Identify the kind of the underlined noun in the sentence given below:
Grandmother often talks about her childhood in a small village near Shimla.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Abstract noun
Abstract noun:
- An abstract noun names a quality, feeling, idea or state. We cannot see or touch it.
- “Childhood” is the state or time of being a child. It is a stage of life, not a person or a thing.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Material noun — Incorrect. A material noun names a substance that things are made of (gold, wood, cotton). “Childhood” is not a substance. Example: Her new bangles are made of gold.
Option 2: Proper noun — Incorrect. A proper noun is the name of one particular person or place and starts with a capital letter. “Childhood” is not the name of any one person or place. Example: We went to Shimla during the summer holidays.
Option 4: Collective noun — Incorrect. A collective noun names a group taken as one (team, class, flock). “Childhood” is not a group of anything. Example: Our cricket team won the inter-school match.