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What type of noun is the word class?
The word class is a singular, common, abstract noun, a word for
a thing.
What type of noun is class?
The noun ‘class’ is a singular, common noun.The noun ‘class’ is a concrete noun as a word for a group of students meeting regularly to study the same subject; a word for a physical group.The noun ‘class’ is an abstract noun as a word for a set or category of things having some property or attribute in common; a group or rank of society; a word for a concept.The noun ‘class’ is a standard collective noun for a ‘class of students’.The word ‘class’ is also a verb: class, classes, classing, classed.
Is class an abstract noun?
The noun ‘class’ is an abstract noun as a word for things belonging together based on common attributes, qualities, or traits; a given group in society.The noun ‘class’ is a concrete noun as a word for a physical group of people.
Is classes a common noun?
Yes, the word ‘classes’ is a common noun, the plural form of the
singular noun ‘class’, a general word for any classes of any
kind.
The word ‘classes’ is also the third person, singular, present
of the verb class ( class, classes, classing, classed).
What kind of noun is the word class?
The noun class is a singular, common, abstract noun; a word for
a group of students taught together; a group in society; a grouping
of things; a standard of service.
The word class is also a verb: class, classes, classing,
classed.
While the apostrophe may be the bane of many a middle schooler’s existence, the tricky apostrophe can trip up adults just the same. Many of us think we understand the rules governing plural and possessive forms, but misuse is prevalent.
The word “class’s” is the singular possessive form of the word “class.” The plural possessive form of the same word is classes’. Class with a single apostrophe at the end, class’, is incorrect. It is not a logical form of the word, despite class ending with an -s.
The rules governing the use of apostrophes at the end of words are changing as written language evolves. To examine the changes in language and where grammarians apply these new rules more commonly, keep reading.
Class and Classes
The word “class” refers to a group of students for a specific subject or course. It is a collective noun, and while it does refer to multiple people, you should use it in the singular form.
We generally use “class” in an educational space, and it has different meanings outside schooling. Another meaning of class refers to specific groups within a society divided along socioeconomic lines.
“Classes” refers to multiple groups of people, and it is the plural form of “class.” Because the singular form already ends with -s, the rules governing plurality dictate that you will find -ses at the end of the plural form (source).
Differentiating between Class’s and Classes’
There are two functions to an apostrophe: possession and omission. In our particular example, we will discuss the possessive qualities of the apostrophe when it relates to class and classes.
There are particular rules for possessive apostrophes and a few strategies you can use to ensure that you use the correct one. For other comprehensive answers, check out Dreyer’s English, an excellent and succinct style guide available on Amazon.
Rule 1
You can change most singular nouns into their possessive form with the simple addition of an -‘s at the end of the word (source).
Examples:
- “The car that belongs to the man” becomes “The man’s car.”
- “The dreams the student dreamt” becomes “The student’s dreams.”
- “The house that belongs to Jane” becomes “Jane’s house.”
Singular nouns are the simplest word class to change into their possessive form, but, as with all rules of grammar, there are a few exceptions.
Rule 2
Plural nouns generally end with an “s” and do not require the addition of -‘s to create a possessive form. These words only need an apostrophe, and you can read them as-is without changing the pronunciation.
Examples:
- Charles’ home is beautiful.
- The boys’ teacher punished them today.
- Did you hear? Someone robbed the Jones’ house yesterday!
The reason for this exception is that words become clunky when you use double-s sounds, and strange pronunciations are liable. For example, if we gave the name “Charles” an -‘s at the end, we would have to pronounce it like Charles-zis.
Rule 3
If a plural word does not end with an “s,” then an -‘s should be added to change it to its possessive form.
Examples:
- The children’s garden is growing nicely.
- The men’s uniform shone in the sun.
- The oxen’s enclosure had a break-in.
Rule 4
When a proper noun ends with an “s,” like someone’s name, then the sound of the word is generally your best guide. The general rule is to only add an apostrophe at the end of the name, but some words may sound better with an -‘s (source).
Examples:
- Achilles’ heel was the source of his weakness.
- Mr. Jones’ house fell into disrepair.
- Barbados’s beaches are an absolute delight!
There is no consensus around the addition of only an apostrophe or -‘s to the end of words that end in “s.” Therefore, the key is consistency. Whatever rule you choose to use, ensure that it remains the same throughout your writing.
However, there is a lot more consistency in the word “years,” although it also has a similar grammatical classification as “class.” To find out how best to use “years” in all its forms and with the correct punctuation, read, “What Is the Difference Between Years and Year’s?”
Some newspapers seem to follow a rule where they use an -‘s after common nouns that end with an “s” and only an apostrophe after proper nouns that end with an “s.”
In the word “class’s,” we place the apostrophe and additional “s” directly after the ending “s” in class to show that you are only referring to one class. The word that follows “class” is the object that belongs to the class.
Examples:
- This class’s mural is the best — the “mural” belongs to the class.
- The class’s students are so badly behaved — the “students” belong to the class.
- It was the middle class’s rebellion — the “rebellion” belongs to the middle class.
When referring to multiple classes in the possessive form, the word changes to its pluralized counterpart “classes” and, thereafter, has the apostrophe at the end without any additions.
This does not change the pronunciation of the word but indicates its new meaning.
Examples:
- The classes’ trip is going to be an amazing one — the “trip” belongs to all the classes.
- All high school classes’ dream is to graduate with honors — the “dream” belongs to all the classes.
- The middle and upper classes’ fights will never stop — the “fight” belongs to the classes, even though they are on different sides.
For more nuanced meanings of the word “class,” read The New Oxford Essential Dictionary. Available on Amazon, this handy guide will ensure that every word you spell and use is perfect.
The rules for singular and plural apostrophes are quite simple, and you can easily apply them to “class” and “classes.” However, the rule of words ending in “s” creates a debate at times.
Class’s Versus Class’
Again, “class’s” generally serves as the better option for the plural possessive form of “class,” but there is some leeway for “class’.” Generally, when writing, it is best to follow the rules of a specific style guide.
For example, the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide has some more specific rules set out for using apostrophes on words that end with an “s” (source).
Rule 1
If the proper noun that ends with an “s” is a singular entity, you only need to add an apostrophe at the end, despite its being in a plural form.
Examples:
- The United States’ political situation is changing.
- Los Angeles’ nightlife is fabulous!
Rule 2
If the proper noun is singular and refers to an individual, then we’ll add an -‘s to the end of the word.
Examples:
- Atticus’s fight for the downtrodden is important.
- Linus’s youtube channel is pretty entertaining.
- It looked like Alexis’s luck had finally run out.
The Chicago style of writing also shares this philosophy with -‘s added to the end of words that refer to individuals (source).
Since so many writing styles tend to lean towards the addition of -‘s after singular entities, let’s break down how that applies to the word “class.”
Since you would generally use “class” as a single entity, previous rules would indicate arguments both for using only an apostrophe and for adding an -‘s to the word.
“Class” is a common noun that ends with an “s,” so it should only have an apostrophe following it.
However, common usage of this rule has changed over time, and “class” is one of the modified words. Even the Supreme Court Justices have a preference, and the majority have started adding -‘s at the end of words that end with an “s,” such as “Congress” (source).
If there are other points that you struggle with, like the word “today” and its possessive form, read the article on todays or today’s to find out how to differentiate between them.
Tips to Remember
There are several quick tips to help you remember the correct usage of an apostrophe.
Singular nouns take an -‘s when written in the possessive form. Plural nouns that end with an “s” only take an apostrophe. Plural nouns that do not end with an “s” take an -‘s.
You can use several strategies when indicating possession through the application of these rules.
Strategy One
To whom does the object belong? When there is a clear indication that the object belongs to someone, you should use an apostrophe.
Examples:
- The house belongs to Elizabeth, so this is Elizabeth’s house.
- The dog had dreams about bones, so the dog’s dreams were full of bones.
There are exceptions to this basic rule, however. If there is more than one subject, then the second subject is the one that takes the -‘s only.
Examples:
- This is Edward and Isabella’s baby.
- Laurel and Hardy’s movies are classic comedies.
The only time both singular subjects would each take an -‘s is when the object is plural and each one belongs to both of them.
Examples:
Neville’s and Hermione’s classes are the best in the school.
This indicates that both Hermione and Neville have a class.
The boy’s and girl’s houses were far from one another.
This indicates that the boy and girl live in individual houses.
When it comes to names that end with an “s,” they generally just take an apostrophe at the end, even though they are a singular noun.
Exceptions to these rules are the words “class” and “congress.” Since they refer to singular entities, they follow the rule of taking an -’s at the end, despite already ending with an “s.”
Another exception refers to words that already contain an apostrophe, like “McDonald’s.” These words do not take an “s” or an apostrophe and remain in their original state for the possessive form.
Strategy Two
When dealing with plural nouns, focus on what letter the word ends with. If it ends with an “s,” then it takes an apostrophe only. If it ends on any other letter, then it takes an -’s.
Examples:
- The dogs’ house is a very smelly place.
- These children’s fashions have changed since I was young.
Strategy Three
We often think that the object must directly follow the possessive form of the noun, but this is not always the case. When written in the passive form, the subject can still take the apostrophe even if it is not followed directly by the object.
Examples:
- This computer of Steve’s is an excellent one!
- This house is the Khan’s, and then we’ll go to Kumar’s place.
- To the left is my artwork, and to the right is Anne’s.
Strategy Four
Generally, the use of apostrophes deals with nouns, whether proper or common. However, there are possessive pronouns, and many people make the common error of adding apostrophes to those, especially “its.”
Since “its” usually involves an apostrophe in its contracted form (it’s – short for “it is”), many people think that the possessive form should also include an apostrophe.
Like all possessive pronouns, “his,” “hers,” “yours,” “ours,” and “its” are all possessive without the need for an apostrophe.
