
by R. S. Karunaratne
How to use abstract nouns
An abstract noun refers to a feeling, an idea or a quality. It is
something you cannot see, hear, feel or touch.
‘Excitement’ is an abstract noun. It means ‘a quality of being
excited, or an exciting event.
When the examination results were about to be announced my heart was
pounding with excitement.

‘Freedom’ is another abstract noun which means ‘the condition or
right of being able to do whatever you want to without being
controlled.’
Children enjoy much more freedom these days.
More examples
Rex is a child of exceptional intelligence.
The children were filled with joy when their parents moved into a new
house.
Most people gain wisdom when they grow old.
My father was a good football player in his youth.
Abstract nouns can be used as subjects by themselves.
The speed of the cheetah is remarkable.
The truth will dawn on you someday.
Gratitude is the feeling of being grateful.
His loyalty to the company was never in question.
Weather changes every now and then.
The following is a list of abstract nouns commonly used.
advice, beauty, courage, death, experience, fear, help, hope, horror,
information, knowledge, mercy, pity, relief, suspicion, work
An abstract noun is usually followed by a singular verb.
My advice is to go by train.
Beauty is only skin deep. (Proverb)
Courage is the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or
difficult situation.
Experience is a school where a man learns what a big fool he has been.
Hope springs eternal in the human heart.
The information you gave me is incorrect.
Knowledge is power.
Love is real only for the young.
Silence is not always tact.
Talent is built in solitude.
Work does more than get us our living; it gets us our life. - Henry Ford
Some abstract nouns can be used with ‘a’ or ‘an.’
My grandchildren are a great help to me.
It is a relief to sit down.
He has a good knowledge of grammar.
It’s a pity you didn’t pass the examination.
There is a fear that he has been killed.

[Activity]
Fill in the blanks with suitable abstract nouns given in brackets.
Check your answers with the key.
1. ............. is a game people play. (Politics / Political
science)
2. ............. is the best policy. (Dishonesty / Honesty)
3. .............. lies in the eye of the beholder. (Beauty / Ugliness)
4. Einstein was known for his ............... (intelligence / cowardice)
5.. ................. is a virtue. (Compassion / Violence)
6. He was famous for his ................... (generosity / crimes)
7. Buddhists believe in life after ............. (death / rebirth)
8. ............... is golden. (Silence / Speech)
9. Is ........... worth living? (life / death)
10. There is no ........... in what he says. (truth / lie)
Key:
1. Politics 2. Honesty 3. Beauty 4. intelligence 5. Compassion 6.
generosity 7. death 8. Silence 9. life 10. truth
Enrich your word power
Here is an interesting way to enrich your word power. Read the
following sentences and words in bold type carefully and tick off the
meaning. Check your answers with the key.
1. In an obvious malapropism, Henry said he was bemused by the
exciting circus performance.
(a) ridiculous misuse of words
(b) wish to harm other people
(c) reference
2. John explained to the police that he was only speaking
metaphorically when he described the strangers as men from Mars.
(a) related to the mind
(b) changing into a completely different form
(c) suggesting a comparison with another object or concept
3. Eva threw her head back as if in ecstasy.
(a) anger
(b) a state of extreme happiness
(c) a state of extreme sorrow
4. Sensational advertising is replete with pleonasms.
(a) superfluity
(b) funny words
(c) colourful pictures
5. William Cullen Bryant’s ‘Thanatopsis’ is one of the most famous
threnodies in literature.
(a) sonnets
(b) love poems
(c) funeral songs
6. The last few days of the campaign were marked by vicious attempts
by the candidates to cast aspersions on each other.
(a) acts of praise
(b) acts of defaming
(c) remarks
7. Bombast and extravagance are no longer fashionable in print
journalism.
(a) pompous language
(b) literary language
(c) simple language
8. Idi Amin’s braggadocio became a source of embarrassment to other
African leaders.
(a) innocence
(b) intelligence
(c) pretentiousness
9. Newspapers were unanimous in their censure of the bill raising
fuel prices.
(a) strong disapproval
(b) strong approval
(c) strong praise
10. University professors claim that most officials write nothing but
gobbledegook.
(a) colourful language
(b) wordy and generally unintelligible jargon
(c) simple language
Key:
1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (c) 9. (a) 10.
(b)
Starters:
How to use prepositions
Part 24:
There are over 100 prepositions in English. This is a very small
number compared with the vast number of nouns, verbs and adjectives.
However, most beginners find it difficult to use prepositions correctly.
Here is a guide for them.
[Underneath]
If somebody or something is underneath something, they are directly
below it.
My dog always sleeps underneath the table.

