NOUN

A word used to name a person, place, thing, or idea

Identifying nouns:

Compound Nouns =

Two or more words that are used to create one noun

seafood grandmother daydream compact disc grand piano police office self-esteem great-grandparents

Collective Nouns =

Name a group composed of members. The idea is plural, but the usage is singular.

faculty family herd team band jury society group

Common / Proper Nouns =

Common: name general people, places, or thingsExamples—boy, day, city, street

• Proper: name specific people, places, or things

Examples – John, Friday, Atlanta, Peachtree Street

Concrete Nouns =

Name a person, place, or thing that can be seen, heard, tasted, felt, or smelled (experienced by the senses)Examples- movie, music, pizza,

heat, perfume

Abstract Nouns =

Name feelings, qualities, ideas, or emotions that aren’t experienced by any of your sensesExamples = love, joy, freedom, peace, knowledge, pride, faith, eloquence, convenience

Tell whether each word names a person, place, thing, or idea.Note: some are not nouns

student exam satisfaction enter entrance ugly often singer

person thing idea not a noun (verb) place not a noun (adjective) not a noun (adverb) person

My sister-in-law and her family live on a houseboat on Lake Ontario.

sister-in-law

houseboat

Lake Ontario

Identify the compound nouns.

The cast felt great self-respect when the audience cheered on and on.

Identify the collective nouns.

audiencecast

England love teenagers lake mayor Missouri River mother Tate Museum

proper common common common common proper common proper

Tell whether each noun is common or proper.

Tell whether each noun is concrete or abstract.

Philadelphia wisdom eagle freedom water Ronald Reagan neighbor happiness dishes peace

concrete abstract concrete abstract concrete concrete concrete abstract concrete abstract

Singular and Plural Nouns

• A noun that names only one person, place, or thing is called a singular noun.

• A noun that names more than one person, place, or thing is a plural noun.

Plural Nouns

Add “s” to most singular nouns to make them plural.

desksbooks apples

Plural Nouns

Add “es” to a singular noun that ends in:- s glass – glasses- x box – boxes- ch church – churches- sh brush – brushes

And sometimes – o

tornado – tornadoespotato – potatoeshero – heroes

** BUT**

radio – radiospiano – pianosburrito – burritos

Plural Nouns

• If a singular noun ends in “y” with a vowel before it, add an –s.holiday – holidays boy – boys monkey – monkeys

• If a singular noun ends in “y” with a consonant before it, take off the “y” and add – ies.

baby – babies lady – ladies butterfly – butterflies

• Sometimes when singular nouns finish in “f” or “fe,” they become – ves.

knife – knives hoof – hooves leaf– leaves

**BUT** chef – chefs reef – reefs café – cafes

Plural Nouns

Some plurals are just irregular.man – men woman – women child – children fish - fish deer – deer mouse – mice foot – feet ox - oxen

phenomenon – phenomena

Words that come from Greek and Latin follow different rules.

Singular

- a

Plural

- ae

Examples

vertebra – vertebrae, alga – algae- is - es analysis – analyses, radius - radii- um - a datum – data, bacterium – bacteria

- us - i fungus – fungi, stimulus - stimuli - on - a

Singularfieldfoxechodictionarysurveylifeparenthesiscriteriontoothbusperson

Pluralfieldsfoxesechoesdictionariessurveyslivesparenthesescriteriateethbusespeople

Fill in the chart below with the correct singular or plural form of the noun.

Possessive Nouns

We add ‘s to all singular possessive nouns.the boy’s book the boy’s shoes Ann’s carMr. Smith’s family the spider’s web James’s dog

We add only ‘ to plural possessive nouns ending in –s.the girls’ school the girls’ friendsthe Smiths’ house the stores’ prices

We add ‘s to plural possessive nouns that don’t end in –s.the children’s toys the data’s conclusionthe mice’s cheese Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s children

Change these to their correct possessive forms.

the damage of the earthquakethe son of Charlesthe job of the menthe business of the Wilsonsthe knowledge of the peoplethe activities of the studentsthe notes of the professorthe house of Jane and Billthe bone that belongs to the dog the cat that belongs to the sisters

the earthquake’s damageCharles’s sonthe men’s jobthe Wilsons’ businessthe people’s knowledgethe students’ activitiesthe professor’s notesJane and Bill’s housethe dog’s bonethe sisters’ cat

The town’s empty, but we found all of the residents’ cars town residents’ cars scattered throughout the streets. The cafés lining Primrose streets cafés PrimroseAvenue have steaming coffee and lit cigarettes on the tables with Avenue coffee cigarettes tablesfood cooking in abandoned kitchens. Jeff, I don’t know how to food kitchens Jeffexplain this, but a feeling of sadness is palpable in the air. feeling sadness air

Find the nouns in the paragraph below.