Common and Proper Nouns

Acommon nounnames any regular, ordinary person, animal, place, thing, or idea. Nothing spe

Aproper nounnames a very specific, very particular person, animal, place, thing, or idea.
A proper noun always begins with capital letter (is capitalized).

Common Noun Proper Noun

superhero Batman
river Mississippi River
holiday Fourth of July
religion Buddhism
month December
day Monday
city London
composer Ludwig van Beethoven
boy Peter
car Volvo
language Spanish
g, or idea. Nothing specific.

ce, thing, or idea.

Concrete and Abstract Nouns
Aconcrete nounnames a person, animal, place, or thing that you can actually see, touch, tas

List of concrete nouns:

spaghetti, muffins, perfume, water, book, room, pen, composer, boy, car

Anabstract nounnames an idea, feeling, emotion, or quality that cannot be detected by your

List of abstract nouns:

prettiness, pleasure, annoyance, skill, nature, communication, love, velocit
u can actually see, touch, taste, hear, or smell.

m, pen, composer, boy, car

t cannot be detected by your five senses.

communication, love, velocity, education

The Functions of Nouns in Sentences
1. Subject of the sentence
The subject of the sentence tells us what the sentence is about.

The lonelywolfhowled at the moon.

Grammaris a difficult subject.
Pencilsalways break before a test.

2. Predicate Noun (also Predicate Nominative or Subjective Complement)

A predicate noun comes after a linking verb (to be, to become, to remain) and is
equivalent to the subject but renames it in different terms.

In the following examples, subject isunderlined and Predicate Nounshown in color.

Myfriendis adoctor.
Mikewill become thepresidentof the company.
Thehorsehas been a powerfulsymbolin nearly every culture and every age.

3. Appositive (noun in apposition)

An appositive is a noun or phrase that comes after another noun (or pronoun), and identifies,
explains or gives more information about that word.

If the appositive is needed to identify the noun (restrictive appositive) then no comma is used.

If the appositive provides only additional, accompanying information about the noun it is call
and it should be set off from the rest of the sentence with commas

In the following examples,, appositivesshown in colorand the nouns they m

Moscow,the capital of Russia, is a crowded city.

Petersfather,Mr. Smith, helped me with my homework.
Mybrother,Sasha, is the best person in a world.
PeterssisterSandyleft the room.

4. Direct object of a verb

A direct object is a noun that receives the action of a verb.

To verify whether a sentence contains a direct object, place question [whom?] or [what?] after
If nothing answers these questions, you know that there is no direct object.

In the following examples, verbs areunderlined and Direct objects areshown in colo

I can hardlyseethestreet. see what? - thestreet

The hurricaneshatteredourcitiesandvillages. shattered what? - our
Iplacedallstudentson a waiting list. placed whom? - allstudents
Tom and Jerryatethe entirecake. ate what? - thecake

6. Object of the preposition

A preposition is a word that shows location, movement, or direction.
Common prepositions are
of, on, to, in, near, below, beneath, beside, over, across, with, by, for,and
A preposition is always followed by a noun (or pronoun) called theobject of the prep

examples:
in the wrongmood
beneath thesea
near the ragingvolcano
above thetreesandhouses
 remain) and is

dicate Nounshown in color.

ulture and every age.

or pronoun), and identifies,

tive) then no comma is used.

ion about the noun it is callednonrestrictive appositive

in colorand the nouns they modify isunderlined.

owded city.
with my homework.
in a world.

tion [whom?] or [what?] after the verb.

ct object.

ect objects areshown in color.

. shattered what? - ourcitiesandvillages

ced whom? - allstudents
hat? - thecake

ver, across, with, by, for,andunder.

called theobject of the preposition.