Examples:
- Her results are brilliant, and she’s sure to receive a scholarship!
- The animal couldn’t believe its luck!
- These are my snacks, and those are yours.
Apostrophes and their usage become second nature the more you write. Spelling and grammar checkers are generally on hand to find your common mistakes, but if you do get stuck, these strategies should be able to help you.
Final Thoughts
We grew up understanding that there were many rules for apostrophes and, quite often, we would get them wrong.
As the world becomes more globalized, the move away from prescriptive English has begun. Many people think that understanding the language is more important than getting the placement of an apostrophe exactly right.
Whether you use “class’s” or “class’,” the main thing is to stay consistent. No one will be breaking down your virtual doors or failing your essays for your methodology.
If they are, share this article, and remind them that grammatical rules are not always hard and fast.
1
class
Английский-русский словарь по теории вероятностей, статистике и комбинаторике > class
2
class-book
class-book noun учебник
Англо-русский словарь Мюллера > class-book
3
class-consciousness
class-consciousness noun классовое сознание
Англо-русский словарь Мюллера > class-consciousness
4
class-room
class-room noun класс, классная комната; аудитория (в учебном заведении)
Англо-русский словарь Мюллера > class-room
5
class
1. n редк. имущие классы
2. a классовый
3. n класс; разряд; труппа; категория; вид, род
4. n мор. тип
5. n сорт, качество
6. n класс; группа
7. n кружок
8. n занятие; занятия; курс обучения
9. n выпуск студентов или учащихся
10. n отличие
11. n разг. достоинство; высокие качества
12. n сл. «класс», шик; привлекательность
output class — класс выходных данных; выходной класс
social class — общественный класс, класс общества
13. n воен. ранг
14. n амер. мор. статья
15. n воен. призывники одного года рождения
16. a классификационный
17. a учебный; относящийся к классу, к занятиям
18. v классифицировать, сортировать
19. v причислять
20. v зачислять в одну категорию, ставить наряду
21. v присуждать диплом той или иной категории
Синонимический ряд:
4. group (noun) category; classification; denomination; department; division; group; grouping; league; pigeonhole; set
5. order (noun) bracket; caliber; calibre; grade; order; quality; rank; tier
6. type (noun) breed; cast; character; cut; description; feather; genre; ilk; kidney; kind; lot; mold; nature; persuasion; sort; species; stamp; stripe; style; type; variety; way
7. group (verb) assort; catalog; categorise; categorize; classify; evaluate; grade; group; mark; pigeonhole; pigeon-hole; place; rank; rate; separate; sort; sort out
English-Russian base dictionary > class
6
class
I
(общественный) класс; the working class рабочий класс; the middle class средняя буржуазия; the upper class крупная буржуазия; аристократия; the classes имущие классы
классовый; class alien классово чуждый элемент
II
1) класс; разряд; группа; категория; class of problems круг вопросов
2) сорт, качество; in a class by itself первоклассный; it is no class
collocation
это никуда не годится
4) класс (в школе); the top of the class первый ученик (в классе)
5) время начала занятий (в школе); when is class? когда начинаются занятия?
6) курс (обучения); to take classes (in) проходить курс обучения (где-л.)
7)
amer.
выпуск (студентов или учащихся такого-то года)
отличие; to get (или to obtain) a class окончить курс с отличием
9) класс (на железной дороге, пароходе); to travel third class ездить в третьем классе
10)
mil.
призывники одного и того же года рождения; the 1957 class призывники 1957 года (рождения)
Syn:
caste, estate, order
классный
1) классифицировать
2) распределять отличия (в результате экзаменов); Tompkins obtained a degree, but was not classed Томпкинс получил степень, но без отличия
3) составить себе мнение, оценить
class with
* * *
1 (n) вид; категория; класс; курс обучения; общественный класс; отдел; отличие; разряд; учебная группа
2 (v) классифицировать
* * *
1) класс, классовый 2) класс, занятия
* * *
[ klɑːs]
класс, группа, категория, разряд; вид, род, тип, сорт; качество; урок, занятие, курс; время начала занятий; выпуск; призывники; структура данных включающая в себя процедуры обработки данных [комп.]
классифицировать, распределять отличия, составить себе мнение, оценить
* * *
группа
занятие
занятия
категория
качество
класс
классифицировать
классовый
кружок
курс
отличие
разряд
сорт
урок
* * *
1. сущ.
1) а) (общественный) класс
б) (the classes) имущие классы
2) а) группа, класс (в колледже, школе)
б) занятие, урок; курс обучения, курс лекций
в) амер. выпуск
3) воен. призывники одного и того же года рождения
4) отличие; степень отличия
2. прил.
1) классовый
2) учебный, классный (относящийся к занятиям)
3. гл.
1) классифицировать
2) аттестовать, распределять (студентов или школьников) по степеням отличия (в результате экзаменов)
Новый англо-русский словарь > class
7
Pfc private first class
Англо-русский словарь Мюллера > Pfc private first class
8
upper class
аристократия; дворянство; высшие слои общества
social class — общественный класс, класс общества
middle class — люди среднего достатка, средние слои общества
Синонимический ряд:
1. aristocracy (noun) aristocracy; aristoi; blue blood; carriage trade; creme de la creme; elite; flower; gentility; haut monde; optimacy; patriciate; quality; society; upper crust; who’s who
English-Russian base dictionary > upper class
9
working class
English-Russian base dictionary > working class
10
social class
1. полит. -эк. общественный класс, класс общества
2. социол. слой общества
middle class — люди среднего достатка, средние слои общества
upper class — аристократия; дворянство; высшие слои общества
Синонимический ряд:
caste (noun) caste; class; degree; order; position; rank; social standing; social stratum; station
English-Russian base dictionary > social class
11
ruling class
Синонимический ряд:
aristocracy (noun) aristocracy; gentry; nobility; peerage; royalty; society
English-Russian base dictionary > ruling class
12
middle class
люди среднего достатка, средние слои общества
social class — общественный класс, класс общества
upper class — аристократия; дворянство; высшие слои общества
Синонимический ряд:
English-Russian base dictionary > middle class
13
range
1. n ряд, линия; цепь, вереница
2. n серия, ряд
3. n редк. строй, шеренга
4. n линия; направление
5. n сфера, зона; область, круг; поле, арена
6. n пределы
7. n эк. изменение, колебание, движение
8. n размах
9. n физ. размах колебаний
10. n протяжение, пространство; пределы
11. n спец. радиус действия; предел применения; досягаемость
12. n спец. диапазон
13. n спец. чувствительность
14. n спец. мощность
15. n мат. область значений функций
16. n дальность; расстояние, дистанция
at long range — на большом расстоянии; далеко; издали
17. n радио дальность передачи
record range — пристрелянная дальность по реперу, ориентиру
18. n воен. дальнобойность, дальность
19. n воен. прицел
20. n переход с места на место; блуждание
free range — полный простор, полная свобода
21. n открытая местность, степь
22. n охотничье угодье
23. n с. -х. неогороженное пастбище
24. n ассортимент, сортамент; номенклатура
25. n спец. шкала
26. n биол. ареал; район обитания; область распространения
27. n биол. период существования на Земле
28. n биол. редк. класс, слой
29. n биол. физ. длина пробега, пробег
30. n спец. степень
31. n спец. класс, разряд
32. n спец. спорт. направление атаки
33. n спец. мор. ряд портов, порты
34. n спец. мор. створ
35. n спец. воен. полигон, стрельбище; тир
36. n спец. амер. геод. меридианный ряд населённых пунктов
37. n спец. амер. двусторонний стеллаж
38. v выстраивать в ряд; ставить, располагать в порядке
39. v обыкн. выстраиваться, строиться в ряд; становиться, располагаться в порядке
40. v простираться; тянуться вдоль
41. v стоять на одной линии
42. v быть на одном уровне, стоять наравне; относиться к числу
43. v занимать определённую позицию
44. v редк. вовлекать, привлекать
45. v колебаться в определённых пределах
46. v поэт. бродить, блуждать; странствовать; исколесить
47. v бродить; блуждать
48. v охватывать
49. v классифицировать; систематизировать; распределять по категориям; относить к классу, разряду
50. v книжн. убирать, приводить в порядок
51. v наводить, нацеливать
52. v мор. воен. передвигаться, перемещаться
53. v воен. двигаться впереди, в первом эшелоне
54. v мор. проходить, обгонять
55. v редк. проявлять непостоянство
56. v биол. водиться, встречаться
57. v с. -х. выпасать скот на неогороженном пастбище
58. v полигр. выравнивать
59. v мор. идти параллельно; проходить мимо, вдоль
60. v мор. отпускать канат якоря
61. v воен. определять расстояние до цели
62. v воен. пристреливать цель по дальности; пристреливаться
63. n кухонная плита
64. n тех. агрегат, установка
dyeing range — агрегат для крашения; красильная установка
Синонимический ряд:
1. ambit (noun) ambit; capacity; circle; compass; confine; confines; dimensions; extension; extensity; extent; grasp; horizon; ken; limits; orbit; panorama; purview; radius; realm; scope; sphere; stretch; sweep; width
7. habitat (noun) habitat; haunt; home; locality; site; stamping ground
9. order (noun) extent; magnitude; matter; neighborhood; order; tune; vicinity
10. row (noun) file; line; row; series; tier
11. extend (verb) extend; fluctuate; go; lie; occupy; run; stretch out; vary
12. group (verb) arrange; array; assort; class; classify; dispose; distribute; group; marshal; order; organise; rank; sort; systematise
13. line (verb) align; allineate; line; line up
14. wander (verb) bat; circumambulate; drift; encompass; explore; gad; gad about; gallivant; maunder; meander; mooch; peregrinate; ramble; roam; roll; rove; straggle; stray; stroll; traipse; traverse; vagabond; vagabondize; wander
Антонимический ряд:
disconnect; disorder; disturb; intermit; remain
English-Russian base dictionary > range
14
grade
1. n степень; ступень
2. n звание; ранг
3. n качество, сорт
domestic grade — сорт, предназначенный для внутреннего рынка
4. n качество, уровень
5. n амер. класс
