Abstract nouns refer to a thing that has no physical form. This means we cannot see or touch it. It describes an idea (education, discipline), quality (ability, beauty) or state (belief, hope).
Abstract nouns are derived particularly from nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
| List 13 - Forming Abstract Nouns from Nouns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noun | Abstract Noun | Noun | Abstract Noun | |
| brother | brotherhood | man | manhood | |
| child | childhood | member | membership | |
| friend | friendship | mother | motherhood | |
| king | kingship | neighbor | neighborhood | |
| leader | leadership | scholar | scholarship | |
| List 13 - Forming Abstract Nouns from Verbs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verb | Abstract Noun | Noun | Abstract Noun | |
| Verb | Abstract Noun | Verb | Abstract Noun | |
| act | action | know | knowledge | |
| appear | appearance | laugh | laughter | |
| behave | behavior | lose | loss | |
| believe | belief | marry | marriage | |
| die | death | permit | permission | |
| do | deed | please | pleasure | |
| employ | employment | refuse | refusal | |
| free | freedom | sell | sale | |
| grow | growth | speak | speech | |
| invite | invitation | think | thought | |
| judge | judgement | treat | treatment | |
| List 13 - Forming Abstract Nouns from Adjectives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective | Abstract Noun | Adjective | Abstract Noun | |
| able | ability | kind | kindness | |
| angry | anger | long | length | |
| beautiful | beauty | honest | honesty | |
| brave | bravery | new | newness | |
| different | difference | strong | strength | |
| difficult | difficulty | thirsty | thirst | |
| envious | envy | unique | uniqueness | |
| great | greatness | weak | weakness | |
| happy | happiness | wide | width | |
| hungry | hunger | wise | wisdom | |
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