Guide to Concrete Nouns: 5 Types of Concrete Nouns

A concrete noun is a person, place, or thing that has a physical presence that a person can experience with their five senses: sight, scent, taste, touch, or hearing. Concrete nouns are words that refer to something material and tangible which is the opposite of an abstract noun, which refers to an idea or state of being that cannot be touched. Within the English language, mastering concrete nouns can help to make your writing more vivid, clear, and grammatically correct.

Different types of nouns can be used to further specify or distinguish your writing. Some examples of concrete nouns include the following.

1. 1. Common nouns: Common nouns are concrete nouns that generally refer to people, places, or objects. Some examples of common nouns include “child,” “restaurant,” “movie,” or “dog.” Common nouns are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
2. 2. Proper nouns: Proper nouns are another type of concrete nouns referring to specific people or places, which are more formal and require capitalization. Proper nouns can be names like “Stewart” or “Mary,” or places like the “United States” or “Uganda.” Movie and song titles are also proper nouns. Another example of a concrete noun can be a publication such as The New York Times.
3. 3. Countable nouns: Countable nouns that are also concrete refer to people or physical objects that can be counted, and come in both singular and plural forms. Countable concrete nouns include terms like “five bees,” “fifteen schools,” or “ten toes,” though they don’t require a number in front of them to be considered countable.
4. 4. Uncountable nouns: Uncountable concrete nouns refer to tangible or physical objects that cannot be counted, such as air, salt, or water. Though you can interact with each of those elements, they cannot be physically broken up and counted by traditional means, unless other determiners are introduced (like “cups of water”). Uncountable concrete nouns do not have plural versions.
5. 5. Collective nouns: Collective nouns can also be concrete nouns. Collective nouns refer to a group of people, animals, or objects, such as an “army of frogs” or a “herd of people.”

Like most concrete words, this type of noun is used in English grammar to help create vivid sensory language that can illustrate strong visuals and take your writing to the next level. Here are some tips to help guide you in your use of concrete nouns.

1. 1. Connect them to the senses. Concrete nouns have a tangible presence that interacts with the senses of an observer. When you’re using a concrete noun, make sure to use language to describe it that connects it to sight, sound, taste, touch, or smell.
2. 2. Mind proper capitalization. Common concrete nouns describe a person, place, or thing in general terms and do not require capitalization. Proper concrete nouns that refer to one specific person, place, or thing must be capitalized.
3. 3. Mind subject/verb agreements. If the subject of your sentence is a concrete noun (or any noun at all) you will need to make sure that your verb and noun agree in number. For example, a plural subject noun means that your verb must also be plural.

Both concrete and abstract nouns are core parts of speech in the English language. The main difference between concrete and abstract nouns is that concrete nouns refer to people, places, or things that take up space, while abstract nouns refer to intangible ideas that cannot be interacted with physically.

Some examples of abstract nouns include words like “luck,” “disgust,” or “empathy.” While you can see someone being empathetic, empathy itself is not a visible or tangible entity. Most feelings, emotions, or philosophies can qualify as abstract nouns.

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