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Abstract Nouns

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What abstract nouns are, how they differ from concrete nouns, how suffixes make them, and practice worksheets with answer keys.

Download the abstract nouns worksheets

Abstract nouns charts

Two charts to keep: concrete nouns you can sense versus abstract nouns you cannot, and abstract nouns made with suffixes like -ness, -ship, and -hood.

  • Preview of the printable “Abstract nouns with suffixes” worksheet: forming abstract nouns with suffixes such as -ness, -ship, -hood, and -mentView larger

    Abstract nouns with suffixes

    Forming abstract nouns with suffixes such as -ness, -ship, -hood, and -ment

    1 page41 KB

Find, sort, and make abstract nouns

Circle abstract nouns, tell concrete from abstract, sort them, add suffixes, fill in from a word bank, and match meanings. Every page has an answer key.

Write with abstract nouns

Use abstract nouns like friendship, bravery, and childhood in sentences of your own.

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these abstract nouns worksheets

A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea. A concrete noun names something you can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell: a rainbow, a drum, a kitten, a lemon, a bell. An abstract noun names something you cannot sense: a feeling, an idea, a quality, or a time of life.

Examples of abstract nouns: feelings like joy, love, hope, anger, and pride; qualities like bravery, honesty, kindness, and patience; ideas like friendship, freedom, and peace; and times of life like childhood and adulthood. In a sentence: "We felt joy when our puppy came home." "It takes bravery to try something new." A quick test: can I see it, hear it, touch it, taste it, or smell it? If yes, it is concrete. If no, it is abstract.

Many abstract nouns are made by adding a suffix to another word: kind + ness = kindness, friend + ship = friendship, child + hood = childhood, free + dom = freedom, enjoy + ment = enjoyment, equal + ity = equality. Some need a spelling change: happy becomes happiness.

These abstract nouns worksheets start with two charts to keep. Practice pages ask children to circle abstract nouns, decide concrete or abstract, sort nouns (cut and paste or write), add suffixes, fill in from a word bank, match abstract nouns to their meanings, and write sentences of their own. Every practice page has an answer key.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.CUse abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).

How to use them

  1. Start with the concrete and abstract nouns chart and play the five senses test with nouns around the room.
  2. Do the circle and concrete or abstract pages next.
  3. Use the suffix chart before the add a suffix page.
  4. Finish with the word bank and writing pages.

Teaching tips

  • Use only the five senses test. "I can feel happy" does not count: feeling an emotion is not touching it.
  • Some words can be tricky, like noise or time. These pages use clear examples, so save tricky words for discussion.
  • Suffixes -ness, -ship, -hood, -dom, -ment, -ity, and -ion often signal an abstract noun.
  • Abstract nouns make writing stronger: "She showed great courage" says more than "She was brave."

Questions teachers and parents ask

What is an abstract noun?

A noun that names something you cannot see, hear, touch, taste, or smell, such as a feeling (joy), a quality (honesty), an idea (freedom), or a time of life (childhood).

What is the difference between concrete and abstract nouns?

Concrete nouns name things you can sense, like a drum or a lemon. Abstract nouns name feelings, ideas, and qualities you cannot sense, like hope or bravery.

What are some examples of abstract nouns?

Joy, love, anger, pride, bravery, honesty, kindness, patience, friendship, freedom, peace, childhood, and wisdom.

What grade learns abstract nouns?

Abstract nouns are a third grade grammar skill.

Do the worksheets have answer keys?

Yes. Every page with right answers has an answer key on page 2. Written answers show an example.