Class 8 English Grammar Chapter 4 The Noun

Common Noun

A Common Noun is the name that can be given to every person, animal, place or thing of the same class or kind as,
Persons: Man, woman, boy, girl, teacher, doctor, peon etc.
Animals: Bull, cow, horse, cat, lion, mouse, elephant etc.
Places: School, temple, church, farm, park, zoo, roof, street etc.
Things: Pen, book, bag, bat, needle, table, spoon etc.

Collective Noun

A Collective Noun is the name of a group or collection of persons, animals or things of the same kind taken together and described as one whole; as, team, mob, jury, committee, family, party, group, regiment, dozen, score, heap, bundle, packet, library, fleet, herd, band, bouquet etc.
Note: A Collective Noun takes a singular verb, as:
1. Our army is strong.
2. The class is in the room.

Material Noun

A Material Noun is the name of the matter or substance of which things are made as, Gold, silver, cotton, wood, iron, steel, milk, honey, water, butter, oil, ice, bread, wheat, sugar, ink, paper, glass, china, leather, nylon, cloth, clay, salt etc.
1. Our clothes are made of cotton.
2. Iron is a very useful metal.
3. This ring is made of gold.

Abstract Noun

An Abstract Noun is the name of some feeling, quality, action or state, (or) An Abstract Noun is the name of something which we can neither see nor touch but which we can only feel or think of as, Study this list of some Abstract Nouns

The Number

There are two numbers in English:
1. Singular Number
2. Plural Number

1. Singular Number: A Noun or Pronoun that denotes one person or thing is said to be in the Singular Number as, Boy, Pen, Child, Tree, Book, etc.
2. Plural Number: A Noun or Pronoun that denotes more than one persons or things is said to be in the Plural Number; as, Boys, Pens, Children, Trees, Books etc.
3. Rules for Change of Number
   Rule (1): The Plural of a Noun is generally formed by adding ‘s’ to the Singular form as,

Rule (2): Singular Nouns ending in s, ss, sh, ch, x or z become plural by adding “es” to them, as,

Important Notes on the Change of Number:
1. Some Nouns have the same form both in the singular and in the plural as,

2. The following Nouns are always used as plural:
The cattle are grazing in the field.
3. Some Nouns are plural in appearance but singular in use:
Mathematics is an interesting subject.
Genders of Noun: Genders tell us whether a noun belongs to the male sex, female sex or to neither of the two:
1. Masculine Gender
2. Feminine Gender
3. Common Gender
4. Neuter Gender
1. Men, boys and male animals are Masculine.
2. Women, girls and female animals are Feminine.
3. A noun which has the same form for masculine and feminine is of the Common Gender (Baby, Child)
4 A lifeless thing is of the Neuter Gender. (Book, Chair)
Case of The Nouns: There are four cases in English:
1. Nominative Case
2. Objective or Accusative Case
3. Dative Case
4. Possessive Case
1. Nominative: Dogs bark.
2. Objective Case or Accusative Case: We serve our country.
3. Dative Case: I bought Sita a doll.
4. Possessive or Genitive Case: Manish’s father is a doctor.