What is an abstract noun?
An abstract noun is a type of noun that cannot be recognized using the five senses. These are nouns that you cannot see, smell, taste, hear nor touch. They usually refer to feelings or emotions, states, ideas, events and qualities.
Type of Abstract Nouns
| Abstract noun type | Examples |
| Feelings/emotions | fear,pain,hope |
| States | denial, confusion, peace |
| Concepts/ideas | Dedication, knowledge, friendship |
| Events | youth, birthday, death |
| Qualities | honesty, courage, beauty |
Abstract nouns can be countable or uncountable.
Example:
| It was a bad experience. (“experience” is used as a countable noun) |
| I have enough experience to do the job. (“experience” is used as an uncountable noun) |
Many common abstract nouns can be formed by adding a suffix (-ity, -tion, -ment etc.) to nouns.
Form: noun + suffix = abstract noun
Examples:
| noun | suffix | abstract noun |
| brother | -hood | brotherhood |
| generous | -ity | generosity |
| invest | -ment | investment |
Example sentences:
| There is hope for the future. |
| She is enjoying her freedom. |
| My childhood was fun. |