What is noun?

Part of Speech overview.

In the English language, words can be considered as the smallest elements that have distinctive meanings. Based on their use and functions, words are categorized into several types or parts of speech. This article will offer definitions and examples for the 8 major parts of speech in English grammar:             noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, and interjection.

1. Noun

 What is noun?

This part of a speech refers to words that are used to name persons, things, animals, places, ideas, or events. Nouns are the simplest among the 8 parts of speech, which is why they are the first ones taught to students in primary school.

Examples:

§  Tom Hanks is very versatile.

§  The italicized noun refers to a name of a person.

§  Dogs can be extremely cute.

§  In this example, the italicized word is considered a noun because it names an animal.

§  It is my birthday.

§  The word “birthday” is a noun which refers to an event.

There are different types of nouns namely:

§  Proper– proper nouns always start with a capital letter and refers to specific names of persons, places, or things.

§  Examples: Volkswagen Beetle, Shakey’s Pizza, Game of Thrones

§  Common– common nouns are the opposite of proper nouns. These are just generic names of persons, things, or places.

§  Examples: car, pizza parlor, TV series

§  Concrete– this kind refers to nouns which you can perceive through your five senses.

§  Examples: folder, sand, board

§  Abstract- unlike concrete nouns, abstract nouns are those which you can’t perceive through your five senses.

§  Examples: happiness, grudge, bravery

Countable Nouns - Uncountable nouns

It's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their usage is different in regards to both determiners and verbs.

Countable nouns

Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. They have a singular and a plural form. The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an". If you want to ask about the quantity of a countable noun, you ask "How many?" combined with the plural countable noun.

Singular	Plural
one dog	two dogs
one horse	two horses
one man	two men
one idea	two ideas
one shop	two shops

EXAMPLES

• She has three dogs.
• I own a house.
• I would like two books please.
• How many friends do you have?
• I have six brothers.
• I study five days a week.

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count with numbers. They may be the names for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small or too amorphous to be counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc.). Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb. They usually do not have a plural form.

EXAMPLES

• tea
• sugar
• water
• air
• rice
• knowledge
• beauty
• anger
• fear
• love
• money
• research
• safety
• evidence

We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of , or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of, 1L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. If you want to ask about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you ask "How much?"

EXAMPLES

• There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease.
• He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.
• Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns?
• He did not have much sugar left.
• Measure 1 cup of water, 300g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
• How much rice do you want?

TRICKY SPOTS

Some nouns are countable in other languages but uncountable in English. They must follow the rules for uncountable nouns. The most common ones are:

accommodation, advice, baggage, behavior, bread, furniture, information, luggage, news, progress, traffic, travel, trouble, weather, work

EXAMPLES

• I would like to give you some advice.
• How much bread should I bring?
• I didn't make much progress today.
• This looks like a lot of trouble to me.
• We did an hour of work yesterday.

Be careful with the noun hair which is normally uncountable in English, so it is not used in the plural. It can be countable only when referring to individual hairs.

EXAMPLES

• She has long blond hair.
• The child's hair was curly.
• I washed my hair yesterday.
• My father is getting a few grey hairs now. (refers to individual hairs)
• I found a hair in my soup! (refers to a single strand of hair)

Compound Noun

What is compound noun?

What are compound nouns? Here, we’ll take an up-close look at compound nouns so you can recognize them when you see them, plus we’ll provide you with some compound noun examples that will help you use them effectively.

Definition

Compound nouns are words for people, animals, places, things, or ideas, made up of two or more words. Most compound nouns are made with nouns that have been modified by adjectives or other nouns.

In many compound nouns, the first word describes or modifies the second word, giving us insight into what kind of thing an item is, or providing us with clues about the item’s purpose. The second word usually identifies the item.

Compound nouns are sometimes one word, like toothpaste, haircut, or bedroom. These are often referred to as closed or solid compound nouns.

Sometimes compound nouns are connected with a hyphen: dry-cleaning, daughter-in-law, and well-being are some examples of hyphenated compound nouns.

Sometimes compound nouns appear as two separate words: full moon, Christmas tree, and swimming pool are some examples of compound nouns that are formed with two separate words. These are often referred to as open or spaced compound nouns.

Compound Noun Examples

The more you read and write, the more compound noun examples you’ll encounter. The following sentences are just a few examples of compound nouns. Compound noun examples have been italicized for easy identification.

Compound nouns can be made with two nouns:

Let’s just wait at this bus stop.

I love watching fireflies on warm summer nights.

While you’re at the store, please pick up some toothpaste, a six-pack of ginger ale, and some egg rolls.

Compound nouns can be made with an adjective and a noun:

Let’s watch the full moon come up over the mountain.

Please erase the blackboard for me.

Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a noun:

Be sure to add bleach to the washing machine.

Let’s be sure to stay somewhere with a swimming pool.

Compound nouns can be made with a noun and a verb:

He always gets up before sunrise.

I really could use an updated hairstyle.

Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a preposition:

Checkout is at noon.

Please remember to schedule your dog’s annual check-up.

Compound nouns can be made with a noun and a prepositional phrase:

My mother-in-law is the kindest person I know.

Compound nouns can be made with a preposition and a noun:

Do you believe in past lives?

This city is vibrant, so it’s hard to believe it has a thriving criminal underworld.

Compound nouns can be made with a noun and an adjective:

We need a truckle of mulch for the garden.

Exercises:

I.Direction: Write The Plural Form Of The Following Nouns.

• Child..........................
• Zero...........................
• Mouse........................
• Monkey......................
• Industry......................
• Woman......................
• Fox..............................
• Goose.........................
• Sheep.........................
• Series.........................
• Belief.........................
• Leaf.........................
• Self.........................
• Echo.........................
• Photo.........................
• Analysis.........................
• Hypothesis.........................
• Curriculum.........................
• Phenomenon.........................
• Stimulus.........................
• Offspring.........................
• Bacterium.........................

Direction:Write the correct form of the nouns in parentheses.

1.    I meet some interesting  men  at meeting last night.(man).

2.    I need some   matches  to light the fire.(match)

3.    The baby got two new                     (tooth).

4.    The farmer loaded his cart with                    of fresh vegetables to take to market. His cart was pulled by two                 .(box, ox)

5.    Alex saw some                      running across the floor.(mouse)

6.    The north side of the island has no                      . There are only steep                   .No one can climb these steep wall of rock.(beach. cliff)

7.    I catch several              in the lake.(fish)

8.    When we spoke in the cave, we could here               of our voices.(echo)

9.    The music building at the university has 27                           . Students need to sign up for practice times.(piano)

10.  Thunder and lightning are                           of nature.(phenomenon)

Find Common, Proper, Abstract, Material, Collective, Countable, Uncountable, Concrete Nouns from the following list.

1. Which of the following noun is a Proper Noun?
a) singer	b) Peter	c) milk	d) sister
2. Which of the following noun is a Common Noun?
a) birds	b) London	c) iron	d) India
3. Which of the following noun is a Collective Noun?
a) team	b) book	c) marbles	d) ships
4. Artist is a............ Noun?
a) Collective	b) Abstract	c) Concrete	d) Countable
5. Family is a............ Noun?
a) Collective	b) Abstract	c) Concrete	d) Countable
6. Which of the following noun is not a Abstract Noun?
a) goodness	b) bravery	c) family	d) childhood
7. Which of the following noun is not a Countable Noun?
a) books	b) gold	c) horse	d) apple
8. Which of the following noun is not a Proper Noun?
a) team	b) London	c) Monday	d) Nelson
9. Birds fly in the sky.
a) Proper Noun	b) Common Noun	c) Abstract Noun	d) Collective Noun
10. I saw a bunch of grapes.
a) Common Noun	b) Material Noun	c) Collective Noun	d) Abstract Noun