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Part of speech Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

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PART OF SPEECH meaning: a class of words (such as adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs, etc.) that are identified according to the kinds of ideas they express and the way they work in a sentence

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Nouns name Persons , Places , Things , and , Ideas

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Nouns, also called naming words, would probably be the very first part of speech you would have learnt in your English grammar classes. Anything we can touch, see, smell, taste, hear and hold can be referred to as nouns.
Here is what we will be covering in this article about nouns:
What Is a Noun?

Nouns are a part of speech that comprise words that are used to name people, places, animals, objects and ideas. Almost every sentence will definitely have a noun, and they perform different roles in a sentence. Nouns can act as the subject, an indirect object, a direct object, a subject complement and an object complement. Nouns can also function as adjectives and verbs.

Examples of Nouns:

People - Rahul, Sheela, Man, Person, Tommy, Women, Girl, The Prime Minister

Places - Bangalore, India, Mexico, North Pole, South Africa, The Nile River, Classroom, Bedroom, Basketball Court, Cricket Ground, Swimming Pool

Animals/Birds/Aquatic Animals/Reptiles - Lion, Zebra, Snake, Ostrich, Flamingo, Bear, Cat, Fish, Shark

Ideas - Evolution, Invention, Extinction, Argument, Destruction

Objects/Things - Bat, Cycle, Curtains, Paper, Bag, Blackboard, Cupboard

Types of Nouns

Nouns can be broadly classified into:

1. Proper Nouns: Nouns that are used to name a person, place or thing specifically are called a proper noun. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.
Examples:
2. Common nouns: Common nouns are those nouns that refer to a generic item, group or place. This means that, unlike proper nouns, they are not used to identify specific people, places or objects. Common nouns are not capitalised unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.
Examples:
3. Singular nouns: These are words that are used to name a single person, place, animal, bird or object.
Examples:
4. Plural nouns: Plural nouns refer to a number of people, places, animals or things. Nouns are made plural by adding an 's' or 'es' or 'ies' or 'ves' to the existing root word. Nouns that end with an 's' remain the same. Some nouns remain the same in both their singular and plural forms, and some others have totally different spelling.
Examples:
5. Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted or measured.
Examples:

Tom brought ten packets of lays for the trip. (specific number - ten)

Mom asked me to buy a dozen eggs. (specific - dozen means twelve)

I saw an aeroplane around seven in the morning. (specific - an means one)

6. Uncountable nouns are those nouns that cannot be counted. This category of nouns includes both concrete and abstract nouns.
Examples:

I have a lot of homework to do. (Not specific)

I have a cup of tea. (Cannot count)

We are facing terrible weather today. (Cannot count)

7. Collective Nouns: A collective noun is a naming word that is used to denote a group of objects, animals or people.
Examples:
8. Concrete Nouns: A concrete noun refers to objects that are material and can be perceived by the human senses.
Examples:
9. Abstract Nouns: Any entity that cannot be perceived by the five senses of the human body are called an abstract noun.
Examples:

Love is a strong emotion.

Honesty is the best policy.

It takes a lot of courage to raise your voice and stand up against injustice.

You should not misuse the freedom you are given.

Also Explore: Compound Nouns | Possessive Nouns | Noun Phrases | Noun Exercises

Nouns Used as Different Components of a Sentence

Nouns Used as a Subject

When used as a subject, a noun mostly appears at the beginning of a sentence. It can be identified by asking the question 'who'.
Examples:

Bruno went to the playground.

The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments.

The elephant was rescued safely after ten long hours.

Nouns Used as an Object

When nouns are used as objects, they appear in the latter part of a sentence. It can be identified by asking the question 'what'.
Examples:
Nouns can be used as a direct object and an indirect object.

