Nouns

Nouns

Nouns are words that give a name to people, places or things, though they can also refer to ideas and other abstract objects. 

Read clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how nouns are used. Then, put your grammar knowledge into practice by doing the exercises.  

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Average: 4 (102 votes)

Submitted by User_1 on Tue, 21/05/2024 - 10:58

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Hello,

I would ask you about the collocation with "wind" especially verbs collocations.
E.g. The wind has dropped (= stopped blowing strongly).
Could I use only "to drop" or could I write this sentence in another way?

Thank you

 

 

Hello User_1,

Yes, people say 'the wind has dropped' to mean that it has stopped blowing or is blowing more weakly, and it is correct.

People also say 'die down' instead of 'drop'; they mean the same thing.

By the way, to say the opposite, we often use 'pick up' -- 'the wind is picking up a bit' (it's getting stronger).

Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by vihara on Sat, 20/01/2024 - 08:53

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Hello sir, I need your help undestanding following usages. "Resulting from " "them of " "Attempt at " when these are using and what's the grammatical rules ?

Hello vihara,

The phrase 'resulting from' is used when you want to introduce the cause of something. For example:

There is a high level of unemployment resulting from the economic crisis.

[the economic crisis caused unemployment]

The word 'attempt' is a synonym of 'try'. You can follow it with 'at' to show the goal:

It was a good attempt at the task.

 

The meaning of 'them of' depends on the context it is used in. It has no specific meaning or use in isolation.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

 

Submitted by Nagie23 on Thu, 11/01/2024 - 05:40

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Hello,
I would like to ask the following.
1.I love winter OR I love the winter?
2.One year old or One years old?
Thank you in advance

Hi Nagie23,

1. Both are correct.

2. It should be singular: one year old.

I hope that helps.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Profile picture for user Ahmed Imam

Submitted by Ahmed Imam on Thu, 30/11/2023 - 08:42

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Hello team. Could you please help me? Is there a difference between the two following sentences?
- Life in this country was different twenty years ago.
- Living in this country was different twenty years ago.
Thank you.

Hello Ahmed Imam,

Out of context, I don't see any significant difference. One or the other of the words 'life' or 'living' might be a better choice in a particular context, and perhaps 'living' suggests more action/progress/change, but in general I'd say they mean the same thing.

Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Tue, 07/11/2023 - 14:46

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Hello,
I would like to ask if the following is correct
I am interested in collaborating at your firm as a math teacher.
Is the word collaborating correct in the sentence?AND
as a math teacher?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

The preposition 'with' is normally used with 'collaborate', so I would recommend saying 'collaborating with your firm as a math teacher'.

Everything else looks fine.

Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Tue, 10/10/2023 - 07:02

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Hello,
I would like to ask which of the following is correct
-Let's meet at the coffee shop next to the store.
What is it like?
OR
How is it like?
I mean is the coffee shop good?I would like a description
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

For me, a description of a coffee shop would tell me what the front of the shop looks like and what it's like inside. The most commonly used general question to ask for a description is 'What is it like?'

It's also possible to say 'What does it look like?' if you want to be specific about its appearance.

You could also say 'How is it?' I suppose, but I would understand that to be a question about the coffee or food that it serves more than about the appearance or atmosphere of the place.

Hope this helps.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by k. k_h on Wed, 04/10/2023 - 11:22

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Sir, is the shadow an abstract noun or concrete noun?
I mean the shadow of our body in the sunlight or any light.

Hi k. k_h,

A shadow does not have a physical form and you cannot touch it so it is an abstract noun.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Sir, would you explain that a little further. Cause we can see it so we can perceive it with one of our five senses.

Hello k. k_h,

I'd say 'shadow' is a concrete noun because, as you point out, you can see it. It is sort of abstract because it doesn't exist on its own, i.e. without light and without an object to create it, shadows don't exist. One could argue that everything is like that, but in terms of categories of nouns, I'd say it's concrete.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Tue, 26/09/2023 - 04:09

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Hello,
I would like to ask about the following
Which is the correct word/phrase for someone who likes running traffic as a sport.
He or She goes to the running traffic?traffic?
Thank you in advance

Hi Nagie23,

I'm not sure what "running traffic" means. Is it running on the road? If so, I would say "S/he does road running" or "S/he goes road running".

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Hello,
There is a specific sport that athletes do.
It is running race .100 m,200m, 400m etc..What is the word for the specific sport?
Thank you in advance

Submitted by Nagie23 on Sun, 17/09/2023 - 21:36

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Hello,
I would like to ask the meaning of the following sentence
I am offering math lessons.
a)Is it correct?
b)Does it mean that the lessons are free of charge?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

Yes, that is correct. Since Spanish and Catalan have a verb that is very similar to 'offer' and this verb does imply the idea that something is free of charge, my students here in Spain might think that it means the lessons are free of charge.

But in English that isn't necessarily true. The verb 'offer' expresses the idea that someone is willing to do something; it doesn't specify whether it is free of charge or not. Usually the context will make it clear, and if not, another phrase or sentence is used to make it clear (if that is needed).

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Thank you for your reply.
How else can someone say that they do math lessons (but they will be paid for the teaching hours)
Can they say
I am giving private math lessons or teaching math lessons?
Thank you in advance

Hi Nagie23,

Yes, right. These are the most natural-sounding ways to say it.

If you say you are "giving lessons", it will normally be understood that it is for a price and it is not free, just because it's rare to find people giving lessons for free (where I live, at least). The meaning comes not just from the word but also from the context in which the word is used.

