2. Nouns

3. A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. freedom, love, respect

4. People Places Things Ideas woman New York shirt promise father university floor wisdom Mr. Smith bedroom combinationchoice psychologist space poster necessity

5. Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns Proper nouns are specific names of people, places, or things. Those nouns are always capitalized. Common nouns, on the other hand, name general items. CommonProper doctorDr. Spock restaurantMilano’s riverAmazon teacherMiss Jones girlMaddy stateGeorgia

6. Have you ever wondered whether to capitalize “mom,” “mother,” etc.? If you’re speaking of the relationship, it’s a common noun, & you don’t capitalize it: My mom is my best friend. My father has his own business. But if you’re using it as a name, you capitalize it: You know that Mom is my best friend. You know that Father has his own business. In these cases, you’re using it exactly as if it were the person’s name. Hint for identifying nouns: if it’s a common noun, you’ll be able to put “the” in front of it: the mop, the room, the food, the mother, the time, etc.

7. Now take this quiz. In each set of five words, choose the one that is NOT a noun. ripe child stripe type pipe

8. No! That IS a noun!

9. Correct!

10. Which is NOT a noun? pane lane sane mane cane

11. No! That IS a noun!

12. Correct!

13. Which is NOT a noun? fast trash cast past mast

14. No! That IS a noun!

15. Correct!

16. Which is NOT a noun? play Jason hard voice answer

17. No! That IS a noun!

18. Correct!

19. Which is NOT a noun? crayon itch Spain turkey choose

20. No! That IS a noun!

21. Correct!

22. Which is NOT a noun? mate late rate plate date

23. No! That IS a noun!

24. Correct!

25. Which is NOT a noun? Greek rain cola letter swift

26. No! That IS a noun!

27. Correct!

28. Which is NOT a noun? fling thing wing sing ring

29. No! That IS a noun!

30. Correct!

31. Which is NOT a noun? book hook cook took look

32. No! That IS a noun!

33. Correct!

34. Which is NOT a noun? pal funny master shoe charm

35. No! That IS a noun!

36. Correct!

37. I hope you found that exercise easy. If your eyes automatically looked for the word that wasn’t a noun, that was easier than if you’d looked for words that were nouns. The reason is that you might have thought that “look,” for example, is a verb rather than a noun. But it can be either: Tom gave his enemy a dirty look. -- noun I look at the pictures in the book. – verb In one group of words, you had book/took/look/hook/cook. All of those can be verbs, but only 4 can be nouns. See which ones can get “the” in front of them: The book, the look, the hook, the cook…but “the took”? No. “Took” is not a noun.

38. The next 10 MAY be harder. Then again, if you’re looking for what’s definitely NOT a noun, rather than trying all the words on for size, maybe they won’t be any harder. Which is NOT a noun? leaves position surface chosen base

39. No! That IS a noun!

40. Correct!

41. Which is NOT a noun? torturous baby class priest point

42. No! That IS a noun!

43. Correct!

44. Which is NOT a noun? laughter Jim now friend sweetness

45. No! That IS a noun!

46. Correct!

47. Which is NOT a noun? business clear ranch checker Wyoming

48. No! That IS a noun!

49. Correct!

50. Which is NOT a noun? break tore razor choice word

51. No! That IS a noun!

52. Correct!

53. Which is NOT a noun? hot composition term lake future

54. No! That IS a noun!

55. Correct!

56. Which is NOT a noun? mailman circle match love lazy

57. No! That IS a noun!

58. Correct!

59. Which is NOT a noun? perish obligation beauty terminal center

60. No! That IS a noun!

61. Correct!

62. Which is NOT a noun? sound pet argue eternity balance

63. No! That IS a noun!

64. Correct!

65. Which is NOT a noun? pitch terror conquer polish captive

66. No! That IS a noun!

67. Correct!

68. Now pick out every noun in the sentences below. When you’re ready to see the answers, click. His parents didn’t believe a word he said. parents word Maddy is a beautiful little girl who has a crazy sense of humor. Maddy girl sense humor The new guy is helping pick beans Bob planted in the garden. guy beans Bob garden If you offered Bubba a penny for his thoughts, you’d be rich. Bubba penny thoughts

69. On the next page, you will find a selection from Jane Eyre. Print it out & underline all nouns, or just write all the nouns on a sheet of paper. On the slide after that, you’ll find the answers.

70. There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed. The said Eliza, John, and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room: she lay reclined on a sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looked perfectly happy. Me, she had dispensed from joining the group; saying, "She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard from Bessie, and could discover by her own observation, that I was endeavouring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition, a more attractive and sprightly manner--something lighter, franker, more natural, as it were--she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy, little children." "Jane, I don't like cavillers or questioners; besides, there is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner. Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent." A breakfast-room adjoined the drawing-room, I slipped in there. It contained a bookcase: I soon possessed myself of a volume, taking care that it should be one stored with pictures. I mounted into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat cross-legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close, I was shrined in double retirement. Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear panes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the drear November day. At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon. Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast.

71. There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed. The said Eliza, John, and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing- room: she lay reclined on a sofa by the fireside, and with her darlings about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looked perfectly happy. Me, she had dispensed from joining the group; saying, "She regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard from Bessie, and could discover by her own observation, that I was endeavouring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition, a more attractive and sprightly manner--something lighter, franker, more natural, as it were--she really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy, little children." "Jane, I don't like cavillers or questioners; besides, there is something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner. Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent." A breakfast-room adjoined the drawing-room, I slipped in there. It contained a bookcase: I soon possessed myself of a volume, taking care that it should be one stored with pictures. I mounted into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat cross-legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close, I was shrined in double retirement. Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear panes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the drear November day. At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon. Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast.

72. That’s it for nouns. Are you ready for pronouns?