6. n амер. амер. оценка, отметка
grade stake — колышек с отметкой, временный репер
7. n амер. с. -х. улучшенная скрещиванием порода
8. n амер. подъём или уклон
9. n амер. дор. градиент пути
10. n амер. уровень
11. n амер. спец. отметка
12. n амер. спец. градус
13. n амер. лингв. ступень абляута
Синонимический ряд:
2. class (noun) class; group; grouping; league; pigeonhole; tier
3. degree (noun) classification; degree; estate; level; notch; peg; rung; stage; step
7. slope (noun) ascent; descent; downgrade; gradient; inclination; incline; lean; leaning; pitch; rise; slant; slope; tangent; tilt
8. year in school (noun) commission; condition; form; level standing; military rank; position; seniority; standard; station; status; stripes; title; year in school
11. place (verb) assort; categorise; class; classify; evaluate; give grades to; give marks; group; order; pigeon-hole; place; rank; rate; rate scholastically; value
English-Russian base dictionary > grade
15
group
1. n группа; кучка
2. n группа, коллектив; ансамбль
3. n группировка; группа; фракция; слой; корпорация
4. n слои, круги
5. n группа, класс
6. n амер. авиационная группа
7. n хим. радикал
8. n вчт. блок
9. v группировать
10. v группироваться
11. v классифицировать, группировать; распределять по группам
to group languages according to … — классифицировать языки но …
12. v подбирать, гармонично сочетать; компоновать
13. v гармонировать; сочетаться
Синонимический ряд:
1. array (noun) arrangement; array; assortment; batch; battery; body; bunch; bundle; clot; clump; clutch; collection; crowd; knot; lot; parcel; passel; platoon; push; set; sort; suite
2. assembly (noun) assembly; band; bevy; covey; crew; gang; mob; party; throng
5. class (noun) category; class; grade; grouping; league; pigeonhole; tier
6. company (noun) aggregation; assemblage; collection; company; congeries; congregation; congress; convocation; gathering; meeting; muster; ruck; troop
7. syndicate (noun) cartel; chain; combine; conglomerate; pool; syndicate; trust
8. meet (verb) assemble; close; cluster; collect; congregate; convene; converge; gather; get together; meet; muster; round up
9. order (verb) arrange; array; dispose; distribute; marshal; order; organise; range; systematise
10. sort (verb) associate; assort; categorise; categorize; class; classify; file; grade; link; pigeonhole; pigeon-hole; place; rank; rate; separate; sort; sort out
Антонимический ряд:
crowd; disperse; individual; isolation; medley; scatter
English-Russian base dictionary > group
16
order
1. n порядок, последовательность; расположение, размещение
2. n исправность, порядок, хорошее состояние
in order — в исправности, в годном состоянии
3. n хорошее состояние
4. n порядок, спокойствие; заведённый порядок
5. n соблюдение закона, правил
in order — в повиновении, в подчинении, под контролем
6. n строй
parade order — строй для парада, парадное построение
7. n порядок ведения; правила процедуры, регламент
sessional orders — правила, остающиеся в силе в течение одной сессии
standing orders — правила, остающиеся в силе в течение нескольких сессий
8. n воен. построение, строй
the order — положение с винтовкой «у ноги»
9. n мат. порядок, степень
10. n архит. ордер
the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders of Greek architecture — дорический, ионический и коринфский ордеры греческой архитектуры
11. n редк. ряд
12. v приказывать; распоряжаться
13. v направлять, посылать
14. v назначать, прописывать
15. v заказывать
16. v приводить в порядок
kept in order — содержал в порядке; содержимый в порядке
17. v располагать, распределять
18. v амер. с. -х. приводить листья табака в кондиционное состояние
19. v посвящать в духовный сан
20. v книжн. предопределять
Синонимический ряд:
1. appositeness (noun) appositeness; appropriateness; aptness; expediency; meetness; rightness; suitability; suitableness
2. arrangement (noun) arrangement; array; disposal; disposition; formation; grouping; layout; line-up; marshaling; ordering; placement; ranging; trimming
3. association (noun) association; brotherhood; club; community; company; confederation; congress; federation; fellowship; fraternity; guild; league; organisation; organization; sect; society; sodality; union
4. calm (noun) calm; peace; peacefulness; quiet; serenity
5. class (noun) bracket; calibre; class; classification; degree; genre; grade; hierarchy; position; rank; station; status; tier
6. command (noun) behest; bidding; canon; charge; command; commandment; dictate; directive; injunction; instruction; law; mandate; prescription; rule; word
7. commission (noun) application; commission; direction; engagement; request; requisition; reservation; stipulation
8. condition (noun) case; condition; estate; fettle; fitness; form; kilter; repair; shape; trim
9. correctitude (noun) correctitude; correctness; decorousness; decorum; properness; propriety; seemliness
10. custom (noun) custom; rite; ritual; tradition; usage
11. extent (noun) extent; magnitude; matter; neighborhood; range; tune; vicinity
13. kind (noun) family; genus; kind; sort; subclass; tribe
14. pattern (noun) distribution; management; method; orderliness; pattern; plan; regulation; system
15. quantity (noun) amount; bulk; purchase; quantity; shipment
16. set (noun) category; classification; set
17. succession (noun) alternation; chain; consecution; course; line; procession; progression; row; run; sequel; sequence; series; string; succession; suite; train
18. type (noun) breed; cast; caste; character; cut; description; feather; ilk; kidney; lot; manner; mold; mould; nature; persuasion; species; stamp; stripe; type; variety; way
19. arrange (verb) adjust; arrange; array; classify; conduct; dispose; establish; furnish; marshal; methodize; organize; space; systematize
20. command (verb) bid; charge; command; decree; dictate; direct; enjoin; instruct; ordain; require; tell; warn
21. group (verb) assort; distribute; group; organise; range; rank; sort; systematise
23. rule (verb) boss; dictate to; dominate; domineer; rule; tyrannise
24. secure (verb) buy; obtain; request; reserve; secure
Антонимический ряд:
confusion; consent; derangement; disarrangement; disorder; disorganisation; disorganization; execution; irregularity; labyrinth; leave; liberty; license; maze
English-Russian base dictionary > order
17
course
1. n курс, направление
2. n течение, направление; путь
3. n ход, течение
4. n спорт. дорожка; скаковой круг
5. n спорт. дистанция; трасса
6. n спорт. линия поведения
7. n спорт. курсы
8. n спорт. блюдо
9. n спорт. стр. горизонтальный ряд кладки
barge course — верхний ряд кирпичей, образующий карниз стены
10. n спорт. геол. простирание залежи; пласт; жила
11. n спорт. физиол. менструации
12. n спорт. мор. нижний прямой парус
13. v охот. охотиться с гончими
14. v охот. гнать зайца, имея его на глазах, «вести по зрячему»
15. v охот. быстро бежать, нестись
16. v охот. течь
17. v охот. поэт. пересекать
18. v охот. прокладывать курс
19. v охот. горн. проветривать
Синонимический ряд:
1. channel (noun) aqueduct; canal; channel; conduit; duct; watercourse
3. conduct (noun) behavior; behaviour; conduct; deportment
8. layer (noun) lap; layer; range; row; series; stratum; tier
9. line (noun) approach; attack; line; plan; procedure; tack; technique
10. process (noun) action; career; method; mode; operation; policy; polity; process; race; rush; speed; tear
12. route (noun) itinerary; lane; orbit; period; route; run
14. succession (noun) alternation; chain; consecution; order; regularity; sequel; sequence; string; succession; suite; train; turn
16. career (verb) career; dash; race; run; rush; speed; tear
18. well (verb) circulate; flow; gush; pour; stream; surge; well
Антонимический ряд:
conjecture; deviation; disorder; error; hazard; hindrance; interruption; solution; speculation
English-Russian base dictionary > course
18
proletariat
1. n пролетариат
2. n др. -рим. пролетарии
Синонимический ряд:
1. lower class (noun) common people; grass roots; laboring class; lower class; plebeians; the masses; working class
2. people (noun) crowd; masses; mob; people; populace; rank and file; run
3. rabble (noun) canaille; doggery; dregs; hoi polloi; other half; polloi; rabble; raff; ragtag; ragtag and bobtail; riffraff; roughscuff; rout; scum; scurf; tag and rag; tagrag and bobtail; trash; unwashed
English-Russian base dictionary > proletariat
19
family
1. n семья, семейство
family film — фильм для всей семьи; кинокартина, которую могут смотреть и дети и взрослые
2. n семья, род
3. n дети
nuclear family — малая семья; нуклеарная семья, семья, состоящая из родителей и детей
4. n спец. семейство
5. n коллектив, объединение
6. n «семья», «семейство»; гангстерский синдикат, орудующий в определённом районе
7. n «семья»; группа хиппи, живущая коммуной
Синонимический ряд:
1. home (adj.) domestic; familial; home; homely; household
3. clan (noun) clan; folk; kin; kindred; kith; lineage; race; relations; relatives; stock; tribe
4. class (noun) class; genus; order; species; subdivision
6. line (noun) ancestry; birth; blood; bloodline; extraction; forefathers; genealogy; line; lineage; origin; parentage; pedigree; seed
7. offspring (noun) antecedents; brood; descendents; descent; forebears; generation; heirs; issue; offspring; progeny
English-Russian base dictionary > family
20
pigeonhole
1. n голубиное гнездо
2. n отверстие для влёта и вылета голубей
3. n отделение, ящичек для бумаг; ящик для корреспонденции
4. n закуток
5. n класс, категория; классификация
6. n ист. колодки
7. v раскладывать бумаги по ящикам, отделениям
8. v класть под сукно, откладывать в долгий ящик
9. v классифицировать; систематизировать
10. v оборудовать отделениями или ящичками для бумаг
Синонимический ряд:
1. class (noun) category; class; grade; group; grouping; league; tier
2. compartment (noun) compartment; department; hole; niche; partition; place; section; slot; sphere
5. put on file (verb) assort; catalog; catalogue; categorise; categorize; class; classify; group; index; put on file; record
Антонимический ряд:
English-Russian base dictionary > pigeonhole
Table of Contents
- Is class singular or plural?
