abstract noun

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