The Concrete Noun
Recognize a concrete noun when you see one.
Nouns name people, places, and things. One class of nouns is concrete. You can experience this group of nouns with your five senses: you see them, hear them, smell them, taste them, and feel them.
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| See | Hear | Smell | Taste | Touch |
Check out the following example:
Reliable, Diane's beagle, licked strawberry ice cream off her chin.
Ice cream, for example, is a concrete noun. You can see the pink. You can taste the berry flavor. You can feel your tongue growing numb from the cold. Any noun that you can experience with at least one of your five senses is a concrete noun.
Don't confuse a concrete noun with an abstract noun.
Not all nouns are concrete. A second class of nouns is abstract. You cannot experience abstract nouns with your senses. Read this example:
Diane pushed Reliable off her lap to register her disapproval.
Disapproval is an example of an abstract noun. What color is disapproval? You don't know because you cannot see it. What texture is disapproval? Who knows? You cannot touch it. What flavor is disapproval? No clue! You cannot taste it! Does it make a sound? Of course not! Does it smell? Not a bit!
Look over this chart contrasting concrete and abstract nouns:
Concrete Nouns Abstract Nouns student
fire fighter
dog
pencil
computer
intelligence
bravery
loyalty
eloquence
convenience
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