Abstract and Concrete Nouns 

Explore abstract and concrete nouns in-depth with detailed explanations. Examples include 'justice' and 'book', plus a quiz to test your knowledge.

"Abstract and Concrete" Nouns in English Grammar

What Are Concrete and Abstract Nouns?

Concrete nouns refer to tangible objects that can be perceived through the senses, such as touch, taste, smell, sight, or hearing. Abstract nouns, on the other hand, refer to intangible concepts, ideas, or qualities that cannot be perceived through the senses or touched in the physical world.

Concrete Nouns

A concrete noun refers to a tangible or physical thing that can be perceived by one of the five senses. Let's see some examples:

Example

We trimmed the trees.

I heard his voice but I did not pay attention.

Concrete nouns represent living things, places, objects, and even microscopic organism that cannot be easily seen but nonetheless have physical form. Here is a list of some concrete nouns based on the sense they are perceived with. Keep in mind that some concrete nouns represent things that can be perceived by more that one sense. For example, you can hear, see, and touch a bird or, but can only smell a perfume.

Things we can see: a flower, a book, the sun, our house, the Eiffel Tower, Al Pacino

Things we can touch: a hand, a fork, a car, a key, a mug, a MacBook

Things we can hear: a voice, a honk, a siren, Mozart's 41st Symphony

Things we can smell: perfume, odor, gas

Things we can taste: coffee, bread, sugar, honey

How to Recognize Concrete Nouns in a Sentence

When encountering a noun in a sentence, you can determine if it is a concrete noun by considering whether you can physically experience what it represents through one or more of the five senses - touch, taste, smell, sight, or hearing. If what the noun refers to can be perceived in this way, it is likely a concrete noun.

Example

I ate pasta in an expensive restaurant.

In this sentence you can taste the 'pasta' and see the 'restaurant' so, they are both concrete nouns.

I listened to the music you recommended.

In this sentence, you can hear the sound of the music, as a result, music is a concrete noun.

His religion is Jainism, I guess.

In this sentence neither 'religion' not 'Jainism' are concrete nouns because you cannot feel them by your physical senses.

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns, such as those referring to ideas, concepts, feelings, and qualities, do not have physical forms and qualities and cannot be perceived through our senses. The following list represents different categories of abstract nouns:

Feelings and emotions: sadness, happiness, depression, envy, fear

States: death, marriage, womanhood

Qualities: beauty, generosity, honesty, trust

Concepts: religion, motivation, opportunity, Relativity

Ideas and beliefs: wisdom, friendship, knowledge, Buddhism

Events: birthday, holiday, Christmas, days of the week, the Great Depression

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How to Recognize Abstract Nouns

When encountering a noun, we can determine whether it is abstract or concrete by considering whether it can be perceived through the senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. If the answer to this question is 'no,' the noun is likely an abstract noun. Abstract nouns typically refer to concepts that are understood or imagined by the mind.

Example

Holidays are my favorite parts of the year.

You cannot sense the 'holidays,' so it is an abstract noun.

Trust is hard to earn.

Abstract Nouns: Common Forms

In many cases, concrete nouns, adjectives, or verbs can be transformed into abstract nouns by adding a suffix or modifying the root of the word. Some of these suffixes are presented in the following:

-ness: happiness, sadness

-hood: childhood, neighborhood

-tion: creation, intention

-ship: relationship, friendship

-ability: likability, capability

-acy: adequacy, bureaucracy

-ance: defiance, intolerance

-ment: ailment, argument

-ness: fitness, fondness

-ence: deference; violence

Deciding Whether a Noun Is Concrete or Abstract

Some words can be used in different senses and represent concrete objects in one sense, while referring to abstract concepts in another sense. Here are some examples:

Example

His works are amazing, especially the classic ones. → concrete noun

Here, the speaker is referring to a piece of art which can be seen.

Finishing this project requires hard work. → an abstract noun

In this example, the speaker is referring to the effort needed to finish the project.

Global warming is not going to be beneficial for the atmosphere. → a concrete noun

In this example, the atmosphere is made of different gases, so it is a concrete noun.

I went to the party and they were really friendly, it was a welcoming atmosphere. → an abstract noun

Here, 'atmosphere' is not a physical entity, but an abstract state.

Abstract or Concrete?

Determining whether a noun is abstract or concrete can be challenging in some cases. For instance, words like 'job' and 'laughter' can be ambiguous. Some argue that 'job' is an abstract noun because it cannot be seen directly, while others consider it concrete because a person can be seen working at a job. Similarly, 'laughter' is sometimes regarded as abstract, but it can also be heard, which suggests that it may be a concrete noun.

Review

Based on whether we can or cannot perceive something through our five senses, we can categorize nouns into two groups

1.

Abstract nouns

2.

Concrete nouns

Concrete nouns

Abstract nouns

a noun that refers to something we can perceive through our five senses.

a noun that represents something we cannot perceive through our five senses.

-ness

-hood

-tion

-ship

-ability

Forming abstract nouns

happiness, sadness

childhood, neighborhood

depression, intention

relationship, friendship

likability, capability

Quiz:


1.

Which of the following sentences contains a concrete noun?

A

Trust is essential in any relationship.

B

Wisdom comes with experience.

C

The music was soothing and beautiful.

D

Her optimism brightened the mood.

2.

Select all the abstract nouns from the list. (Select five.)

Echo

Time

Heartbeat

Gratitude

Smoke

Shadow

Confidence

Hope

Steam

Loneliness

3.

Choose concrete or abstract for each noun.

Whistle

Democracy

Anger

Fingerprint

Creativity

Concrete
Abstract
4.

Fill in the blank with the correct abstract noun formed by adding a suffix to the words in parentheses.

Her

(happy) was evident when she received the good news.

The

(child) memories are often the most cherished ones.

His

(likable) made him very popular among his friends.

The doctor treated his

(ail) with care.

5.

Which sentence contains an abstract use of the word "voice"?

A

Her voice echoed through the empty hallway.

B

He gave a voice to the concerns of his community.

C

I heard his voice over the phone.

D

The singer's voice was full of emotion.

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