A List of Common Noun Examples in Sentences – A Competitive Approach

A list of common noun examples in sentences is a part of common noun definition with examples. You must have read the common noun exercises with answers as well. We are studying the noun in English Grammar.

This article is very useful for the competitors. We will deal with the rules related to the common noun here in this article.

If you see traditionally, you can find that there are three kinds of nouns.

  1. Proper noun
  2. Common noun
  3. Abstract noun

Material nouns and collective nouns are the two parts of the common noun.

Therefore, we will discuss the common nouns, collective nouns, and material nouns here in this article.

A list of common noun examples in sentences

Rule – 1 Use of Articles

See the first rule of the list of common noun examples in sentences here.

A common noun is generally used for the individual of the same class. It comes either with articles or with a plural number. But, if you talk about man and woman, they are the exceptions in the case.

See the example.

  • Man likes to live in a society. (correct)
  • Player should work honestly to his duty. (incorrect)

The first sentence is right because it is an exception as per the rule. In the second sentence, ‘player’ should come with either an article or a plural number. So the sentence should be like this.

  • A player should work honestly to his duty.
  • Players should work honestly to their duty.

Let’s come to the second rule.

Rule – 2 Use of the article ‘the’

See the second rule of the list of common noun examples in sentences here.

If a common noun is not clear, you should use the article ‘a/an.’ Once the common noun is clear, you need to use the ‘the’ with the noun.

See the examples below.

I have a dog. The dog is black.

In the first sentence, we have used the common noun ‘dog.’ Since you are not familiar with the dog, the article ‘a’ is used there in the sentence. But right after the first sentence, the second sentence has the article ‘the.’ It is so because now the dog is familiar to you.

Rule – 3 Singlur in number

See the third rule of the list of common noun examples in sentences here.

You know the common noun is a class of the same kind. Since it tells about a group, it is supposed to be a singular noun. Therefore, a singular verb is used with it.

See the example.

  • A shoal of fish was swimming in the pool.
  • A herd of cattle is wandering here and there.

Here in these two sentences, a singular verb is used because they are singular nouns.

Rule – 4 Countable or uncountable

See the fourth rule of the list of common noun examples in sentences here.

A material noun is also supposed to be a common noun. It is so because there is a presence of substance in the items made of material nouns.

There is an interesting thing in the rule. A material noun is an uncountable noun. On the contrary, the produce of these material nouns is countable.

Isn’t it an interesting thing!

Generally, we do not use an article with a material noun. However, we use an article with a material noun if we talk about a particular substance of the thing.

See the example.

  • Silver is a very useful metal for ornaments.
  • The silver of my ring is not pure.

In the first sentence, we use the word ‘silver’ in common sense. But when we talk about the particular silver of my ring, it becomes special. So we need to use ‘the’ before silver. While in the first sentence, we can not use ‘the’ because it is a material noun used in a general sense.

Rule – 5 Plural number

See the fifth rule of the list of common noun examples in sentences here.

Here are some lists of material nouns. See them below.

  • Food Material – bread, butter, fish, meat, poultry, beef, macaroni, etc. 
  • Particles / Grains – rice, sugar, wheat, salt, corn, dirt, dust, flour, hair, pepper, etc. 
  • Gases – air, smoke, steam, smog, hydrogen, oxygen, etc.
  • Groups of same items – Baggage, luggage, furniture, clothing, equipment, mail, money, software, vocabulary, hardware, etc.
  • Liquids – water, milk, oil soup, tea, coffee, blood, gasoline, petrol, diesel, etc.
  • Material – wool, cloth, cotton, wood, glue, etc.
  • Metal – iron, gold, platinum, silver, etc.
  • Geological Bodies – rock, stone, sand, soil, mud, etc. 
  • Natural Phenomena – heat, humidity, rain, snow, thunder, weather, sunshine, moonlight, etc.

Notice that all the above nouns are never used in plural forms. If you want to use them in plural form, put a count indicating noun followed by ‘of.’

See the example. 

  • A loaf of bread
  • Loaves of bread
  • a list of vocabulary
  • pieces of furniture
  • a puff of air
  • puffs of air, etc.

Rule – 6 Plural of material nouns

See the sixth rule of the list of common noun examples in sentences here.

The material noun is always written in singular numbers. They never come in plural form. If you make them plural, they will lose their meanings. They will tell some other meanings. These words are rare in common usage.

See the examples.

  • Golds are sold very much on Dhanteras.
  • He was lost in the woods.

Here in these sentences, gold is a material noun. It means a costly metal. But golds means ornaments made of gold.

In the second sentence, woods means a forest.

Rule – 7 Use as an object

See the seventh rule of the list of common noun examples in sentences here.

You can use the material noun in a sentence at the items made of material nouns.

See the examples.

  • He is put in irons.
  • You can look through the glass.

Here irons mean not the metal iron, but it means a chain made of iron. Likewise, in the second sentence, glass means a window made of glass.

I hope you understand the list of common noun examples in sentences well. Now, move on the abstract noun examples, and proper noun examples.

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