Nouns Used as a Direct Object

You can identify a noun used as a direct object by asking the question 'what'.
Examples:

Do you want a lollipop? (What do you want? - a lollipop)

I loved my dress. (What did you love? - my dress)

Nouns Used as an Indirect Object

You can ask the question 'for whom' to identify a noun used as an indirect object.
Examples:

Dan bought his sister a Mini Cooper. (For whom did Dan buy a Mini Cooper? - his sister)

Megha baked Julie a cake. (For whom did Megha bake a cake? - Julie)

Nouns Used as a Complement

When a noun is used to modify or describe another noun, it acts as a complement.

Nouns Used as a Subject Complement

Professions and positions can perform the role of a subject complement.
Examples:

My brother is an engineer.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

Nouns Used as an Object Complement

Object complements are nouns that follow the noun they modify. Names, professions and positions can perform the role of an object complement.
Examples:

We named our dog, Shadow.

The teacher made Tabitha, the class leader.

Multifunctional Nouns

Nouns Used as Verbs

There are some nouns which can also be used as a verb. Some nouns can be used as verbs with a slight change in the spelling of the original word.
Examples:
His divorce is final. (Used as a noun)

I am divorced. (Used as a verb)

Do you like my new dress? (Used as a noun)

I am dressed and ready to go. (Used as a verb)

Derrick had come to collect some ice. (Used as a noun)

My mother iced the fish so that it did not stink. (Used as a verb)

I have dance practice today. (Used as a noun)

Did you practise the song? (Used as an adjective)

Nouns Used as Adjectives

With a slight change in the spelling or adding a suffix to the root word, nouns can sometimes be used as adjectives.
Examples:
I have no money. (Used as a noun)

There has been a change in the monetary policy of the country. (Used as an adjective)

Javed sensed some danger. (Used as a noun)

What you are trying to do is dangerous. (Used as an adjective)

She is excited about magic. (Used as a noun)

The experience was completely magical. (Used as an adjective)

Speaking against another religion is a legal offence. (Used as a noun)

What you did was offensive. (Used as an adjective)

Frequently Asked Questions on Nouns

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Nouns: Learn all about what is a noun, the different types of nouns in English, functions of nouns and examples of nouns in this article.

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Pronouns take the place the place of a noun

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What Are Pronouns? Definitions and Examples

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​​You use pronouns every day. In fact, even if you don’t know what pronouns are, you use them—and in this sentence alone, we’ve now used…

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Verbs are actions words in a sentence

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Adjectives describes verbs

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Adjectives describe or modify-that is, they limit or restrict the meaning of-nouns and pronouns. They may name qualities of all kinds: huge, red, angry, tremendous, unique, rare, etc.

An adjective usually comes right before a noun: "a red dress," " fifteen people." When an adjective follows a linking verb such as be or seem, it is called a adjective: "That building is huge," "The workers seem happy." Most adjectives can be used as predicate adjectives, although some are always used before a noun. Similarly, a few adjectives can only be used as predicate adjectives and are never used before a noun.

Some adjectives describe qualities that can exist in different amounts or degrees. To do this, the adjective will either change in form (usually by adding -er or -est) or will be used with words like more, most, very, slightly, etc.: "the older girls," "the longest day of the year," "a very strong feeling," " more expensive than that one." Other adjectives describe qualities that do not vary-" nuclear energy," "a medical doctor"-and do not change form.

The four demonstrative adjectives- this, that, these, and those-are identical to the demonstrative . They are used to distinguish the person or thing being described from others of the same category or class. This and these describe people or things that are nearby, or in the present. That and those are used to describe people or things that are not here, not nearby, or in the past or future. These adjectives, like the definite and indefinite articles ( a, an, and the), always come before any other adjectives that modify a noun.

An indefinite adjective describes a whole group or class of people or things, or a person or thing that is not identified or familiar. The most common indefinite adjectives are: all, another, any, both, each, either, enough, every, few, half, least, less, little, many, more, most, much, neither, one (and two, three, etc.), other, several, some, such, whole.

