Page 29 - DENG103_English - I

English–I

Notes noun, the countable noun (also called the count noun), the non-countable noun (also called the
mass noun), and the collective noun.

Notes You should note that a noun will belong to more than one type: it will be proper
or common, abstract or concrete, and countable or non-countable or collective.

Different Types of Noun

Proper nouns

You always write a proper noun with a capital letter, since the noun represents the name of
a specific person, place, or thing. The names of days of the week, months, historical documents,
institutions, organisations, religions, their holy texts and their adherents are proper nouns. A
proper noun is the opposite of a common noun.
In each of the following sentences, the proper nouns are highlighted:

The Marroons were transported from Jamaica and forced to build the fortifications in Halifax.
Many people dread Monday mornings.
Beltane is celebrated on the first of May.
Abraham appears in the Talmud and in the Koran.

Last year, I had a Baptist, a Buddhist, and a Gardnerian Witch as roommates.

Common nouns

A common noun is a noun referring to a person, place, or thing in a general sense—usually,
you should write it with a capital letter only when it begins a sentence. A common noun is
the opposite of a proper noun.
In each of the following sentences, the common nouns are highlighted:
According to the sign, the nearest town is 60 miles away.

All the gardens in the neighbourhood were invaded by beetles this summer.
I don’t understand why some people insist on having six different kinds of mustard in
their cupboards.

The road crew was startled by the sight of three large moose crossing the road.
Many child-care workers are underpaid.
Sometimes you will make proper nouns out of common nouns, as in the following examples:
The tenants in the Mazher Apartments are appealing the large and sudden increase in their
rent.
The meals in the Bouncing Bean Restaurant are less expensive than meals in ordinary
restaurants.
Many witches refer to the Renaissance as the Burning Times.
The Diary of Anne Frank is often a child’s first introduction to the history of
the Holocaust.

22 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY