什么是抽象名词?请举例说明

首先我们从语言说起,语言是思维工具和交际工具.它同思维有密切的联系,是思维的载体和物质外壳和表现形式,文字是记录语言的符号,而词当然属于文字的范畴,在语言学里,词是能够*运用的最小的语言单位.名词是词的一种,是表示人、事物、地点或抽象概念的名称,名词分为普通名词和专有名词,而抽象名词又是普通名词的一种,表示动作、状态、品质或其他抽象概念.
抽象名词主要指一些抽象概念的名称,它们一般是不可数的,没有复数形式,前面也不能加冠词a,an.下面是一些常见的抽象名词：
absence access age agriculture anger
beauty behavior cancer capacity childhood
comfort concern confidence courage death
democracy depression design duty economy
education energy environment evil existence
experience failure faith fashion fear
finance freedom fun growth happiness
health help history independence industry
insurance intelligence joy justice labour
loneliness love luck magic marriage
mercy music nature patience peace
philosophy pleasure policy poverty power
pride protection purity reality relief
religion respect safety security silence
sleep strength status technology time
trade training transport travel trust
truth violence vocabulary waste wealth weather
welfare work worth youth
在多数情况下,这种名词都用于单数形式,并不加任何冠词：
Knowledge is power.知识就是力量.(谚语)
Failure is the mother of success.失败是成功之母.
…
但有时也可加定冠词the(a)或不定冠词a或an(b)：
a.I did not have the courage to tell you.我没有勇气告诉你.
…
b.We have a great respect for the professor.我们很尊重教授.
…
此外有些抽象名词也可用作个体名词,代表具体的东西,这时它可以加不定冠词,也可用于复数形式：
用作抽象名词汇 用作个体名词
What are the principles of democracy?A true democracy allows free speech.
什么是*的原则?真正的*国家允许言论*.
It’s beyond my power to help you.The great powers held an international conference.
我没有能力帮助你.这些大国开了一次国际会议.
Religion meant more and more to her.There are many religions in the world.
宗教对她变得越来越重要.世界上有许多种宗教信仰.
be of+抽象名词= be+ 同根形容词
be of +普通名词 (该n.一般没有相对应的adj.)
例句：
1.The book is of great importance.
2.Coins may be of different sizes,weights,shapes and of different metals