The interrogative adjectives-primarily which, what, and whose-are used to begin questions. They can also be used as interrogative .

Which horse did you bet on? = Which did you bet on?

What songs did they sing? = What did they sing?

Whose coat is this? = Whose is this?

The possessive adjectives- my, your, his, her, its, our, their-tell you who has, owns, or has experienced something, as in "I admired her candor, " Our cat is 14 years old," and "They said their trip was wonderful."

Nouns often function like adjectives. When they do, they are called attributive nouns.

When two or more adjectives are used before a noun, they should be put in proper order. Any article ( a, an, the), demonstrative adjective ( that, these, etc.), indefinite adjective ( another, both, etc.), or possessive adjective ( her, our, etc.) always comes first. If there is a number, it comes first or second. True adjectives always come before attributive nouns. The ordering of true adjectives will vary, but the following order is the most common:

Participles are often used like ordinary adjectives. They may come before a noun or after a linking verb. A present participle (an -ing word) describes the person or thing that causes something; for example, a boring conversation is one that bores you. A past participle (usually an -ed word) describes the person or thing who has been affected by something; for example, a bored person is one who has been affected by boredom.

They had just watched an exciting soccer game.

The instructions were confusing.

She's excited about the trip to North Africa.

Several confused students were asking questions about the test.

The lake was frozen.

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a word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages and typically serving as a modifier of a noun to denote a quality of the thing named, to indicate its quantity or extent, or to specify a thing as distinct from something else...

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adverbs describe verbs

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ad·​verb | \ ˈad-ˌvərb \

What is an adverb?

Noun

Adverbs are words that usually modify-that is, they limit or restrict the meaning of- verbs. They may also modify adjectives, other adverbs, phrases, or even entire sentences.

An adverb answers the question when?, where?, how?, how much?, how long?, or how often?:

The elections are coming soon.

They only shopped locally.

They are happily married.

The roads are very steep.

He stopped by briefly to say hello.

My daughter calls me regularly.

Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. If the adjective already ends in -y, the -y usually changes to -i.

There are a few different kinds of adverbs. The words when, where, why, and how are called interrogative adverbs when they begin a question.

The adverbs- where, when, and why ( how is sometimes included as well)-introduce subordinate clauses (also called dependent clauses), which are clauses that do not form simple sentences by themselves.

This is the house where I grew up.

They go to bed when they want to.

She wondered why the door was open.

When an adverb modifies a whole sentence or clause, it is called a sentence adverb. Words such as fortunately, frankly, hopefully, and luckily are generally used as sentence adverbs and usually express the speaker's feelings about the content of the sentence. Such adverbs normally come at the beginning of a sentence, but may also come in the middle or at the end.

Unfortunately, Friday will be cloudy.

Friday, unfortunately, will be cloudy.

Friday will be cloudy, unfortunately.

Dog Words Quiz

Which of the following animals has a dog in its etymology?

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a word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages, typically serving as a modifier of a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a preposition, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence, expressing some relation of manner or quality, place, time, degree,... See the full definition

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join together two different, but related, parts of a sentence.

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Conjunctions: Grammar Rules and Examples | Grammarly

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Without conjunctions, you'd be forced to express every complex idea in a series of short, simplistic sentences: I like cooking. I like eating. I don't like washing dishes afterward.

How do conjunctions work?

Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together.

I like cooking and eating, but I don't like washing dishes afterward.

Sophie is clearly exhausted, yet she insists on dancing till dawn.

Conjunctions allow you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid the choppiness of multiple short sentences. Make sure that the phrases joined by conjunctions are parallel (share the same structure).

I work quickly and careful.

I work quickly and carefully.

Write with Grammarly

Coordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions allow you to join words, phrases, and clauses of equal grammatical rank in a sentence. The most common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so; you can remember them by using the mnemonic device FANBOYS.

I'd like pizza or a salad for lunch.