Also, it's common that a message advertising lessons will mention the price somewhere in it, or will invite the reader to contact the teacher to discuss the price. So even if the phrase "giving private math lessons" does not necessarily mean for a price, readers will look at the whole message and understand that it's not for free.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Sat, 16/09/2023 - 15:28

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Hello,
I would like to ask
a)What is the difference in the following sentences and
b)if they are correct
-How was the first week of school?
- How was the first week at school?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

Since 'school' can refer to both a place and what you do in that place there is no difference here. If you were asking about something that is clearly only a physical location then you would need 'at' rather than 'of':

How was your first week at the factory? [not 'of the factory']

 

Conversely, if you were referring to something which is an activity and not a place then you would need 'of':

How was your first week of teaching? [not 'at teaching']

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Sat, 16/09/2023 - 14:00

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Hello,
I would like to ask the following
If I like waking up at 7 am to 8am can I say I am a morning person?
If I like waking up at 11 amor 12 pm can I say I am an afternoon person?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

A morning person is somehow who naturally feels more energetic and awake in the morning and less so in the evening or at night. So if you like waking up between 7 and 8 am, then yes, that's a good sign that you are a morning person.

These expressions have to do with your energy level and how you feel at a certain time of day, not with the time that you get up.

We don't really say 'afternoon person' -- only 'morning person' or 'night person'.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Thank you for your reply.
I would like to ask if a person has more energy from 12 pm to 6 pm we still call him or her a morning person or a night person?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

I think you could say 'afternoon person'. It's not common, as Kirk says, and we tend to focus on the two extremes more, but people would understand what you mean.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Fri, 08/09/2023 - 14:49

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Hello,
I would like to ask which of the following are correct
1. Are you available in the mornings or afternoons?
2.Are you available in the mornings or afternoons in general?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

I'd say using 'morning or afternoon' is more common than 'mornings or afternoons', but both are used.

In informal situations, it's also possible to say 'mornings or afternoons' (without 'in the').

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

 

Submitted by Nagie23 on Thu, 07/09/2023 - 10:40

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Hello,
I would like to ask if the following is correct
An oral conversation
Thank you in advance

Hi Nagie23,

Yes, it's correct. However, maybe you can delete "oral" because conversations are normally understood to be oral. I think I would only say "oral conversation" if I wanted to distinguish it from a written conversation e.g. by text message.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Sun, 13/08/2023 - 08:33

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Hello,
I would like to ask the following.
What is the difference between a resume and a CV?
When we write about volunteering in a resume do we use the word volunteering or volunteer work as a title?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

We have several pages that deal with the topic of resumes and CVs. Could you please post this question on one of them? Just use the 'Search' feature and you'll find one I'm sure.

Thanks in advance.

Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Sun, 30/07/2023 - 11:56

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Hello,
I would like to ask which of the following is correct
1.I am a math teacher.I am offering private lessons and in groups lessons
2..I am offering one to one lessons and group lessons
Thank you in advance

Hi Nagie23,

For sentence 1, you could say I am offering private lessons and group lessons, or ... and lessons in groups.

For sentence 2, it should be one-to-one. Otherwise, it looks good!

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Wed, 26/07/2023 - 16:08

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Hello,
I would like to ask which of the following is correct
Hi, I am Mary. A teacher and writer
or
Hi, I am Mary. A teacher and a writer
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

I'm not sure I'd say the first one is wrong, but I'd recommend the second one.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Tue, 04/07/2023 - 01:01

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Hello, I would like to ask which of the following is correct
She got ill and she is at/in/ the hospital
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

When a person is a patient we generally do not use an article with 'hospital', so you could say 'she has gone to hospital' or 'she is in hospital' here.

Other institutions which follow this pattern include schools (when someone is a pupil), universities (a student), courts (the accused) and prison (a criminal).

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Profile picture for user Ahmed Imam

Submitted by Ahmed Imam on Sat, 01/07/2023 - 12:26

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Hello. Could you please help me? Which word is correct in the following sentence?
The police have closed the train station because there has been a/an (accident - incident) that led to severe injuries among the passengers.

I think both are correct, right? In a book called "600+Confusing-English-Words-Explained" I have read before that "All accidents can ALSO be described as incidents – but not all incidents are accidents."

Hello Ahmed Imam,

I agree with what your book says and so yes, both words are possible in that sentence. I think 'accident' is better, however, since there were severe injuries.

It's not impossible for an incident to involve injuries or even deaths, but when there clearly are some and the incident is indeed an accident, then I'd be more specific -- in other words, I'd use the word 'accident'.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Sun, 28/05/2023 - 13:47

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Hello,
I would like to ask about the following
How can we ask what class is a student?
For example if he or she goes to a primary school?
What class/grade/level?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

To some degree, that depends on the terminology used in the place the child is a student (i.e. if they say 'grade', 'class', etc.), but in general I think 'What grade is he/she in?' should be clear most anywhere.

All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Nagie23 on Mon, 22/05/2023 - 17:04

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Hello,
I would like to ask which of the following is correct
1.What sport do you like?
2.Which sport do you like?
Thank you in advance

Hello Nagie23,

Both are grammatically correct. Generally, we use 'what' when we have an open choice and 'which' when the choice is limited in some way. For example, 'What sport...?' would ask about any sport in the world - the person has a free choice. 'Which sport...?' would suggest there is a particular set to choose from, such as the sports being shown on TV at a given moment, or the sports available at a club, or else the sports taking place on a day of competition.

Note that the distinction is not a firm one but more a tendency.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Widescreen on Thu, 11/05/2023 - 12:54

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Hello, please could you clarify which is the correct answer for : ‘Do you like this new variety/ various/ variant/ variation of apple?’ Thank you