The Noun 1.Definition A noun is that part of speech used as the name of a person (girl; Mary), an animal (dog), a place (park, Oxford), a job title (teacher), a thing (book), an action (writing), a quality (bravery), a state (happiness).

Nouns can function as: a)the subject of a verb: The boy runs in the street. b)the direct object of a verb: Jane wrote a letter. c) the indirect object of a verb: I offered mother some flowers. d) the object of a preposition: The girl went to school.

e) the complement of the verb to be: My brother is an engineer. f) an apposition: I sent Miss Smith, my secretary, a telex. g) direct address: Tom/Boy, come here!

2.Form Some words function only as nouns (fog, lion, courage), while others may function as: nouns or verbs having either the same spelling and pronunciation (answer- to answer, blame- to blame, cost- to cost...), or a different pronunciation and, sometimes, a different spelling (belief- to believe, advice- to advise), or a different stress (‘abstract- to ab’stract, ‘produce- to pro’duce) nouns and adjectives (cold, light).

3. Types of Nouns Nouns Proper: England, John Commoncountable concrete: a boy, a book abstract: a dream, an idea uncountable cocnrete: bread, milk abstract: hate, advice

4. Exercises Underline the syllable that you would stress when speaking: 1.We permit you to stay here. 2.They need a permit to leave the camp. 3.You will conduct her to her seat. 4.They have had complaints about his conduct. 5.He will escort you to the room. 6.I really think she needs an escort. 7.We must protest against this law. 8.They executed her orders without any protest.