We needed a place to concentrate, so we packed up our things and went to the library.

Jesse didn't have much money, but she got by.

Notice the use of the comma when a coordinating conjunction is joining two independent clauses.

Correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together. Some examples are either/or, neither/ nor, and not only/ but also.

Not only am I finished studying for English, but I'm also finished writing my history essay.

I am finished with both my English essay and my history essay.

Subordinating conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions join independent and dependent clauses. A subordinating conjunction can signal a cause-and-effect relationship, a contrast, or some other kind of relationship between the clauses. Common subordinating conjunctions are because, since, as, although, though, while, and whereas. Sometimes an adverb, such as until, after, or before can function as a conjunction.

I can stay out until the clock strikes twelve.

Here, the adverb until functions as a subordinating conjunction to connect two ideas: I can stay out (the independent clause) and the clock strikes twelve (the dependent clause). The independent clause could stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause depends on the independent clause to make sense.

The subordinating conjunction doesn't need to go in the middle of the sentence. It has to be part of the dependent clause, but the dependent clause can come before the independent clause.

Before he leaves, make sure his room is clean.

If the dependent clause comes first, use a comma before the independent clause.

I drank a glass of water because I was thirsty.

Because I was thirsty, I drank a glass of water.

Starting a sentence with a conjunction

Many of us were taught in school that it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction, but that rule is a myth. As mentioned above, a subordinating conjunction can begin a sentence if the dependent clause comes before the independent clause. It's also correct to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. Often, it's a good way to add emphasis. Beginning too many sentences with conjunctions will cause the device to lose its force, however, so use this technique sparingly.

Have a safe trip. And don't forget to call when you get home.

Gertie flung open the door. But there was no one on the other side.

List of conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Correlative conjunctions

both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but, whether/or

Subordinating conjunctions

after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before, by the time, even if, even though, if, in order that, in case, in the event that, lest, now that, once, only, only if, provided that, since, so, supposing, that, than, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether or not, while

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What Are Conjunctions? Definition and Examples

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Without conjunctions, you'd be forced to express every complex idea in a series of short, simplistic sentences: I like cooking. I like eating. I don't...

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is word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object.1

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Preposition Examples and How to Use Them | Grammarly

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Prepositions indicate relationships between other words in a sentence.

Many prepositions tell you where something is or when something happened.

Most prepositions have several definitions, so their meaning depends quite a bit on context.

Ending a sentence with a preposition is not a grammatical error.

What is a preposition?

"Vampires! Zombies! Werewolves!"

"Behind you!"

Thank goodness for prepositions. Imagine not knowing where the danger lay . . .

Prepositions tell us where or when something is in relation to something else. When monsters are approaching, it's good to have these special words to tell us where those monsters are. Are they behind us or in front of us? Will they be arriving in three seconds or at midnight?

Prepositions often tell us where one is in relation to another (e.g., "The coffee is on the table beside you"). But they can also indicate more abstract ideas, such as purpose or contrast (e.g., "We went for a walk despite the rain").

Types of prepositions

Prepositions indicate direction, time, location, and spatial relationships, as well as other abstract types of relationships.

Preposition examples

Unfortunately, there's no reliable formula for determining which preposition to use with a particular combination of words. The best way to learn which prepositions go with which words is to read as much high-quality writing as you can and pay attention to which combinations sound right. Here are a few examples of the most common prepositions used in sentences.

You can also use tools like the Google Books Ngram Viewer to see which prepositions most commonly occur with particular words-but remember, this tool can't explain the difference in meaning between different prepositional phrases like "pay for" (to purchase) and "pay off" (to bribe). For that, you may want to refer to a list of prepositions that includes the meanings of common combinations, which you can find online, or to a usage guide such as The Chicago Manual of Style , which includes a list of words that often give writers trouble along with the prepositions that go with them in different constructions.

