Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are words that name things you cannot see, touch, hear, smell, or taste. They describe feelings, ideas, and qualities that exist in your mind.

What You'll Learn

In this lesson, you will learn:

• What abstract nouns are and how they differ from concrete nouns
• How to recognise common abstract nouns for feelings and qualities
• How to use abstract nouns correctly in sentences

When to Use

1. Feelings and emotions: "Her happiness was clear when she won the race."
2. Qualities and traits: "The firefighter showed great courage during the rescue."
3. Ideas and concepts: "Friendship is important to everyone."
4. States and conditions: "There was complete silence in the library."

How to Form

Concrete Nouns vs Abstract Nouns

Making Abstract Nouns from Other Words

Many abstract nouns are formed by adding a suffix to an adjective or a verb.

Key Rules

1. Abstract nouns name things you cannot sense: If you cannot see it, touch it, hear it, smell it, or taste it, it is likely an abstract noun. You can feel happiness, but you cannot hold it in your hand.

2. Abstract nouns are still nouns: They follow the same grammar rules as other nouns. You can put "the" or "a" before them: "The courage of the boy surprised everyone."

3. Many abstract nouns are uncountable: Words like happiness, honesty, and freedom do not usually have a plural form. You would not say "happinesses."

4. Some abstract nouns can be countable: A few abstract nouns can be counted, such as "She had many ideas" or "He told three lies."

5. Look for suffixes to spot them: Common endings like -ness, -ment, -ity, -dom, -ship, and -th often signal an abstract noun.

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Common abstract nouns for feelings

happiness, sadness, anger, fear, joy, love, excitement, worry

Common abstract nouns for qualities

courage, bravery, kindness, honesty, patience, wisdom, strength

Common abstract nouns for ideas

freedom, friendship, childhood, knowledge, truth, peace, justice

Suffixes that signal abstract nouns

-ness, -ment, -ity, -dom, -ship, -th, -ry, -ence, -ance

Tip: Ask yourself: "Can I hold it, see it, or touch it?" If the answer is no, it is probably an abstract noun!

Practice Tips

1. The senses test: Try to use your five senses on the word. Can you see, hear, touch, smell, or taste it? If not, it is abstract. You can see a "dog" but you cannot see "loyalty."

2. Adjective-to-noun swap: When you spot an adjective like "kind" or "brave," practise changing it into its abstract noun form: kind becomes kindness, brave becomes bravery.

3. Sort the nouns: Pick any sentence and sort the nouns into two groups -- concrete and abstract. For example: "The boy felt pride after cleaning his room." "Boy" and "room" are concrete; "pride" is abstract.

Quick Reference

Quick Suffix Guide