NOUNS by Busungu Joseph

 

NOUNS

A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing or an idea. Nouns are categorized into the following types;

a.    Common nouns: these are nouns given in common to every person or thing of the same kind. Examples of common nouns include; teacher, person, parent, doctor, village, city, place, officer, town, government, parliament etc.

b.    Proper nouns: these are nouns given to particular people or places. For example, Busungu, Kilimanjaro, America, Tanzania, Serengeti, Japan, etc. Proper nouns are written with capital letters in the first letter.

c.    Concrete nouns: these are nouns used to name things that are tangible or things that can be seen. For example, girl, table, phone, house, bag, chair, car, piano, violin, etc.

d.   Abstract noun: These nouns name abstract concepts. They name things that cannot be touched or seen. For example, Angel, God, peace, freedom, thirsty, love, childhood, forestry, seniority, beauty, goodness, happiness, etc.

e.    Countable nouns: these are nouns used to name things, which can be counted. Things that can be divided into singular and plural. For example, table, book, hen, pen, cow, box, room, student, bottle, glass, etc.

f.      Uncountable nouns: these are nouns used to name things that can be counted. Things that cannot be divided into singular and plural. For example, water, salt, oil, sand, rice, milk, etc.

g.    Collective nouns: these are nouns used to name collection of things or persons. For example,

ü A band of musicians

ü A basket of fruits

ü A bevy of beautiful women

ü A board of directors

ü A bowl of rice

ü A box of cigars

ü A brood of chickens

ü A bunch of bananas

ü A Bunch of bananas

ü A bunch of flowers

ü A Bunch of keys

ü A Bunch or bouquet of flowers

ü A bundle of sticks

ü A caravan of travellers

ü A chest of drawers

ü A choir of singers

ü A class of students

ü A cloud of dust

ü A cloud of insects

ü A cloud of locusts

ü A cluster/constellation/galaxy of stars

ü A colony of ants

ü A colony of gulls

ü A committee of lawyers or managers

ü A congregation of worshippers

ü A crew of sailors

ü A crowd of people

ü A drove of horses

ü A dynasty/line of kings

ü A fleet of ships

ü A flock of birds

ü A flock of sheep

ü A forest of trees

ü A gaggle of geese

ü A gang of robbers

ü A group of islands

ü A heap of rubbish

ü A hedge of bushes

ü A herd of deer/cattle

ü A horde of savages

ü A host of men

ü A host of sparrows

ü A kennel of dogs

ü A kindle of kittens

ü A library of books

ü A litter of puppies

ü A loaf or batch of bread

ü A mob of rioters

ü A murder of crows

ü A nest of mice

ü A pack of hounds

ü A pack of lies

ü A pack of thieves

ü A pack of wolves

ü A Pack/deck of cards

ü A packet of letters

ü A pair of shoes

ü A Panel of experts

ü A panel or bench of judges

ü A parliament of owls

ü A party of friends

ü A patrol of policemen

ü A pod of dolphins

ü A pride of lion

ü A Range of mountains

ü A ream of paper

ü A reel of film

ü A regiment of soldiers

ü A shiver of sharks

ü A shoal or school of fish

ü A Shrewdness of apes

ü A stack of wood

ü A staff of workers or employee

ü A string of pearls

ü A swarm of bees

ü A swarm of flies

ü A team of horses

ü A team of oxen

ü A team of players

ü A train of camels

ü A tribe of goats

ü A troop of baboons

ü A troop of scouts

ü A troupe of dancers

ü A troupe/company/cast of actors

ü A wad of notes

ü A zoo of wild animals

ü An album of stamps or photographs

ü An Army of soldiers

ü An audience of listeners

NOUNS AND GENDER

Nouns come into four genders namely;

a.   Masculine gender: these are nouns denoting male persons or animals. For example, boy, king, man, monk, lion, nephew, wizard, poet, dog, father, husband, hunter, priest, traitor, etc.

b.   Feminine gender: these are nouns denoting female persons or animals. For example, queen, niece, poetess, tigress, traitress, huntress, nun, shepherdess, priestess, daughter, witch, etc.

c.    Common gender: these are nouns denoting both male and female persons and animals. For example, parent, teacher, doctor, singer, dramatist, painter, cousin, driver, leader, friend, student, pupil, etc.

d.   Neuter gender: these are nouns denoting neither the gender. For example, stone, parliament, school, tree, government, table, ruler.