- What kind of noun is class?
- Is the word class a collective noun?
- What is the collective noun for bees?
- What do we call a noun which names more than one thing?
- Is English class a proper noun?
- What is a proper noun for a girl?
- What are 20 common nouns?
- Is Walmart a proper noun?
- What is the common noun for Toyota?
- Is Hunter common noun?
- Is Hunter masculine or feminine?
- What’s the definition of an adjectives?
- What are adjectives give 10 examples?
- What is the example of adjective?
- What are the 3 types of adjectives?
- What type of adjective is first?
- How many adjectives are there in English?
- Is the a adjective?
- Is A or an adjective?
- Is hot an adjective?
- Is loud an adjective?
- What type of word is quietly?
- What is a loud person called?
Are school subjects proper nouns or common nouns? School subjects are common nouns when used generally unless they are the name of a language. Names of specific classes or courses are proper nouns.
Is class singular or plural?
The word “class” refers to a group of students for a specific subject or course. It is a collective noun, and while it does refer to multiple people, you should use it in the singular form.
What kind of noun is class?
Collective nouns are nouns that refer to a group of something in particular.
Is the word class a collective noun?
A collective noun names a group of people or things. Examples of collective nouns include class, committee, flock, herd, team, audience, assembly, team, club, and so on. A collective noun is treated as plural when the group it names is considered to be made up of individuals.
What is the collective noun for bees?
hive
What do we call a noun which names more than one thing?
Compound Nouns
Is English class a proper noun?
The names of school subjects are typically common nouns. School subjects that are the names of languages, such as English or German, are proper nouns and should be capitalized. The names of specific courses are proper nouns and should be capitalized.
What is a proper noun for a girl?
Proper Nouns
| common noun | proper noun |
|---|---|
| man, boy | John |
| woman, girl | Mary |
| country, town | England, London |
| company | Ford, Sony |
What are 20 common nouns?
Examples of a Common Noun
- People: mother, father, baby, child, toddler, teenager, grandmother, student, teacher, minister, businessperson, salesclerk, woman, man.
- Animals: lion, tiger, bear, dog, cat, alligator, cricket, bird, wolf.
- Things: table, truck, book, pencil, iPad, computer, coat, boots,
Is Walmart a proper noun?
Match the common nouns and proper nouns….Common Noun or Proper Noun?
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Spot | proper noun |
| store | common noun |
| Wal-mart | proper noun |
| girl | common noun |
What is the common noun for Toyota?
Toyota is the name of a company, so it is a proper noun and is capitalized. Car is a common noun because it does not name a specific car.
Is Hunter common noun?
A person who hunts game. A hunting horse. …
Is Hunter masculine or feminine?
Hunter (given name)
| Gender | Gender-neutral (usually male) |
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Word/name | England |
| Meaning | Hunter pursuer |
| Other names |
What’s the definition of an adjectives?
: 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 The word red in “the red car” is an adjective.
What are adjectives give 10 examples?
Examples of adjectives
- They live in a beautiful house.
- Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today. This soup is not edible.
- She wore a beautiful dress.
- He writes meaningless letters.
- This shop is much nicer.
- She wore a beautiful dress.
- Ben is an adorable baby.
- Linda’s hair is gorgeous.
What is the example of adjective?
Adjectives are words that describe nouns (or pronouns). “Old,” “green,” and “cheerful” are examples of adjectives. (It might be useful to think of adjectives as “describing words.”)
What are the 3 types of adjectives?
The three degrees of an adjective are positive, comparative and superlative. When you use them depends on how many things you’re talking about: A positive adjective is a normal adjective that’s used to describe, not compare.
What type of adjective is first?
First is also used as a noun to mean the person or thing that is before all others, as in rank. First has other senses as an adjective, adverb, and noun. As an adjective, first describes something as being the original, with nothing else coming before it in time or in a series.
How many adjectives are there in English?
Adjective Suffix Count of the 4,800 Adjectives.
Is the a adjective?
Adjectives are words that help describe nouns. Because “the” can describe whether a noun is a specific object or not, “the” is also considered an adjective.
Is A or an adjective?
Ultimately “a/an” and “the” are adjectives. Their function is not describing, but selective, indicating whether the following noun is something known or unknown to the person spoken to. As these adjectives have a special function (with a special information) they have a special name: articles.
Is hot an adjective?
Of an object, having a high temperature. Of the weather, causing the air to be hot.
Is loud an adjective?
loud adjective (NOISE)
What type of word is quietly?
adverb – Word
What is a loud person called?
loquacious Add to list Share. A loquacious person talks a lot, often about stuff that only they think is interesting. Of course, if you’ve got nothing to say, a loquacious person might make a good dinner companion, because they’ll do all the talking.
Nouns fall under two classes: (A) proper
nouns; (B) common
nouns.1
1 The name
proper is
from Lat. proprius ‘one’s
own’. Hence a proper name means
one’s own individual name, as distinct from a common
name, that can be given to a class of
individuals. The name common is
from Lat. communis and
means that which is shared by several things or individuals
possessing some common characteristic.
A. Proper nouns are
individual names given to separate persons or things. As regards
their meaning proper nouns may be personal names (Mary,
Peter, Shakespeare), geographical names
(Moscow, London, the Caucasus), the
names of the months and of the days of the week (February,
Monday), names of ships, hotels, clubs
etc.
A large number of nouns now proper were originally
common nouns (Brown, Smith, Mason).
Proper nouns may change their meaning and become
common nouns:
George went over to the table and took a
sandwich and a glass of
champagne.
(Aldington)
В. Common nouns are
names that can be applied to any individual of a class of persons or
things (e. g. man, dog, book),
collections of similar individuals or
things regarded as a single
unit (e. g. peasantry, family),
materials (e. g. snow,
iron, cotton) or abstract notions (e.
g. kindness, development).
Thus there are different groups of common nouns:
class nouns,
collective nouns,
nouns of material and
abstract nouns.
Nouns may also be classified from another point of
view: nouns denoting things (the word thing
is used in a broad sense) that can be
counted are called countable
nouns; nouns denoting things that cannot be counted are called
uncountable nouns.
1. Class nouns denote
persons or things belonging to a class. They are countables and have
two numbers: sinuglar and plural. They are generally used with an
article.1
1 On the use
of articles with class nouns see Chapter II, § 2, 3.
“Well, sir,” said Mrs. Parker, “I wasn’t
in the shop above
a great deal.”
(Mansfield)
He goes to the part of the town where the shops
are. (Lessing)
2. Collective nouns
denote a number or collection of
similar individuals or things regarded as a single unit.
Collective nouns fall under the following groups:
(a) nouns used only in the singular and denoting a
number of things collected together and regarded as a single object:
foliage, machinery.
It was
not restful, that green foliage.
(London)
Machinery new to
the industry in Australia was
introduced for preparing
land. (Agricultural
Gazette)
(b) nouns which are singular in form though plural
in meaning: police, poultry, cattle,
people, gentry. They are usually called
nouns of multitude. When the subject of the sentence is a noun of
multitude the verb used as predicate is in the plural:
I had no idea the police
were so
devilishly prudent. (Shaw)
Unless cattle are
in good condition in calving, milk
production will never
reach a high level. (Agricultural
Gazette)
The weather was warm and the people
were sitting
at their doors. (Dickens)
(c) nouns that may be both singular and plural:
family, crowd, fleet, nation. We
can think of a number of crowds, fleets or different nations as well
as of a single crowd, fleet, etc.
A small crowd is
lined up to see the guests arrive. (Shaw)
Accordingly they were soon afoot, and walking in
the direction of the scene of
action, towards which crowds
of people were already pouring from a
variety
of quarters. (Dickens)
3. Nouns of material
denote material: iron,
gold, paper, tea, water. They are
uncountables and are generally used without any article.1
1 On the use
of articles with nouns of material see Chapter II, § 5, 6, 7.
There was a scent of honey
from the lime-trees in flower.
(Galsworthy)
There was coffee
still in the urn. (Wells)
Nouns of material are used in the plural to denote
different sorts of a given material.
…that his senior counted upon him in this
enterprise, and had consigned a quantity of select wines
to him… (Thackeray)
Nouns of material may turn into class nouns (thus
becoming countables) when they come to express an individual object
of definite shape.
C o m p a r e:
To the left were clean panes of glass.
(Ch. Bronte)
“He came in here,” said the waiter looking at
the light through the tumbler,
“ordered a glass of
this ale.” (Dickens)
But the person in the glass
made a face at her, and Miss Moss went
out.
(Mansfield)
4. Abstract nouns
denote some quality, state, action or
idea: kindness, sadness, fight. They
are usually uncountables, though some of them may be countables (e.
g. idea, hour).2
2 On the use
of articles with abstract nouns see Chapter II, § 8, 9, 10, 11.
Therefore when the youngsters saw that mother
looked neither frightened nor
offended, they gathered new courage.
(Dodge)
Accustomed to John Reed’s abuse — I never had
an idea of
replying to it.
(Ch. Bronte)
It’s these people with fixed ideas.
