Test Your Knowledge of Abstract Nouns in English (KS3)

English Quiz - Nouns (Abstract) 02 (Questions)

Abstract nouns name ideas and qualities. In this KS3 English quiz, practise forming them from adjectives and verbs and watch the spelling changes that happen.

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Fascinating Fact:

Many come from adjectives and verbs, happy becomes happiness, decide becomes decision, create becomes creation.

In KS3 English, you explore how abstract nouns are built from other words. You’ll spot common suffixes (like -ness, -tion, -ity, -ment) and handle spelling shifts such as happy -> happiness and create -> creation.

Key Terms

Abstract noun: A word for an idea, feeling, or quality (e.g., happiness, bravery, creation).
Suffix: Letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or class (e.g., -ness, -tion).
Derivation: Making a new word from a base word, often by adding a prefix or suffix.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do you form abstract nouns from adjectives and verbs?

Commonly by adding suffixes: happy -> happiness (-ness), decide -> decision (-sion/-tion), able -> ability (-ity), move -> movement (-ment).

What spelling changes should I watch for?

Y often changes to i (happy -> happiness), silent e may drop (create -> creation), and some verbs take -sion instead of -tion (decide -> decision).

Are abstract nouns usually countable or uncountable?

Many are uncountable when used generally (e.g., "happiness matters"), but some can be countable in specific senses (e.g., "a kindness," "several permissions").

Try These Related Quizzes

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
Pride and Prejudice is a novel written years ago.

[ ]	ago
[ ]	is
[ ]	novel
[ ]	Pride and Prejudice

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
It was always her intention to become a doctor.

[ ]	always
[ ]	intention
[ ]	become
[ ]	doctor

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
The mountaineers showed great courage.

[ ]	courage
[ ]	great
[ ]	mountaineers
[ ]	showed

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
After the storm in the night came peace and calm.

[ ]	After, storm
[ ]	peace, calm
[ ]	storm, night
[ ]	storm, peace

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
The nurse's kindness helped the patient greatly.

[ ]	helped
[ ]	kindness
[ ]	nurse's
[ ]	patient

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
The hostility between the lands gave rise to war.

[ ]	hostility
[ ]	lands
[ ]	rise
[ ]	war

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
Tom's eagerness to be the first one caused him to fail.

[ ]	caused
[ ]	eagerness
[ ]	first
[ ]	Tom's

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
Thea's sadness at losing the race was obvious.

[ ]	losing
[ ]	race
[ ]	sadness
[ ]	Thea's

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
The commitment of the leaders kept the group going.

[ ]	commitment
[ ]	going
[ ]	group
[ ]	leaders

10.

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
Her loyalty meant so much to him.

[ ]	loyalty
[ ]	him
[ ]	meant
[ ]	much

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What is a noun?

English Quiz - Nouns (Abstract) 02 (Answers)

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
Pride and Prejudice is a novel written years ago.

[ ]	ago
[ ]	is
[ ]	novel
[x]	Pride and Prejudice

This is a bit of a trick question! Novel titles are not abstract, just like a personal name is not abstract. "Pride" and "prejudice", however, are both attitudes and therefore they are abstract nouns

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
It was always her intention to become a doctor.

[ ]	always
[x]	intention
[ ]	become
[ ]	doctor

"Intention" cannot be experienced through the senses, although it can be deduced through evidence provided by the senses

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
The mountaineers showed great courage.

[x]	courage
[ ]	great
[ ]	mountaineers
[ ]	showed

"Courage" is an abstract concept

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
After the storm in the night came peace and calm.

[ ]	After, storm
[x]	peace, calm
[ ]	storm, night
[ ]	storm, peace

We all know what "calm" feels like, but the quality is nevertheless an abstract one

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
The nurse's kindness helped the patient greatly.

[ ]	helped
[x]	kindness
[ ]	nurse's
[ ]	patient

"Kindness" is a quality

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
The hostility between the lands gave rise to war.

[x]	hostility
[ ]	lands
[ ]	rise
[ ]	war

"Hostility" is an attitude and is therefore an abstract noun

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
Tom's eagerness to be the first one caused him to fail.

[ ]	caused
[x]	eagerness
[ ]	first
[ ]	Tom's

Remember that an abstract noun cannot be a verb, adjective or adverb!

Select the abstract noun(s) from the sentence below.
Thea's sadness at losing the race was obvious.

[ ]	losing
[ ]	race
[x]	sadness
[ ]	Thea's

"Sadness" is a feeling or attitude, so is therefore an abstract noun