Abstract and Concrete Nouns for intermediate learners

Based on what we can or cannot perceive with our five senses, we can categorize nouns into two groups: abstract and common nouns. Start learning!

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"Abstract and Concrete" Nouns in English Grammar

What Are Abstract and Concrete Nouns?

Abstract nouns refer to nouns that exist only as an idea or quality, not something real that you can see or touch.
Concrete nouns refer to physical things, animals, or people that you are able to hear, see, smell, touch, or taste.

Examples of Abstract and Concrete Nouns

In the table below, you can see some of the common abstract and concrete nouns in English:

Abstract nouns Concrete nouns
Beauty Book
Freedom Child
Sadness Dog
Stupidity Ball
Anger Ice cream cone

Abstract Nouns Categorization

We can categorize abstract nouns into different categories:

  • Emotions: anger, joy, passion
  • States: being, peace, freedom
  • Feelings: fear, stress, love
  • Qualities: beauty, honesty, trust
  • Concepts: culture, faith, chance
  • Ideas: democracy, wisdom, religion
  • Events: birthday, marriage, death

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