(Galsworthy)
Abstract nouns may change their meaning and become
class nouns. This change is marked by the use of the article and of
the plural number:
|
beauty |
a beauty |
beauties |
|
sight |
a sight |
sights |
He was responsive to beauty
and here was cause to respond. (London)
She was a beauty.
(Dickens)
…but she isn’t one of those horrid regular
beauties.
(Aldington)
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At some point, everyone has the same question: What is a common noun? Here, we’ll take a look at common nouns and provide some common noun examples so you can easily recognize common nouns when you see them. Don’t worry, this will be painless.
What is a Common Noun
A noun is a word that names a person, animal, place, thing, or idea. All nouns can be further classified as a proper or common noun. Common nouns are words used to name general items rather than specific ones. Go into your living room. What do you see? A lamp, chair, couch, TV, window, painting, pillow, candle – all of these items are named using common nouns.
Common nouns are everywhere, and you use them all the time, even if you don’t realize it. Wherever you go, you’ll find at least one common noun. Street, closet, bathroom, school, mall, gas station, living room; all of these places are things, and thus they are common nouns.
What is the difference between common and proper nouns?
When we look at the two main types of noun – proper and common – we can differentiate between the two by saying that a common noun is a general way of classifying something, and a proper noun is a specific way of classifying something, So, for example, the word dog is a common noun; but if your dog was called Fido, the word Fido is a proper noun:
- Dog = common noun
- Dog’s name (Fido, in this case) = proper noun
More examples of the difference between common and proper nouns:
- My favorite newspaper (common noun) is the Washington Post (proper noun).
- Her husband (common noun) is called Frank (proper noun).
- The award-winning Babe Ruth (proper noun) is the greatest baseball player (common noun) in history.
You may have noticed from the examples that common nouns are not usually capitalized, unless they begin a sentence, whereas proper nouns are normally capitalized. You will also notice that both types of nouns can be more than a single word.
When to use common nouns?
We use common nouns to denote a class of objects or a concept. Consider the word star, as in the stars we see in the sky. Star is used as a common noun, used to denote the class of objects that we view in the night sky, i.e. the luminescent bodies that are spread across the universe, twinkling overhead. The Sun, however, is a proper noun, used to describe the specific star that is at the center of our solar system.
So, anything that is a thing can be generally classified as a common noun:
Professions: lawyer, doctor, teacher, nurse, politician, football player.
People: People in general are named using common nouns, though their official titles in certain cases or given names are proper nouns. When we refer to people using common nouns, we use words like teacher, clerk, police officer, preacher, delivery driver, boyfriend, girlfriend, grandma, cousin, and barista.
For example, when talking about your mother, mother is a common noun.
- My mother is an actress.
- Barbara’s mother was the best cook in the city.
But when speaking to your mother, or using mother as her name, mother is used as a proper noun.
- “Mother, can you bake your brownies for the party?”
- I asked Mother Thompson to join us at dinner.
Objects: car, newspaper, boat, potato chip, shoe, house, table, sword.
However, common nouns can also be more abstract concepts, not things but ideas, emotions and experiences, for example:
Abstract ideas: Culture, love, democracy, time, hatred, peace, war, empathy, anger, laughter.
How to recognize a common noun?
Considering what we have laid out above, it should be pretty easy to recognize a common noun. However, there are some cases when it can be tricky. Consider these sentences:
- Queen Elizabeth II welcomed President Donald Trump to Buckingham Palace.
- Donald Trump visited many queens and palaces during his tenure as the president of the United States.
In the first sentence, Queen Elizabeth II, President Trump and Buckingham Palace are proper nouns. They are specific titles for a specific person. In the second sentence, queens, palaces and president are common nouns. Queens and palaces refer to queens and palaces in general, and president refers to the job title and not the specific person.
We mentioned earlier that job titles and general titles fall under the category of common nouns – attorney, actor, comedian, truck driver, sergeant, officer, secretary. However, if these become specific titles referring to a specific person, they sometimes become proper nouns as in the examples above. Normally, this means the words are capitalized when placed directly in front of that person’s name:
- Attorney General William Barr was appointed by President
But look how we can use the same words with common nouns:
- Each US president must appoint an attorney general while in office.
So, you can recognize the common noun by the fact it is not capitalized. But remember that common nouns can also be identified because they are referring to non-specific things or classifications.
The takeaway is this: common nouns are general names and unless they are part of a title like Postmaster General or begin a sentence, they’re not usually capitalized.
Common Noun Examples
The following common noun examples will help you to recognize common nouns. In the sentences that follow, common noun examples are italicized. Notice that the examples providing proper nouns name specific versions of the same type of person, animal, place, thing, or idea.
- Common Noun: You broke my favorite mug. Proper Noun: I can’t believe you broke my Snoopy mug.
- Common Noun: I really want a new pair of jeans. Proper Noun: I really want to buy a new pair of Levis.
- Common Noun: I wish I could remember the name of that painter. Proper Noun: I really love art by Van Gogh.
- Common Noun: They’re all waiting for us at the restaurant. Proper Noun: Everyone else is at Bill’s Burgers.
- Common Noun: I really want to live in the city Proper Noun: Of all the places I’ve lived, Denver was best.
- Common Noun: Let’s go to watch a live game at the stadium. Proper Noun: Let’s try to get good seats at Wrigley Field
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Words don’t only mean something; they also do something. In the English language, words are grouped into word classes based on their function, i.e. what they do in a phrase or sentence. In total, there are nine word classes in English.
Word class meaning and example
All words can be categorised into classes within a language based on their function and purpose.
An example of various word classes is ‘The cat ate a cupcake quickly.’
-
The = a determiner
-
cat = a noun
-
ate = a verb
-
a = determiner
-
cupcake = noun
-
quickly = an adverb
Word class function
The function of a word class, also known as a part of speech, is to classify words according to their grammatical properties and the roles they play in sentences. By assigning words to different word classes, we can understand how they should be used in context and how they relate to other words in a sentence.
Each word class has its own unique set of characteristics and rules for usage, and understanding the function of word classes is essential for effective communication in English. Knowing our word classes allows us to create clear and grammatically correct sentences that convey our intended meaning.
Word classes in English
In English, there are four main word classes; nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. These are considered lexical words, and they provide the main meaning of a phrase or sentence.
The other five word classes are; prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and interjections. These are considered functional words, and they provide structural and relational information in a sentence or phrase.
Don’t worry if it sounds a bit confusing right now. Read ahead and you’ll be a master of the different types of word classes in no time!
| All word classes | Definition | Examples of word classification |
| Noun | A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. | cat, house, plant |
| Pronoun | A word that is used in place of a noun to avoid repetition. | he, she, they, it |
| Verb | A word that expresses action, occurrence, or state of being. | run, sing, grow |
| Adjective | A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. | blue, tall, happy |
| Adverb | A word that describes or modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb. | quickly, very |
| Preposition | A word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. | in, on, at |
| Conjunction | A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses. | and, or, but |
| Interjection | A word that expresses strong emotions or feelings. | wow, oh, ouch |
| Determiners | A word that clarifies information about the quantity, location, or ownership of the noun | Articles like ‘the’ and ‘an’, and quantifiers like ‘some’ and ‘all’. |
The four main word classes
In the English language, there are four main word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Let’s look at all the word classes in detail.
Nouns
Nouns are the words we use to describe people, places, objects, feelings, concepts, etc. Usually, nouns are tangible (touchable) things, such as a table, a person, or a building.
However, we also have abstract nouns, which are things we can feel and describe but can’t necessarily see or touch, such as love, honour, or excitement. Proper nouns are the names we give to specific and official people, places, or things, such as England, Claire, or Hoover.
Cat
House
School
Britain
Harry
Book
Hatred
‘My sister went to school.‘
Verbs
Verbs are words that show action, event, feeling, or state of being. This can be a physical action or event, or it can be a feeling that is experienced.
Lexical verbs are considered one of the four main word classes, and auxiliary verbs are not. Lexical verbs are the main verb in a sentence that shows action, event, feeling, or state of being, such as walk, ran, felt, and want, whereas an auxiliary verb helps the main verb and expresses grammatical meaning, such as has, is, and do.
Run
Walk
Swim
Curse
Wish
Help
Leave
‘She wished for a sunny day.’
Adjectives
Adjectives are words used to modify nouns, usually by describing them. Adjectives describe an attribute, quality, or state of being of the noun.
Long
Short
Friendly
Broken
Loud
Embarrassed
Dull
Boring
‘The friendly woman wore a beautiful dress.’
Fig 1. Adjectives can describe the woman and the dress
Adverbs
Adverbs are words that work alongside verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They provide further descriptions of how, where, when, and how often something is done.
Quickly
Softly
Very
More
Too
Loudly
‘The music was too loud.’
All of the above examples are lexical word classes and carry most of the meaning in a sentence. They make up the majority of the words in the English language.
The other five word classes
The other five remaining word classes are; prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and interjections. These words are considered functional words and are used to explain grammatical and structural relationships between words.
For example, prepositions can be used to explain where one object is in relation to another.
Prepositions
Prepositions are used to show the relationship between words in terms of place, time, direction, and agency.
In
At
On
Towards
To
Through
Into
By
With
‘They went through the tunnel.’
Pronouns
Pronouns take the place of a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence. They often refer to a noun that has already been mentioned and are commonly used to avoid repetition.
Chloe (noun) → she (pronoun)
Chloe’s dog → her dog (possessive pronoun)
There are several different types of pronouns; let’s look at some examples of each.
- He, she, it, they — personal pronouns
- His, hers, its, theirs, mine, ours — possessive pronouns
- Himself, herself, myself, ourselves, themselves — reflexive pronouns
- This, that, those, these — demonstrative pronouns
- Anyone, somebody, everyone, anything, something — Indefinite pronouns
- Which, what, that, who, who — Relative pronouns
‘She sat on the chair which was broken.’
