Printable Abstract and Concrete Nouns Worksheets

Abstract and concrete noun worksheets guide upper elementary students to distinguish physical objects from ideas and feelings. These printable exercises build vocabulary through five-sense sorting, sentence analysis, and suffix building with answer keys.

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Structured, printable skill sheets with step-by-step guidance for Abstract and Concrete Nouns.

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About Abstract and Concrete Nouns

What this skill is

Concrete nouns name things that can be experienced through the five senses (such as touch, sight, hearing, smell, or taste), while abstract nouns name qualities, concepts, emotions, or ideas (such as bravery, curiosity, or peace) that cannot be touched physically.

When children learn it

Students learn to distinguish abstract from concrete nouns in 3rd grade (CCSS L.3.1.c), continuing into 4th and 5th grade where abstract nouns are formed using derivational suffixes like -ness, -tion, and -ship.

Teaching Tips

  • Use the "Five Senses Test": can you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch it? If yes, it is concrete. If it is something you can think or feel in your heart but cannot hold in your hand (like friendship or hope), it is abstract. Test words together before your child completes the worksheet.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing abstract nouns (like "anger" or "happiness") with adjectives (like "angry" or "happy") because they describe similar feelings.
  • Classifying invisible physical things (like "air", "wind", or "germs") as abstract nouns even though they are real physical matter.
  • Thinking a word cannot be a noun if you cannot put it in a box or pick it up with your hands.

More Nouns Concepts

Identify NounsCommon and Proper NounsSingular and Plural NounsNouns in SentencesCollective NounsPossessive Nouns
View all Nouns Worksheets