Ending a sentence with a preposition

The old claim that it's wrong to end a sentence with a preposition has been debunked. It's not true now and it never was true. Writers who insist that a preposition can't end a sentence often end up with stilted and unnatural-sounding sentences:

That said, it is sometimes more elegant to move a preposition to an earlier spot in a sentence, especially in very serious and formal writing . But if you do move the preposition, remember to delete it from the end.

Unnecessary prepositions

One of the most common preposition mistakes is adding an unnecessary to the end of a question.

Although this is common in some English dialects , it's considered nonstandard in writing. You can fix the problem by simply deleting the .

On the bright side, if you're not sure which preposition to use, sometimes you can just get rid of it altogether. In fact, you should always get rid of unnecessary prepositional phrases. Too many prepositions can be a sign of flabby writing. Look at how many prepositions appear in the sentence below:

Getting rid of the prepositions forces you to tighten up the sentence. The result is shorter, more direct, and easier to understand:

Here's another example:

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Prepositions indicate where something is or when something happened. Here are some helpful examples of common prepositions and their different meanings.

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a word or phrase that is grammatically independent from the words around it, and mainly expresses feeling rather than meaning.

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1. an occasion when someone interrupts someone else, or the interruptions…

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Nouns are an all-star team of words and always have a player ready to step up to the plate, no matter the challenge. Common nouns, proper nouns, abstract nouns, and concrete nouns are our go-to nouns but there are many types of nouns ready to get in the game. To learn the difference between all these nouns, use this guide to link to in-depth articles about each type of noun.

What is a noun?

A is a word that refers to a person, place, or thing. The category of "things" may sound super vague, but in this case it means inanimate objects, abstract concepts, and activities. Phrases and other parts of speech can also behave like nouns and can be the subject in a sentence, as in Jogging is a fun exercise. Here, the verb jogging acts like a noun and is the subject of the sentence.

Different types of nouns

1) Common nouns

Common nouns are words that refer to undefined or generic people, places, or things. For example, the country is a common noun that refers to a generic place while the word Canada is not a common noun because it refers to a specific place. Common nouns are only capitalized when they begin sentences or are used in the names or titles of something, as in Grand Canyon or Iron Man.

2) Proper nouns

Proper nouns help distinguish a specific person, place, or thing. These words should be capitalized. The names and titles of things are always proper nouns, such as the brand name Starbucks and the personal name Jenny.

3) Singular nouns

Singular nouns are nouns that refer to only one person, place or thing. For example, a cat is one animal and a banana is one fruit.

4) Plural nouns

A refers to more than one of something. Many singular nouns just need an S added at the end to make them plural (e.g., bee becomes bees). For some nouns that already end with an S, you may need to add -es to the end to make their plural forms (e.g., classes and buses). Some singular nouns also change spelling when made plural (e.g. countries and babies).

Not all nouns follow this pattern. Those that become plural in other ways are called irregular plural nouns. Some examples are man and men, wolf and wolves, foot and feet, and sheep and ... sheep.

5) Concrete nouns

A concrete noun is something that can be perceived through the five senses. If you can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell something, it uses a concrete noun.

6) Abstract nouns

Abstract nouns are intangible ideas that can't be perceived with the five senses, such as social concepts, political theories, and character traits. For example, the abstract noun anger refers to an emotion and the abstract noun courage refers to a quality a person has.

7) Collective nouns

A collective noun is a noun that functions as a singular noun while referring to a group of people or things. A collective noun refers to a group that functions as one unit or performs the same action at the same time. For example: the team plays in the main gym.

8) Compound nouns

A compound noun combines two or more words into one. Compound nouns can appear as a single word, multiple words used separately, or words connected by hyphens.

9) Countable nouns

A countable noun (also known as a ) is one that you can count. When you have three books or 10 pennies, you are describing a noun that is countable.

10) Uncountable nouns

An uncountable noun (also known as a ) is one that cannot be counted. For example, happiness cannot be counted. You don't say that you have "a happiness" or "three happinesses." Uncountable nouns typically don't have plural forms.