Determiners
Determiners work alongside nouns to clarify information about the quantity, location, or ownership of the noun. It ‘determines’ exactly what is being referred to. Much like pronouns, there are also several different types of determiners.
- The, a, an — articles
- This, that, those — you might recognise these for demonstrative pronouns are also determiners
- One, two, three etc. — cardinal numbers
- First, second, third etc. — ordinal numbers
- Some, most, all — quantifiers
- Other, another — difference words
‘The first restaurant is better than the other.’
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words that connect other words, phrases, and clauses together within a sentence. There are three main types of conjunctions;
-
Coordinating conjunctions — these link independent clauses together.
-
Subordinating conjunctions — these link dependent clauses to independent clauses.
- Correlative conjunctions — words that work in pairs to join two parts of a sentence of equal importance.
For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so — coordinating conjunctions
After, as, because, when, while, before, if, even though — subordinating conjunctions
Either/or, neither/nor, both/and — correlative conjunctions
‘If it rains, I’m not going out.’
Interjections
Interjections are exclamatory words used to express an emotion or a reaction. They often stand alone from the rest of the sentence and are accompanied by an exclamation mark.
Oh
Oops!
Phew!
Ahh!
‘Oh, what a surprise!’
Word class: lexical classes and function classes
A helpful way to understand lexical word classes is to see them as the building blocks of sentences. If the lexical word classes are the blocks themselves, then the function word classes are the cement holding the words together and giving structure to the sentence.
Fig 2. Lexical and functional word classes
In this diagram, the lexical classes are in blue and the function classes are in yellow. We can see that the words in blue provide the key information, and the words in yellow bring this information together in a structured way.
Word class examples
Sometimes it can be tricky to know exactly which word class a word belongs to. Some words can function as more than one word class depending on how they are used in a sentence. For this reason, we must look at words in context, i.e. how a word works within the sentence. Take a look at the following examples of word classes to see the importance of word class categorisation.
The dog will bark if you open the door.
The tree bark was dark and rugged.
Here we can see that the same word (bark) has a different meaning and different word class in each sentence. In the first example, ‘bark’ is used as a verb, and in the second as a noun (an object in this case).
I left my sunglasses on the beach.
The horse stood on Sarah’s left foot.
In the first sentence, the word ‘left’ is used as a verb (an action), and in the second, it is used to modify the noun (foot). In this case, it is an adjective.
I run every day
I went for a run
In this example, ‘run’ can be a verb or a noun.
Word Class — Key takeaways
-
We group words into word classes based on the function they perform in a sentence.
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The four main word classes are nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. These are lexical classes that give meaning to a sentence.
-
The other five word classes are prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and interjections. These are function classes that are used to explain grammatical and structural relationships between words.
-
It is important to look at the context of a sentence in order to work out which word class a word belongs to.
Frequently Asked Questions about Word Class
A word class is a group of words that have similar properties and play a similar role in a sentence.
Some examples of how some words can function as more than one word class include the way ‘run’ can be a verb (‘I run every day’) or a noun (‘I went for a run’). Similarly, ‘well’ can be an adverb (‘He plays the guitar well’) or an adjective (‘She’s feeling well today’).
The nine word classes are; Nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, interjections.
Categorising words into word classes helps us to understand the function the word is playing within a sentence.
Parts of speech is another term for word classes.
The different groups of word classes include lexical classes that act as the building blocks of a sentence e.g. nouns. The other word classes are function classes that act as the ‘glue’ and give grammatical information in a sentence e.g. prepositions.
The word classes for all, that, and the is:
‘All’ = determiner (quantifier)
‘That’ = pronoun and/or determiner (demonstrative pronoun)
‘The’ = determiner (article)
Final Word Class Quiz
Word Class Quiz — Teste dein Wissen
Question
A word can only belong to one type of noun. True or false?
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Answer
This is false. A word can belong to multiple categories of nouns and this may change according to the context of the word.
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Question
Name the two principal categories of nouns.
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Answer
The two principal types of nouns are ‘common nouns’ and ‘proper nouns’.
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Question
Which of the following is an example of a proper noun?
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Question
Name the 6 types of common nouns discussed in the text.
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Answer
Concrete nouns, abstract nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns, collective nouns, and compound nouns.
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Question
What is the difference between a concrete noun and an abstract noun?
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Answer
A concrete noun is a thing that physically exists. We can usually touch this thing and measure its proportions. An abstract noun, however, does not physically exist. It is a concept, idea, or feeling that only exists within the mind.
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Question
Pick out the concrete noun from the following:
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Question
Pick out the abstract noun from the following:
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Question
What is the difference between a countable and an uncountable noun? Can you think of an example for each?
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Answer
A countable noun is a thing that can be ‘counted’, i.e. it can exist in the plural. Some examples include ‘bottle’, ‘dog’ and ‘boy’. These are often concrete nouns.
An uncountable noun is something that can not be counted, so you often cannot place a number in front of it. Examples include ‘love’, ‘joy’, and ‘milk’.
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Question
Pick out the collective noun from the following:
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Question
What is the collective noun for a group of sheep?
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Answer
The collective noun is a ‘flock’, as in ‘flock of sheep’.
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Question
The word ‘greenhouse’ is a compound noun. True or false?
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Answer
This is true. The word ‘greenhouse’ is a compound noun as it is made up of two separate words ‘green’ and ‘house’. These come together to form a new word.
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Question
What are the adjectives in this sentence?: ‘The little boy climbed up the big, green tree’
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Answer
The adjectives are ‘little’ and ‘big’, and ‘green’ as they describe features about the nouns.
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Question
Place the adjectives in this sentence into the correct order: the wooden blue big ship sailed across the Indian vast scary ocean.
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Answer
The big, blue, wooden ship sailed across the vast, scary, Indian ocean.
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Question
What are the 3 different positions in which an adjective can be placed?
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Answer
An adjective can be placed before a noun (pre-modification), after a noun (post-modification), or following a verb as a complement.
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Question
In this sentence, does the adjective pre-modify or post-modify the noun? ‘The unicorn is angry’.
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Answer
The adjective ‘angry’ post-modifies the noun ‘unicorn’.
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Question
In this sentence, does the adjective pre-modify or post-modify the noun? ‘It is a scary unicorn’.
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Answer
The adjective ‘scary’ pre-modifies the noun ‘unicorn’.
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Question
What kind of adjectives are ‘purple’ and ‘shiny’?
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Answer
‘Purple’ and ‘Shiny’ are qualitative adjectives as they describe a quality or feature of a noun
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Question
What kind of adjectives are ‘ugly’ and ‘easy’?
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Answer
The words ‘ugly’ and ‘easy’ are evaluative adjectives as they give a subjective opinion on the noun.
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Question
Which of the following adjectives is an absolute adjective?
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Which of these adjectives is a classifying adjective?
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Question
Convert the noun ‘quick’ to its comparative form.
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Answer
The comparative form of ‘quick’ is ‘quicker’.
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Question
Convert the noun ‘slow’ to its superlative form.
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Answer
The comparative form of ‘slow’ is ‘slowest’.
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Question
What is an adjective phrase?
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Answer
An adjective phrase is a group of words that is ‘built’ around the adjective (it takes centre stage in the sentence). For example, in the phrase ‘the dog is big’ the word ‘big’ is the most important information.
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Question
Give 2 examples of suffixes that are typical of adjectives.
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Answer
Suffixes typical of adjectives include -able, -ible, -ful, -y, -less, -ous, -some, -ive, -ish, -al.
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Question
What is the difference between a main verb and an auxiliary verb?
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Answer
A main verb is a verb that can stand on its own and carries most of the meaning in a verb phrase. For example, ‘run’, ‘find’. Auxiliary verbs cannot stand alone, instead, they work alongside a main verb and ‘help’ the verb to express more grammatical information e.g. tense, mood, possibility.
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Question
What is the difference between a primary auxiliary verb and a modal auxiliary verb?
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Answer
Primary auxiliary verbs consist of the various forms of ‘to have’, ‘to be’, and ‘to do’ e.g. ‘had’, ‘was’, ‘done’. They help to express a verb’s tense, voice, or mood. Modal auxiliary verbs show possibility, ability, permission, or obligation. There are 9 auxiliary verbs including ‘could’, ‘will’, might’.
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Question
Which of the following are primary auxiliary verbs?
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Is
-
Play
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Have
-
Run
-
Does
-
Could
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Answer
The primary auxiliary verbs in this list are ‘is’, ‘have’, and ‘does’. They are all forms of the main primary auxiliary verbs ‘to have’, ‘to be’, and ‘to do’. ‘Play’ and ‘run’ are main verbs and ‘could’ is a modal auxiliary verb.
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Question
Name 6 out of the 9 modal auxiliary verbs.
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Answer
Answers include: Could, would, should, may, might, can, will, must, shall
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Question
‘The fairies were asleep’. In this sentence, is the verb ‘were’ a linking verb or an auxiliary verb?
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Answer
The word ‘were’ is used as a linking verb as it stands alone in the sentence. It is used to link the subject (fairies) and the adjective (asleep).
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Question
What is the difference between dynamic verbs and stative verbs?
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Answer
A dynamic verb describes an action or process done by a noun or subject. They are thought of as ‘action verbs’ e.g. ‘kick’, ‘run’, ‘eat’. Stative verbs describe the state of being of a person or thing. These are states that are not necessarily physical action e.g. ‘know’, ‘love’, ‘suppose’.
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Question
Which of the following are dynamic verbs and which are stative verbs?
