Abstract and concrete nouns
A useful test: if you can't point to it or put it in a box, it is probably abstract.
| Kind | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Feelings | Emotions people have | love, fear, joy, anger, anxiety |
| Qualities | What someone or something is like | honesty, patience, courage, intelligence |
| States | A condition or stage of life | childhood, poverty, health, freedom |
| Ideas | Concepts and systems of thought | justice, democracy, equality, culture |
| Actions and processes | Something that happens over time | education, development, growth, arrival |
| Concrete nouns (for comparison) | Things you can sense | book, river, doctor, smoke, music |
How abstract nouns are formed
Many abstract nouns come from an adjective or a verb plus a suffix. There is no single rule for which suffix a word takes, so learn them in pairs.
| Suffix | From | Abstract noun |
|---|---|---|
| -ness | kind, aware, happy | kindness, awareness, happiness |
| -ity | able, equal, popular | ability, equality, popularity |
| -tion, -sion | educate, decide, pollute | education, decision, pollution |
| -ment | develop, improve, agree | development, improvement, agreement |
| -ance, -ence | perform, confident, depend | performance, confidence, dependence |
| -hood | child, adult | childhood, adulthood |
| -ship | friend, leader | friendship, leadership |
| -dom | free, wise | freedom, wisdom |
| -th | grow, strong, warm | growth, strength, warmth |
Articles and plurals with abstract nouns
When an abstract noun is used in a general sense, it usually takes no article: "Education is the key to progress." Add the when you mean a particular kind: "the education of girls in rural areas".
Many abstract nouns are uncountable (happiness, knowledge, poverty), but some are countable: an idea, two decisions, a fear of heights, my childhood memories. Check a learner's dictionary if you are unsure.
Common mistakes
Wrong: The happiness is more important than money.
Right: Happiness is more important than money.
An abstract noun used in general takes no article.
Wrong: He showed great brave during the flood.
Right: He showed great bravery during the flood.
Brave is an adjective. The noun is bravery.
Wrong: The government should focus on the develop of villages.
Right: The government should focus on the development of villages.
After the, you need the noun development, not the verb develop.
Wrong: Freedom of speeches is a basic right.
Right: Freedom of speech is a basic right.
In this phrase, speech is uncountable, so it has no plural.
Using this in IELTS and PTE
IELTS Task 2 and PTE Write Essay questions are built on abstract nouns such as poverty, inequality, awareness and development. Turning a verb or adjective into a noun, often called nominalisation, gives a more formal tone: "Prices rose sharply" becomes "There was a sharp rise in prices." Use it where it reads naturally, not in every sentence, because too many abstract nouns make writing heavy and vague.
5 questions
Exercise
Try each one, then open it to check your answer.
1. Abstract or concrete? "courage"
Abstract.
Courage is a quality you can't see or touch.
2. Make an abstract noun from "strong".
strength
Strong takes the -th ending, with a spelling change.
3. Make an abstract noun from "aware".
awareness
Aware takes the -ness ending.
4. Correct this: "The education is important for every child."
Education is important for every child.
Education is used in a general sense, so it takes no article.
5. Make this more formal with a noun: "Unemployment increased quickly."
There was a rapid increase in unemployment.
The verb increased becomes the noun increase.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between abstract and concrete nouns?+
A concrete noun names something you can sense, such as a chair, a smell or a sound. An abstract noun names an idea, feeling or quality, such as kindness or justice.
Is love an abstract noun?+
Yes, when it is a noun: "Love is patient." Love can also be a verb: "I love this song."
Can abstract nouns be plural?+
Some can. "She has many fears" and "two different ideas" are correct. Others, such as happiness and knowledge, are uncountable and have no plural.
Is time an abstract noun?+
It is usually classed as abstract, because you can't touch it. Like many abstract nouns, it can also be countable in some meanings: "three times".
Keep going
More grammar lessons
© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy