NOUNS

noun the part of speech that represents a person, place, thing, or idea/emotion
Kinds/Characteristics of Nouns:
1)

common noun general/generic; non-specific Examples: girl, school

vs. proper noun specific name (capitalized) Example: Haley, Todd County Central High School

2)

concrete noun - can be experienced with at least one of the five physical senses
(can touch it, see it, smell it, taste it, and/or hear it)
vs. abstract noun names an idea, emotion, quality, or state/status that cannot be experienced with
any of the five physical senses
(Examples: love, curiosity, democracy, unconsciousness)

3)

singular represents one (Example: goat)

vs. plural represents more than one
a) usually add s (Example: goats)
b) or sometimes add es (Example: boxes, churches, the Joneses)
c) or change y to i and add es (Example: puppies)
NOTE: Do NOT use an apostrophe (s) to make a noun plural ! An apostrophe is used only to show
possession/ownership like Dads face or with word contractions like isnt to show where a letter has
been left out.
4) count noun Count nouns exists in singular form and plural form and can
be literally counted in plural form. A count noun can be modified/described by
placing a number in front of it -- and the words few or many
one leg
three books
few coins
many churches
vs. mass noun / non-count noun represents something that exists in mass form or amounts
NOT in plural numbers that can be individually counted; Usually described with
words less or much
much money
less furniture
much happiness
5) possessive noun -modifies/describes another noun by showing ownership/possession of it (add s)
-Add s if the possessive noun is singular OR if the noun doesnt end in s in its plural form.
one boys bike Chriss bike the two childrens bedroom
-Add just an apostrophe () IF the plural noun already ends in an s.
the boys locker room (belongs to more than one boy) the Cavanahs home the Joneses house
6) compound noun made up of more than one word,* acting as one noun
(*Some sources, but not all, define it as two or more nouns joined to make one.)
Some are written as one word, together: airplane, hotdog
Some use hyphen/dash: runner-up, mother-in-law
Some are written as 2 separate words: rain forest, locker room
7) collective noun represents a unit/group; acts as a singular
noun and takes a singular verb
(collection, crowd, class, team, public)
8) verbal nouns acts like a noun in the sentence, but is derived (made) from verb
a) gerund acts like a noun in the sentence, but is a verb form ending in -ing
(HINT: You can replace the gerund/noun form with the pronoun it .)
Gerund/noun: Fishing is fun. (It is fun.) vs. Acting as verb, NOT gerund/noun: He is fishing today.
b) infinitive a verb used with the word to in front of it, which acts as a noun in the sentence.
Infinitive/noun: I like to run. (I like it.) vs.
Acting as verb, NOT infinitive/noun: I run for exercise.

Common Noun Endings:

-er, ar, -or, -ist, -an, -ian, -ery, -ary, -ory, -ion, -ence, -ance, -ment, -ics, -hood, -ism, -ness, -ship, -ity

DIRECTIONS: Give examples not provided in class or textbook.

NAME(S)______________________________

Common Noun vs.

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Proper Noun
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Concrete Noun
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Singular Noun
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vs. Plural Noun

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vs.

Abstract Noun
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Count Noun
vs.
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Mass/non-count Noun
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Singular Possessive Noun vs. Plural Possessive Noun

One-word Compound Noun: _________________

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One-word Compound Noun: _________________

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Hyphenated Compound Noun: _______________

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Hyphenated Compound Noun: _______________

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Two-word Compound Noun: _________________

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Two-word Compound Noun: _________________

Collective Noun
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Nouns with the following endings:

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_______________ar

_______________or

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_______________ist

_______________an

_______________ian

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_______________ery

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_______________ory

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_______________ion

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_______________ment

_______________ics

_______________hood

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_______________ness

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A sentence using a gerund noun (using verbal form ending in ing to act as a noun in the sentence):
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A sentence using an infinitive noun phrase (using to in front of a verb, to act as a noun in sentence):