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Drink
-
Prefer
-
Talk
-
Seem
-
Understand
-
Write
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Answer
The dynamic verbs are ‘drink’, ‘talk’, and ‘write’ as they all describe an action. The stative verbs are ‘prefer’, ‘seem’, and ‘understand’ as they all describe a state of being.
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Question
What is an imperative verb?
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Answer
Imperative verbs are verbs used to give orders, give instructions, make a request or give warning. They tell someone to do something. For example, ‘clean your room!’.
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Question
Inflections give information about tense, person, number, mood, or voice. True or false?
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Question
What information does the inflection ‘-ing’ give for a verb?
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Answer
The inflection ‘-ing’ is often used to show that an action or state is continuous and ongoing.
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Question
How do you know if a verb is irregular?
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Answer
An irregular verb does not take the regular inflections, instead the whole word is spelt a different way. For example, begin becomes ‘began’ or ‘begun’. We can’t add the regular past tense inflection -ed as this would become ‘beginned’ which doesn’t make sense.
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Question
Suffixes can never signal what word class a word belongs to. True or false?
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Answer
False. Suffixes can signal what word class a word belongs to. For example, ‘-ify’ is a common suffix for verbs (‘identity’, ‘simplify’)
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Question
A verb phrase is built around a noun. True or false?
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Answer
False. A verb phrase is a group of words that has a main verb along with any other auxiliary verbs that ‘help’ the main verb. For example, ‘could eat’ is a verb phrase as it contains a main verb (‘could’) and an auxiliary verb (‘could’).
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Question
Which of the following are multi-word verbs?
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Shake
-
Rely on
-
Dancing
-
Look up to
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Answer
The verbs ‘rely on’ and ‘look up to’ are multi-word verbs as they consist of a verb that has one or more prepositions or particles linked to it.
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Question
What is the difference between a transition verb and an intransitive verb?
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Answer
Transitive verbs are verbs that require an object in order to make sense. For example, the word ‘bring’ requires an object that is brought (‘I bring news’). Intransitive verbs do not require an object to complete the meaning of the sentence e.g. ‘exist’ (‘I exist’).
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Answer
An adverb is a word that gives more information about a verb, adjective, another adverb, or a full clause.
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Question
What are the 3 ways we can use adverbs?
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Answer
We can use adverbs to modify a word (modifying adverbs), to intensify a word (intensifying adverbs), or to connect two clauses (connecting adverbs).
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Question
What are modifying adverbs?
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Answer
Modifying adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They add further information about the word.
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Question
‘Additionally’, ‘likewise’, and ‘consequently’ are examples of connecting adverbs. True or false?
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Answer
True! Connecting adverbs are words used to connect two independent clauses.
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Question
What are intensifying adverbs?
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Answer
Intensifying adverbs are words used to strengthen the meaning of an adjective, another adverb, or a verb. In other words, they ‘intensify’ another word.
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Question
Which of the following are intensifying adverbs?
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Calmly
-
Incredibly
-
Enough
-
Greatly
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Answer
The intensifying adverbs are ‘incredibly’ and ‘greatly’. These strengthen the meaning of a word.
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Question
Name the main types of adverbs
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Answer
The main adverbs are; adverbs of place, adverbs of time, adverbs of manner, adverbs of frequency, adverbs of degree, adverbs of probability, and adverbs of purpose.
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Question
What are adverbs of time?
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Answer
Adverbs of time are the ‘when?’ adverbs. They answer the question ‘when is the action done?’ e.g. ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’
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Question
Which of the following are adverbs of frequency?
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Usually
-
Patiently
-
Occasionally
-
Nowhere
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Answer
The adverbs of frequency are ‘usually’ and ‘occasionally’. They are the ‘how often?’ adverbs. They answer the question ‘how often is the action done?’.
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Question
What are adverbs of place?
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Answer
Adverbs of place are the ‘where?’ adverbs. They answer the question ‘where is the action done?’. For example, ‘outside’ or ‘elsewhere’.
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Question
Which of the following are adverbs of manner?
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Never
-
Carelessly
-
Kindly
-
Inside
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Answer
The words ‘carelessly’ and ‘kindly’ are adverbs of manner. They are the ‘how?’ adverbs that answer the question ‘how is the action done?’.
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A common noun is a noun that may refer to a general or specific class or entity and can be used with limiting modifiers such as a, an, my, every, and some. A common noun is always written in lowercase.
The English language is full of confusing rules and exceptions to those rules so let’s scale it back for a moment to make this easier to understand.
What is a Noun?
The noun—one of the most essential elements of the English language—makes up the largest class of words in this and most other languages as well. It can refer to a thing, a person, an animal, a place, a quality, an idea, or an action.
A noun is usually a single word (for example, book) but that’s not always the case. Bathtub, fish cake, and swimming pool are also nouns. Specifically, they are compound nouns—they are made up of two or more nouns to form an altogether new one.
What is a Common Noun?
A common noun is just like a regular noun—it’s still a person, place, thing, etc. But in this case it refers to a generic class of beings, places, or things. Generic here simply means that we don’t have any specific information on the precise nature of our noun.
So, for example, the following are all common nouns: city, child, and book. If we used common nouns in a sentence, it would read something like this:
- The child went into the city to buy a book.
We have a complete sentence here with a subject (noun) performing an action (verb). But we don’t actually have a lot of detail. Who is the child? What city is she going to? Which book does she buy? This is where our proper nouns come in.
Here are 20 examples of common nouns:
| street park neighborhood district city country continent |
religion language sect nation tribe institution authority |
restaurant fashion brand sport book album TV show |
|---|
What is a Proper Noun?
Unlike common nouns, proper nouns are a particular person, place, or thing. Proper nouns do not take a limiting modifier (a, an, every, some) and are usually capitalized.
Remember our sample sentence from above? We didn’t get a lot of specifics with it.
Now, examine the following sentence:
- Madeline went into New York City to buy a copy of Where the Wild Things Are.
In essence, we did not change the structure of the sentence. We simply replaced all of the common nouns with proper nouns. And there you have it, we now have specific details that give us a better picture of the action.
Also, note that all the proper nouns are capitalized while none of the common nouns were.
Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns
While common nouns provide us with general classifications only, proper nouns provide precise details. Each common noun will always have a counterpart, as we’ve just seen in the most recent example.
Child, city, and book were replaced with their specific proper nouns of Madeline, New York City, and Where the Wild Things Are.
So, to repeat, proper nouns can always be linked to a more generic common noun.
| COMMON NOUNS | PROPER NOUNS |
|---|---|
| academic institutions | Ivy League |
| mountain range | Himalayas |
| month | October |
| language | Spanish |
| district | SoHo |
| religion | Islam |
| government institution | Congress |
| person | Dolly Parton |
| sports brand | Nike |
| superhero | Spider-Man |
However, not all common nouns will necessarily have a proper noun to go with them (think of toe, hair, dust, dirt, etc.).
The main reason for distinguishing between common nouns and proper nouns is to help with classification and capitalization.
While proper nouns are almost always capitalized, common nouns never are.
While proper nouns indicate a specific class or entity, common nouns provide a generic designation.
How to Spot a Common Noun
As pointed out at the start of this article, an easy way to spot common nouns is by working out whether we can use any limiting modifiers with them, such as a, an, my, every, or some and making sure it’s lowercase. For example:
- Paul threw his book against the wall.
- Paul threw Hamlet against the wall.
In the first example, his can be replaced with a and the sentence still reads correctly, so «book» is a common noun.
In the second example, Hamlet is both capitalized and cannot be replaced by any of the modifiers (there’s only the one Hamlet after all), so we know that this is a proper noun.
How to Spot a Proper Noun
Now this is relatively easy because proper nouns are almost always capitalized. For most of us it’s already second nature to capitalize names of companies, people, languages, countries, etc.
I say almost because, true to its tricky nature, English will always have an exception to confuse you. Sometimes you will find that certain proper nouns can be written in lowercase, such as mars (the planet, not the chocolate bar).
Technically, it is a specific planet—i.e. a proper noun—and should therefore be capitalized. But as its use is so ubiquitous in the English language, the lowercase spelling has become widely accepted.
Another example of this is champagne (the drink, not the region). Because it’s now such a familiar designation for most sparkling white wines, it is commonly accepted as lowercase.
In these instances it is often down to a particular house-style whether a specific proper noun needs to be capitalized or not. So check your style-guide before making a judgment call.
Why Do We Need Common Nouns?
Common nouns are used no differently in writing and speech than any other type of noun. They take the same grammatical positions and can thus be used as subjects and direct or indirect objects.
Take a look at these examples:
- The book fell on the floor.
Book is the common noun used as the subject of the sentence.
- Paula threw the book at the wall.
Book is the common noun used as the direct object of the sentence.
- Paula spilled some water on her book.
Book is the common noun used as the indirect object of the sentence.
Using different types of nouns can help keep our writing varied, fresh, and more precise. Sometimes we want to be more specific, sometimes a little less.
Do you want to paint a vivid, precise picture for your readers? Use a proper noun. Are you interested in setting a more general scene without getting lost in details? Then perhaps a common noun is more appropriate.
The more types of nouns we use in our writing, the more engaging and interesting our text becomes.
Common Mistakes with Common Nouns
A common mistake made when using common nouns is to capitalize them, especially when it comes to titles and professions. Words such as president, chancellor, or queen sound important, so people tend to capitalize them incorrectly.
A simple way of avoiding that mistake is to look carefully at your noun. Is it specific? Is it talking about one particular person, thing, place, etc.? If not, then keep it lowercase.
Let’s look at some examples:
- The president of the United States is the head of state.
We are not talking about a specific president, such as Joe Biden, so “president”, despite its gravitas, remains lowercase.
If we wanted to capitalize the word “president”, we’d have to turn it into a proper noun. To do so, all we have to do is attach it to the name of the president. So, for example:
- The current head of state is President Joe Biden.
