The kinds of nouns

Nouns are divided into 2 big groups: (1) Proper, (2) Common; the latter are subdivided into 4 subgroups: 1) Class, 2) Collective, 3) Material, 4) Abstract.

A Proper noun is a name given to one particular person or thing, and is not intended to denote more than one person or thing at a time; as James (person). New Testament (book), York (city), France (country).

Note. – The writing of a Proper noun, or of any other kind of noun when it is used as a Proper noun, should be commenced with a capital letter.

A Common class noun denotes no one person or thing in particular, but is common to all persons or things of the same kind; as “man”, “book”, “country”.

Here man does not point out any particular man, such as James, but can be used for any and every man. Book does not point out any particular book, such as the New Testament, but can be used for any and every book. Country does not point out any particular country, such as France, but can be used for any and every country in any part of the world.

A Collective noun denotes a group, collection, or multitude, considered as one complete whole.

For instance, there may be many sheep in a field, but only one flock. Here “sheep” is a Common noun, because it may stand for any and every sheep; but “flock” is a Collective noun, because it stands for all the sheep at once in that field, and not for any one sheep taken separately.

Note 1. – A Collective noun is a peculiar kind of Common noun. Thus “flock” is a Common noun for any number of flocks.

Note 2. – On the difference between a Collective noun and a noun of Multitude.

A noun of Material denotes the matter or substance of which certain things are made; as in the following examples:

A cow eats grass. Seeds are grown in soil. Salt is necessary to life. Fish live in water. We cannot live without air. Zinc is less valuable than gold. Mud is soil mixed with water. They live chiefly on rice. That bar is made of iron. Fish I prefer to meat. We had meat with bread and butter. We shall dine on wheat today. Milk is the best of foods. Some men never eat flesh. We can write with ink or with chalk. A black-board is made of wood.

Note. – Sometimes a Common noun-has a Material noun that pairs with it; as ox (Common), beef (Material); sheep (Common), mutton (Material); pig (Common), bacon or ham or pork (Material); deer (Common), venison (Material), tree (Common), timber (Material), etc.

Ex.4. State whether the underlined nouns are collective nouns or nouns of multitude.

1. My family is now in the country.
2. It was eleven o'clock before the family were all in bed.
3. Then one by one the worn out crew were helped on board.
4. The crew of the ship consists of twenty seven including the captain and his mate.
5. No one had seen him since and the police were searching for him.
6. The band were changed and in the gallery already.
7. And Stilleveld had also been the birth place of a new people who were neither white nor black.
8. All the peoples throughout the world are anxious for the immediate prohibition of weapons of mass destruction.