Nouns make up the majority of the English language. More nouns appear every year as people come up with new ideas, media, and technologies. However, a noun's basic function never changes. It is a person, place, or thing, and it may be one or more of the types of nouns that we all know and love.

Nouns are great, but when you're looking for clarity in writing, punctuation marks do the work! Learn about the major ones here.

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10 Types Of Nouns Used In The English Language

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Nouns come in many different shapes and sizes-do you know them all? Thesaurus.com breaks down the 10 types of nouns you need to know.

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What Is a Collective Noun? | Examples & Definitiona noun that refers to some sort of group or collective—of people, animals, things, etc.

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What Is a Collective Noun? | Examples & Definition

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A collective noun is a noun that refers to some sort of group or collective – of people, animals, things, etc. Collective nouns are normally not treated

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Common nouns are words for types of things, people, and places

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Common and proper nouns (video) | Khan Academy

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Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

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the special form of a noun that's used to indicate ownership (possession).

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Lesson Boosters - Kids Science and History Videos

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Possessive Nouns |Posessive Nouns for Kids | How to Use Possessive Nouns

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A concrete noun refers to a physical object in the real world, such as a dog, a ball, or an ice cream cone. An abstract noun refers to an idea or concept that does not exist in the real world and cannot be touched, like freedom, sadness, or permission.

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Concrete Nouns vs. Abstract Nouns | Grammarly

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Concrete nouns and abstract nouns are broad categories of nouns based on physical existence: Concrete nouns are physical things that can be seen, touched, heard, etc.; abstract nouns are nonphysical ideas that cannot be perceived through the senses. For example, you can touch a , which makes it a concrete noun, but you cannot touch , which makes it an abstract noun.

All are either concrete or abstract, but never both at the same time. It can sometimes be hard to know which is which, so this guide explains their differences and how to tell them apart, with lists of both concrete noun examples and abstract noun examples.

What are concrete nouns?

Concrete nouns describe physical things that can be sensed: seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted. Most nouns are concrete nouns-for example, , butterflies , grandmothers , and the Great Sphinx of Giza . Even invisible things, including (which can be felt) and (which can be heard), are concrete nouns.

Microscopic things, such as and , are also concrete nouns because they exist in the physical world. Even imaginary or fantasy things, such as and the character Katniss Everdeen , are concrete nouns-but only if they represent something that can be sensed, even if only in fictional .

Specifically, concrete nouns consist of these:

Examples of concrete nouns

Living things

Material things

What are abstract nouns?

By contrast, abstract nouns are nonphysical things that cannot be sensed. These are ideas, emotions, and other intangible things that exist in our minds instead of in the physical world. For example, intelligence and are abstract nouns because they're immaterial concepts (you can't touch education), but place names such as and universities are concrete nouns because they can be perceived through our senses.

Abstract nouns have many different categories, but some of the most common include these:

Differentiating between abstract nouns and concrete nouns isn't always easy, but there is a quick trick that can help. If a word uses a suffix to turn itself into a noun, it's an abstract noun. For example, the adjective takes the suffix - to make the abstract noun . Some common suffixes used by abstract nouns include these:

Abstract noun examples

Emotions/feelings

Characteristics

Philosophical concepts

States of being

Concrete nouns vs. abstract nouns

Concrete nouns and abstract nouns are two important classifications for nouns to help understand the natures of the things they represent. However, when it comes to grammar and usage, the difference is rather meaningless.

Concrete nouns and abstract nouns follow the same grammar rules as all general nouns. Both can turn into possessive nouns with the same construction; for example, you can talk about beauty's price just as you can talk about a book's price . Likewise, both can form compound nouns , such as the concrete noun and the abstract noun entertainment business .

Concrete and abstract noun FAQs

What are concrete nouns?