Let’s look at one more example to let it sink in.
- The queen is currently residing in her summer palace.
Again, we have no specifics as to which queen we are talking about or where she might be staying. These are generic terms only, so we have to keep them lowercase. If we wanted to capitalize them, we’d have to turn them into proper nouns. For example:
- Queen Elizabeth II is currently residing at Balmoral Castle.
Now we have specifics—we know which queen we’re talking about and the name of the specific castle.
If you find yourself using the same common nouns throughout your writing, the ProWritingAid Thesaurus check is a great tool to help you find the perfect words. Sign up for a free ProWriting Aid account today and see for yourself.
Test Yourself
Now it’s time to practice what you’ve learned. Let’s look at the examples below. Highlight all instances of common nouns and underline the proper nouns.
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There’s nothing I’d rather do than sit here and look at the stars with you.
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Google is a company renowned for its work-culture.
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Pandora’s Box is a well-known myth.
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The Cherokee are one of the indigenous people of the United States of America.
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The Ford Model T was one of the first affordable cars.
Test Answers
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There’s nothing I’d rather do than sit here and look at the stars with you.
- Stars is a generic term used for the astronomical objects we can see in the night sky. It does not refer to a specific star, for example Vega, or a star-formation, such as Orion’s Belt.
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Google is a company renowned for its work-culture.
- Google is the name of the company we’re talking about here, so we have both the common noun with its proper noun equivalent. (Work-culture is a compound noun, if you want to get nit-picky here.)
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Pandora’s Box is a well-known myth.
- There are many myths in Greek mythology, but only one story about Pandora.
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The Cherokee are one of the indigenous people of the United States of America.
- There are many indigenous people in the USA, so this is a generic term, while the Cherokee are one particular tribe of note.
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The Ford Model T was one of the first affordable cars.
- I bet you’re getting the hang of these now, right? Cars is the generic term for automobiles, while the Ford Model T speaks of one particular model and make.
A Quick Common Noun Recap
Common nouns are generic (think non-specific) people, places, things, ideas, animals, actions, or qualities. Use them to create a general scene without going into details.
They’re always lowercase and function just like any other type of noun in your writing.
If you’re unsure whether you’re looking at a common noun, check its capitalization and try using it with a limiting modifier. If it’s general, lowercase, and you can use one of those modifiers, chances are you’re looking at a common noun.
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Часто изучающие английский жалуются, что сложно запоминать слова. Что их словарный запас неорганизован, все находится «в куче». А хочется, чтобы все четко, на местах, «по полочкам». При этом, когда спрашиваешь, какие части речи есть в английском языке (они же «шкафчики», в которых те самые «полочки»), мало кто дает вразумительный ответ.
Прежде чем пытаться запомнить слово, друзья, вам нужно не только понимать, какая это часть речи (какой «шкафчик») но и какие категории есть у этой части речи («полочки»).
Мы в ENGINFORM всегда говорим нашим студентам, что если при изучении незнакомое слово наделять характеристиками, то оно усваивается памятью гораздо лучше.
Я уже писала о том, какие бывают глаголы в английском языке, рассказывала о типах наречий, объясняла в чем разница между качественными и относительными прилагательными.
В этой статье мы поговорим о существительных. Надеюсь, вы помните, что существительное (a noun) – это часть речи, которая отвечает на вопросы «Кто? Что?». Очень важно понимать, к какой категории относится каждое существительное и какими свойствами обладает, потому что от этого будет зависеть не только ваше запоминание, но и сочетания, использование артиклей и других определителей с этим существительным.
Давайте разберемся, какие бывают существительные.
1. Имена собственные (proper nouns) и нарицательные (common nouns)
К proper nouns относятся имена людей, названия городов, стран и другие названия всего его угодно. Все proper nouns пишyтся с заглавной буквы (capital letter):
Имена и фамилии: Mary, John, Smith
Названия городов: New York, Kyiv, Tokio
Названия стран: Germany, China, Canada
Названия мест, достопримечательностей: The Eifel Tower, The Statue of Liberty
Названия книг, фильмов: The Great Gatsby, Titanic
Cо многими из имен собственных не используется артикль, но есть и исключения. Чтобы вспомнить их, рекомендаю перечитать статью Использование артикля the c именами собственными и Артикль the с географическими названиями.
Common nouns обозначают предметы, явления, места, людей, материальные и абстрактные вещи, которые присутствуют в нашей жизни:
a girl, a car, a house, milk, love, air, happiness
Вот как раз с этими существительными и употребляются артикли. Но не со всеми! Читайте дальше)
2. Исчисляемые (countable) и неисчисляемые (uncountable or mass nouns)
Все нарицательные существительные делятся на те, которые можно посчитать (a girl, a house, a car), и те, которые посчитать невозможно, про которые нельзя сказать, что их «один» или «два»: (air, milk, love, fruit, luggage).
Сountable nouns имеют единственное и множественное число. Неопределенный артикль А используется только с ними в единственном числе.
А вот определенный артикль the может употребляться и c исчисляемыми и с неисчисляемыми существительными. Uncountable nouns иногда называют mass nouns. Больше о том, чем отличаются эти две категории в статье: Исчисляемые и неисчисляемые существительные.
Some nouns, в зависимости от значения, могут быть и countable и uncountable. Подробное объяснение с примерами: Существительные, которые бывают исчисляемыми и неисчисляемыми.
3. Абстрактные (abstract noun) и конкретные существительные (сoncrete noun)
К абстрактным относятся существительные, которые нельзя пощупать, увидеть, которые не имеют физической формы. Например:
independence – независимость
happiness – счастье
an idea – идея
a thought – мысль
Concrete nouns – это те, которые мы можем потрогать, увидеть, ощутить. Конкретные существительные могут обозначать людей, предметы и объекты окружающего мира, группы, меры измерения.
Распространенное заблуждение – то, что все абстрактные существительные неисчисляемые, а конкретные – исчисляемые. Это не так. Возьмем хотя бы слова an idea и water:
an idea – абстрактное, но исчисляемое существительное, мы можем посчитать идеи
water – конкретное, но неисчисляемое существительное
Абстрактных исчисляемых существительных не так много, как неисчисляемых, но вот еще несолько примеров:
an agreement – согласие
a denial – отрицание
an idea – идея
a nuisance – досада; неприятность
a proposal – предложение
a remark – замечание
a situation – ситуация
a solution – решение
a statement – заявление, утверждение
a thought – мысль
К сoncrete uncountable nouns относятся:
1) названия жидкостей, газов, субстанций, сыпучих веществ, которые можно воспринимать органами чувств, которые имеют какие-то физические характеристики:
hydrogen – водород
lava – лава
dust – пыль
2) Названия активностей (имеют окончание ing):
reading – чтение
swimming – плаванье
knitting – вязание
3) Названия языков:
English – английский
Chineese – китайский
Italian – итальянский
А еще лучше понять, что такое Abstract Nouns вам поможет статья Абстрактные существительные (Abstract Nouns).
4. Собирательные существительные (Collective nouns)
Кроме того, выделяют collective nouns – это слова, которые обозначают группы одинаковых вещей, предметов, людей:
class – класс
army – армия
choir – хор
bunch – связка; пучок; пачка
herd – стадо
Узнайте больше о Collective Nouns, которые обозначают группы животных.
5. One Word Nouns и Compound Nouns
Если говорить о структуре существительных в английском языке, можно выделить nouns, которые состоят из одного слова (one word nouns) и существительные, которые состоят из нескольких слов (сompound nouns).
One word nouns – это большинство существительных, которые вам известны.Хочу обратить ваше внимание, что некоторые оne word nouns совпадают по форме с глаголами. Они могут различаться произношением, ударением, либо не отличаться ничем, кроме функции и места в предложении. Например:
Guess — угадывать или догадка, предположение
Visit – посещать или посещение, визит
Addict:
[‘ædɪkt] – заядлый любитель, зависимый от чего-либо, наркоман
[ə’dɪkt] – увлекаться, предавать себя чему-либо
Perfect:
[‘pɜːfɪkt] – совершенный, безупречный
[pə’fekt] – совершенствовать, развивать
Desert:
[‘dezət] – пустыня, пустынный район
[dɪ’zɜːt] – покидать, оставлять, бросать
Рекомендую вам познакомиться с этими существительными-глаголами, о них вы можете прочитать в материале Глагол или существительное? Как ударение влияет на значение.
Что касается cocтавных существительных, то они обычно образованы из двух или трех слов, например:
существительное + существительное: car park
прилагательное + существительное: white board
глагол + существительное: living room
предлог + существительное: onlooker
Важно то, что становясь a compound noun, эта комбинация приобретает совсем другое значение, чем слова по отдельности.
Compound Nouns различаются по написанию:
— одним словом (и тут важно не перепутать их с оne word nouns): haircut, bedroom, motorcycle
— через дефис: son-in-law, check-in, dry-cleaning
— как два слова: driving licence, bottle opener, public speaking
Конечно же, в зависимости от категорий, существительные обладают определенными свойствами, которые мы Несколько рекомендаций по запомнанию слов.
Изучая новое существительное, всегда обращайте внимание на его характеристики:
1. Это имя собственное (proper noun) или нарицательное (common noun)?
2. Исчисляемое (countable) или неисчисляемое (uncountable)?
3. Абстрактное (abstract) оно или конкретное (concrete)?
4. А может быть, это a сollective noun?
5. Какое существительное по структуре: one word or compound?
Вся эта информация о категориях обычно представлена в словарях, вместе с транскрипцией слова. Если вам не нравится пользоваться обычными бумажными словарями, держите Подборку лучших онлайн словарей.
Когда вы научитесь «сортировать» слова:
существительные, прилагательные, глаголы по категориям, вам будет намного легче их сохранять в памяти и использовать по назначению.
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