- 1-minute read
- 21st December 2013
The Difference Between Concrete and Abstract Nouns
Nouns can be divided into two primary categories: concrete and abstract. Learning how to use each type is crucial to good written English, as it ensures clear communication. This blogpost briefly outlines the main features of concrete and abstract nouns.
Concrete Nouns
Let us begin by looking at concrete nouns. Concrete nouns are the easiest to understand, as they are words for things that physically exist: i.e. things we are able to experience through the senses of touch, sight, smell, taste, and/or hearing.
Examples of concrete nouns include shoes, hats, doors, plates, and vegetables.
As well as objects, concrete nouns include people (e.g. ‘Napoleon’ or ‘an engineer’) and places (e.g. ‘Sydney’ or ‘university’).
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Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns are a bit different, as they refer to things that do not have a physical existence. These are often things that we can imagine, such as thoughts or concepts, but can also refer to feelings, qualities, or events.
Examples include justice, ideas, music, sadness, education, and joy.
If you struggle with using nouns correctly, just get in touch with the friendly team at ProofreadMyDocument to see how proofreading could benefit your work.