Concrete nouns describe physical things that can be sensed: seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted. They include all living things, places, and material things-even invisible things, such as and .

What are abstract nouns?

Abstract nouns describe conceptual things that cannot be sensed. They include all emotions, feelings, characteristics, philosophical concepts, states of being, and time. For example, independence , , , , and are all abstract nouns.

How to tell the difference between concrete nouns and abstract nouns?

To tell if a noun is concrete or abstract, ask yourself whether it can be sensed-i.e., can it be seen, heard, touched, smelled, or tasted? If it can be sensed, then it's a concrete noun; if not, then it's abstract. Another way is to look for suffixes like - and : Nouns that end in these suffixes are usually abstract, such as and entertainment .

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Nouns can be concrete or abstract, depending on whether they can be perceived through the senses. Here, we provide definitions and examples of both types.

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a noun that immediately follows and renames another noun in order to clarify or classify it.

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Appositive | Examples, Definition & Punctuation

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An appositive (also called an appositive noun or appositive phrase) is a noun phrase that follows another noun phrase and provides additional information

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The first noun functions as an adjective in such a construction and is usually called an 'attributive noun. '

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An attributive noun is a noun that modifies another noun and functions as an adjective. It’s also known as a noun premodifier.

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Countable nouns can be counted, e.g. an apple, two apples, three apples, etc.

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It's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their usage is different in regards to both determiners and verbs.

Countable nouns

Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. They have a singular and a plural form. The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an". If you want to ask about the quantity of a countable noun, you ask "How many?" combined with the plural countable noun.

Examples

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count with numbers. They may be the names for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small or too amorphous to be counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc.). Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb. They usually do not have a plural form.

Examples

We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of , or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of, 1L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. If you want to ask about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you ask "How much?"

Examples

There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease.

He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.

Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns?

He did not have much sugar left.

Measure 1 cup of water, 300g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

How much rice do you want?

Tricky spots

Some nouns are countable in other languages but uncountable in English. They must follow the rules for uncountable nouns. The most common ones are:
accommodation, advice, baggage, behavior, bread, furniture, information, luggage, news, progress, traffic, travel, trouble, weather, work

Examples

I would like to give you some advice.

How much bread should I bring?

I didn't make much progress today.

This looks like a lot of trouble to me.

We did an hour of work yesterday.

Be careful with the noun hair which is normally uncountable in English, so it is not used in the plural. It can be countable only when referring to individual hairs.

Examples

She has long blond hair.

The child's hair was curly.

I washed my hair yesterday.

My father is getting a few grey hairs now. (refers to individual hairs)

I found a hair in my soup! (refers to a single strand of hair)

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Countable and uncountable nouns | English Grammar | EF

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It's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their usage is different in regards to both determiners and verbs. Countable nouns Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. They have a singular and a plural form. The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an".

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Gerund is the noun form of a verb that ends in -ing.

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What is a Gerund? Definition and Examples | Grammarly

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I hope to set a new record in swimming.

What do these two sentences have in common?

They both end in verbs, but those verbs aren't verbs. They're gerunds. Think about what these verbs are doing for a moment-they aren't describing the action in these sentences like verbs normally do. That's because gerunds don't describe action-they act as nouns.

Gerunds are a flexible, useful type of word because they enable us to speak and write about actions in a more abstract way, positioning those actions as reasons for specific outcomes, hobbies, and receivers of subjects' actions.

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What is a gerund and what is its function?

A gerund (pronounced JER-und) is a verb that's acting as a . By that, we mean that the -the word that describes the action that's happening, like "biking," "thinking," "running," or "speaking"-becomes a thing, a concept that can now be the sentence's subject, direct object, indirect object, or the object of a preposition.

It doesn't stop being a verb, but the role it plays in a sentence shifts from describing the action to being a focal point.

