formation of abstract noun collective noun nouns and numbers noun gender
Answers
tive nouns refer to a unique class of nouns which denotes a group of people, animals, objects, concepts or ideas as a single entity. This group is considered as a whole, or collectively.
Examples: family, team, audience, police.
Countable Nouns, Mass Nouns and Collective Nouns:
Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted. They can be denoted by size, amount, or value related words, and can appear in both singular and plural form. Examples: bird, tree, rock.
Mass nouns, also referred to as non-countable nouns, signify unbounded amounts, such as liquid, small objects, and abstract or immeasurable concepts. Examples: water, rice, education.
Collective nouns are considered a subset of countable nouns because they refer to a group of countable nouns as a single unit. Examples: there are 12 eggs in dozen, and there are 52 cards in a deck.
How to use collective nouns correctly?
The main problem that usually crops up when using collective nouns is whether to assign it with a singular verb or a plural verb. Collective nouns can be used both in a singular form or a plural form, depending on the sentence and how the word is used
Singular verb: If the entire collective group is working in unison, as one unit, a singular verb will go with it. Example: The class is waiting for the teacher. (The 'class', which is a group of students, is waiting for the teacher collectively.)
Plural verb: If the different units within the collective group are working individually, a plural verb and plural pronouns will go with it. Example: The class begin their assignments while they wait for the teacher. (The individual students in the 'class' are working as single units and doing their own assignments.)
Yet another way you can refer to individuals in a collective noun is by adding certain words denoting the individual units. Example: committee members, team players
Exception: The collective noun 'police' is supposed to be used only in plural form, according to the Oxford dictionary. However, reputed sources are increasingly using the word in its singular form as well. A major change might soon be on the way
Answer:
Abstract nouns may be formed from adjectives by adding the suffix -ness: happy/ happiness, sad/sadness, kind/kindness, cheerful/cheerfulness. However, a large group of adjectives have distinct nouns that do not require a formation with -ness or any other suffix.