We use grammar to arrange words in order to make proper meaningful sentences. Verbs, nouns, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, pronouns, etc, are included in word grammar. Clauses, reported speech, phrases, etc are included in sentence grammar.
When we start understanding and learning grammar, we must learn the basic parts of speech. The two very common and always used parts of a speech are nouns and verbs. In order to become a good writer or fluent speaker, it is very important to thoroughly know the difference between them.
Nouns vs Verbs
The main difference between noun and verb is that noun is a part of a speech referring to the name of a person, place, or thing. It can also refer to an idea, event, substance, object, concept, and so on. On the other hand, the verb is a part of a speech referring to some action, experience, or condition.
Comparison Table Between Nouns and Verbs
| Parameter | Nouns | Verbs |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A noun is a part of a speech referring to the name of a person, place, or thing. | A verb is a part of a speech referring to some action, occurrence, or condition. |
| Types | The various types of nouns are proper nouns, common nouns, abstract nouns, concrete nouns, collective nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns. | The various types of verbs are transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, regular verbs, irregular verbs, linking verbs, and action verbs. |
| Part | They may be the subject or object in a sentence. | They are the main part of the predicate. |
| Role | A noun basically answers the question ‘what?’ | A verb describes an action. |
| Examples | Italy, India, cow, girl, taste, teacher, water, children, milk, etc. | Walk, talk, sleep, study, read, type, sing, dance, etc. |
What is a Noun?
A noun is an important part of a speech referring to a person (Bill Gates), place (India), animal (cow), thing (table), idea (joy), or a quality (gentleness). Nouns constitute the largest class of words in almost all languages.
They can be classified into various categories:
- Proper Nouns- A proper noun is a noun that refers to a particular person, place, or thing. They begin with a capital letter. Examples of proper nouns include London, Paris, Amitabh Bachan, Samsung, Nokia, World War 2, etc.
- Common nouns- A common noun refers to a person, place, or thing but not a particular person, place, or thing. Examples of common nouns include tiger, country, chair, etc.
- Abstract nouns- Abstract nouns are nouns that cannot be felt by the five senses, they cannot be seen, touched, smelt, or heard. Examples of abstract nouns include happiness, knowledge, taste, loyalty, etc.
- Concrete nouns- Concrete nouns are nouns that can be identified by either of the five senses. Examples of concrete nouns include boy, cat, book, cake, etc.
- Collective nouns- Collective nouns refer to a group. Examples include team, group, pack, staff, etc.
- Countable nouns- Countable nouns are the nouns that can be counted in numbers. Examples of countable nouns include teeth, eggs, children, etc.
- Uncountable nouns- Uncountable nouns are the nouns that cannot be counted using numbers. Examples of uncountable nouns sugar, research, knowledge, liquid.
What is a verb?
A verb is a part of a speech referring to some action, occurrence, experience, or condition. It is regarded as one of the most essential parts of a sentence.
Verbs can be classified into various categories:
- Transitive verbs- Transitive verbs are the verbs that require an object. The action is directed towards a place, person, or thing. Examples of transitive verbs include cut, give, kill, make, tell, etc.
- Intransitive verbs- Intransitive verbs are the verbs that do not require an object to complete the sentence. Examples of intransitive verbs include rain, bark, jog, hiding, etc.
- Action verbs- Action verbs are verbs that indicate some action. It shows some activity that a person, animal, or thing does. Examples of action verbs include sing, dance, walk, talk, bite, etc.
- Linking verbs- A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject of the sentence with the predicate. They are also known as ‘State of being verbs’. Examples of such verbs include is, are, be, feel, etc.
- Irregular verbs- These verbs do not follow a regular conjugation pattern. Examples of irregular verbs include saying, drink, eat, swim, etc.
- Helping verbs- These verbs support the main verb. Examples include are, must, should, is, etc.
Main Differences Between Nouns and Verbs
- A noun is a part of a speech that refers to a person, place, or thing. On the other hand, a verb is a part of a speech referring to some action, experience, or condition.
- Nouns may be the subject or object in a sentence whereas verbs form the main part of the predicate.
- The various types of nouns are proper nouns, common nouns, abstract nouns, concrete nouns, collective nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns.
- The various types of verbs are transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, regular verbs, irregular verbs, linking verbs, and action verbs.
- A noun basically answers the question ‘what?’ whereas the verb is more of an action word.
- Examples of nouns include Paris, red, goat, chair, knowledge, friendship, boy, etc. Examples of verbs include laugh, smile, dance, enjoy, swim, say, etc.
Conclusion
Nouns and Verbs are both very essential parts of a speech. Nouns are important as they help in identifying a person, place, thing, or ideas and verbs are the most important part of a sentence.
It is very important to understand the difference between them. Often, it gets difficult for students and even adults to know the difference between nouns and verbs when the same word can be used as both. Basically, a noun is a word that refers to a name, place, or thing, whereas a verb is a part of a speech that indicates an action.
References
- https://terpconnect.umd.edu/~israel/Langacker-NounsVerbs.pdf
- https://www.pnas.org/content/90/11/4957.short