Here are two examples of sentences that contain gerunds:

As you see in these examples, gerunds are verbs in the present participle form . This means they're the root verb + "ing":

But that's not what makes them gerunds. To be a gerund, a verb has to act as a noun in its sentence. Present participle verbs are not gerunds when they describe the action in a sentence, like the verbs in these:

She is seeing the painting for the first time.

As I was walking to school, I tripped on uneven pavement.

Gerunds aren't the only instance where a word (or group of words) plays a role that's typically taken on by another type of word. For example, an adverbial clause is a clause that functions as an adverb. An adjective phrase is a phrase that describes a noun the way an adjective typically does.

Gerund phrases

A gerund phrase is a phrase that contains a gerund and a modifier or an object and, in some cases, both of these. Here are three examples of gerund phrases:

A gerund phrase, just like a gerund, acts as a noun in a sentence. Take a look at how these gerund phrases play this role:

A is a small group of words that communicates a concept but can't be an independent sentence on its own. There are lots of different kinds of phrases in English, like verb phrases, adjective phrases, prepositional phrases , and noun phrases.

Gerunds can also be used in conjunction with phrasal verbs , two-word phrases that combine a verb and an adverb or preposition to communicate a unique concept that can't be expressed by either of the words individually. Common phrasal verbs include:

And here are a few sentences that demonstrate how phrasal verbs and gerunds can work together:

Types of gerunds

There are six types of gerunds:

2 Subject complement: My preferred commuting method is biking.

4 Indirect object: My sister gave biking a try.

5 Object complement: I see myself biking every day.

Gerunds are almost as versatile as actual nouns. Just like nouns, they can be replaced by pronouns:

Gerunds and infinitives

Gerunds aren't the only kind of verb that act as nouns. When you need to use a verb as a noun, you can also turn it into an infinitive.

An infinitive is the word "to" + a verb's root. There are two ways you can use an infinitive: as a noun that communicates a single concept and as an adjective to describe a noun within the sentence. Here are a few examples, with infinitives bolded:

As you can see, infinitives are similar to gerunds, but they aren't exactly the same. In a sentence where the infinitive acts as a noun, you can easily swap in a gerund and it will still make sense:

But you can't always go the other way-notably when the gerund is the object of a preposition: "I blocked out a few hours this Sunday for to bike."

You could remove the preposition in this sentence ("for") and it would make sense: "I blocked out a few hours this Sunday to bike." But if you do this, you no longer have a prepositional phrase.

In contrast, some transitive verbs can work only with an infinitive. Take a look at these examples:

An easy rule to keep in mind is that you should use an infinitive when you're discussing something that's abstract, not real, or only might happen:

And use a gerund when you're discussing something that's specific, real, or has already happened:

How do you create a gerund?

As we mentioned above, you create a gerund by adding "ing" to the end of a root verb. In other words, a gerund is in the present participle form-but remember, a verb in the present participle form isn't automatically a gerund.

Gerund examples

Gerunds are incredibly versatile. Here are a few more examples of gerunds and gerund phrases in sentences:

When you're writing, whether it's an , a short story, a blog post, or even an email or text message, you'll probably naturally use gerunds. Next time you write something, challenge yourself to pick out the gerunds in your work. They can be tricky, but being able to recognize them will make you a stronger writer and reader.

Gerund FAQs

What is a gerund?

A gerund is a verb in its present participle form (root verb + "ing") that acts as a noun in a sentence.

What are the different kinds of gerunds?

Writing is easy with Grammarly

Pop quiz time! What's the gerund in the header above?

If you said "writing," you're correct. And when you're confident that your writing is free of grammatical errors, digging deeper and tackling bigger ideas in your work doesn't seem quite as daunting. Grammarly catches grammatical mistakes you may have missed and makes suggestions you can use to polish your first draft into perfectly publishable prose.

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What Is a Gerund? Gerund Definition and Examples

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What is a gerund and how do you use it in your writing? A gerund is a present participle used as a noun, but it's not as confusing as it sounds!