There is a bug underneath my shirt.
There is a tunnel underneath the city.
The bus conductor was wearing a T-shirt underneath his shirt.
[Unlike]
‘Unlike’ means ‘different from.’
Roy is a nice boy unlike his father.
Unlike you I’m not a great speaker.
Dogs, unlike other animals, have to be licensed.
[Until]
‘Until’ means ‘up to a particular time.’
I was up until midnight expecting a call from my father in Australia.
Note: ‘Until’ is one of the 50 words most often spelled wrongly by
beginners. The word has only one ‘l.’ ‘Till’ gives the same meaning but
it is spelled with two ‘l’s.
We use ‘until now’ to talk about a situation that existed, but has
just ended.
The patient’s condition was good until now. I hope it will improve with
medication.
[Up]
‘Up’ means ‘to or in a higher level or position.’
The police followed the robber up the stairs.
Most people like to go up the social ladder.
‘Up’ can mean ‘towards the starting point or source of something such as
a river.’
He tried to swim up the river against the current.
You can go up a road.
I saw a woman going up the street with a baby.
[Up against]
If you are up against somebody or something, they are obstructing
you.
Most undergraduates do not know that they are up against a powerful
government.
[Upon]
Upon’ means ‘on.’
Upon your arrival in office sign the attendance register.
What is she wearing upon her head?
If an event is upon you, it will affect you.
Now that the rainy season is upon us, we need to be careful.
[Up to]
‘Up to’ means ‘until.’
Up to now we don’t know where he is.
If something is up to a particular standard, it has reached that
standard.
Her English is not up to the British standard.
If you say that it is up to somebody to do something, you mean that
it is their responsibility to do it.
It is up to you to do what is fair.
If you say that somebody is up to something, you mean that they are
secretly doing something.
Ranjan is up to something but I don’t know what it is.
[Activity]
Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions. check your answers
with the key.
1. The racing car scythed .......... the crowd of spectators, killing
two.
2. In the springtime the woods are full ........ bluebells.
3. How much is a one-way ticket ....... Delhi?
4. We were incarcerated .......... the broken elevator for two hours.
5. He was elected as the leader ...... the group.
6. Titanic was shown ........... television.
7. Nothing newsworthy ever happens ............. here.
8. He has carved a niche ......... himself as a professional musician.
9. King Darius I was noteworthy .......... his administrative reforms.
10. Insurance companies are overburdened ........... claims.
Key:
1. through 2. of 3. to 4. in 5. of 6. on 7. around 8. for 9. for 10.
with
Form adjectives from nouns
Words often come in families. You can expand your vocabulary by
becoming familiar with these word families. In the following quiz we
give 25 nouns in column ‘A.’ write the relevant adjectives in column ‘B’
and check your answers with the key.
Column A Column B
1. Silence ...............
2. Similarity ...............
3. Simplicity ...............
4. Skill ...............
5. Sleep ...............
6. Slip ...............
7. Smoke ...............
8. Smoothness ...............
9. Society ...............
10. Softness ...............
11. Solidity ...............
12. Solution ...............
13. South ...............
14. Speech ...............
15. Speed ...............
16. Spoils ...............
17. Sport ...............
18. Spot ...............
19. Stand ...............
20. Standard ...............
21. Steam ...............
22. Steepness ...............
23. Stickiness ...............
24. Stiffness ...............
25. Stone ...............
Key:
1. silent
2. similar
3. simple
4. skilful
5. sleepy
6. slippery
7. smoked
8. smooth
9. social
10. soft
11. solid
12. soluble
13. southern
14. speechless
15. speed
16. spoilt
17. sporty
18. spotted
19. outstanding
20. standard
21. steamy
22. steep
23. sticky
24. stiff
25. stony |