Collective noun: Collective nouns refer to an entire group of people, places or things.
You can easily identify them as names of groups or collections. For example, when somebody
says a team, he is referring to a group of players. When somebody says and army, he is
referring to a group of soldiers. Other examples include jury, class, committee, nation, crowd,
mob and flock. These all are groups or collections like a nation is a group of citizens, a jury is a
group of judges, a crowd is a group of people and a flock is a group of animals.
Abstract nouns: An abstract noun is the name of a state, quality or action. They can be
considered apart from the person or object they belong to. For example, you can say an honest
person and a beautiful girl. However, you can also think of these qualities as distinct from the
person or object that they belong to like honesty and beauty. Strength, beauty, bravery, honesty
are all qualities or states that can be thought of apart from the person or object they belong to.
The meaning of abstract is something that exists in a thought and does not have a physical
existence. You think of a soldier’s bravery and a great leader’s honesty or even a girl’s beauty.
These are all states or qualities. Bravery, honesty, beauty, courage and greatness are all
qualities that can be thought of as apart from the person or object they belong to.
1.
The crowd was very big. Crowd – collective noun.
2.
Always speak the truth. Truth – Abstract noun.
3.
Solomon was famous for his wisdom. – Solomon – proper noun. Wisdom – is an abstract
noun.
4.
Cleanliness is next to godliness. Cleanliness and godliness are both qualities and abstract
nouns.
5.
We saw a fleet of ships in the harbour. – A fleet is a group of ships or a collective noun
while ship and harbour are both common nouns.
6.
The class is studying grammar. Class is a group of pupils and so a collective noun whereas
names of arts and sciences like grammar, music, painting or chemistry and physics are
abstract nouns.
