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Hello, Can somebody tell me if "waiting", "while" and "smell" are abstract nouns?Getting myself confused.  How about "air"  - you can't touch it right?  So not a concrete noun?MANY THANKSCharlotte

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Can somebody tell me if "waiting", "while" and "smell" are abstract nouns?

My dictionary defines 'concrete', when used to describe a noun, as denoting a material object, as opposed to an abstract quality, state or action.

'Waiting' is a gerund. A gerund would not normally be considered concrete, since it refers to an action..

'While', eg 'I waited a while', is a noun. It's not concrete, just as a minute or an hour is not a concrete thing but an arbitrary division of time.

'Smell' seems to refer to a material thing, something that exists in a material form, something that tavels through the air.

Getting myself confused. How about "air" - you can't touch it right? So not a concrete noun? You don't think air is a material thing that touches your skin or fills your lungs or keeps a plane up in the sky?

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

'While' is not an abstract noun when the sentence is about somebody doing something, before they do something else. It is more like a connective word (because, and, or). For example:

'While she waited for the train, she drank a cup of coffee.' instead of: 'She waited for the train and before it arrived, she drank a cup of coffee.'

BUT 'while' can also mean a length of time, but less precise than 'hour' or 'day'.

For example:

'I haven't seen her for a while.'

If 'while' comes after the word 'a', then I reckon that 'while' is an abstract noun, because it is talking about a length of time. ('Hour' 'day' etc are abstract nouns.)

'Waiting' is a verb, either in the imperfect or continous present:

'The man was waiting for the train.' or: 'The woman is waiting.' Sometimes 'waiting' is a type of word called a 'gerund'. For example:

'Waiting at the station was boring'.

'Smell' is an abstract noun (but it can be a verb as well!).

'Can you smell the flowers?' (verb) but:

'The smell of those flowers is lovely' (abstract noun)

The 'smell' is an absract noun, because it has been abstracted (ie. it comes from the flowers).

'Air' (the mixture of oxygen and a few other gases) is an uncountable noun. But some grammarian people think that 'air' is a concrete noun, because it can be heard ~~when the weather was very windy we heard the wind whistling through the tree tops~~ and it can be felt - the wind was cold and it made his cheeks sting.

Hope that helps

Anonne.

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