You are watching: In a sentence, nouns can function as the subject or the
The subject in a sentence or clause is the person or thing doing, performing, or managing the activity of the verb. For example:
“The dog chased that tail.” (The noun dog is performing the activity of the verb chase.)“Mary reads a book every week.” (The appropriate noun mary is performing the activity of the verb read.)
Grammatical objects have three grammar roles: the direct object that a verb, the indirect object of a verb, or the object that a preposition.
“The dog chased its tail.” (The noun tail is receiving the action of the verb chase.)“Mary reads a book every week.” (The noun publication is receiving the activity of the verb read.)
“Please happen Jeremy the salt.” (The appropriate noun Jeremy is receiving the direct object salt, which receives the action of the verb pass.)“I sent out the company an applications for the job.” (The noun agency is receiving the direct object application, i m sorry receives the action of the verb sent.)
Nouns are additionally used after preposition to create prepositional phrases. When a noun is part of a prepositional phrase, it is recognized as the object of the preposition. For example:
“Your backpack is under the table.” (The noun table is the thing of the preposition under, which create the prepositional phrase under the table.)“I am looking for work.” (The noun work is the thing of the preposition for, which create the prepositional expression for work.)
Nouns that follow linking verb are recognized as predicate nouns (sometimes known as predicative nouns). These offer to rename or re-identify the subject. If the noun is attach by any kind of direct modification (such together articles, adjectives, or prepositional phrases), the entire noun expression acts predicatively.
“Love is a virtue.” (The noun phrase a virtue follows the linking verb is come rename the topic love.)“Tommy seems prefer a genuine bully.” (The noun expression a genuine bully adheres to the linking verb seems to rename the subject Tommy.)“Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.” (The noun phrase a blessing in disguise follows the linking verb is to rename the subject this.)
(Go come the section on subject Complements in the part of the overview that covers Syntax come learn more about property nouns.)
There are countless different kinds of nouns, and also it’s crucial to understand the different way each type can be provided in a sentence. Below, we’ll briefly look at the various categories the nouns. Girlfriend can explore the individual sections to learn more about each.
Nouns that identify basic people, places, or points are called common nouns—they name or determine that which is common amongst others.
Proper nouns, on the other hand, are supplied to identify an absolutely unique person, place, or thing, and they space signified by funding letters, no matter where they appear in a sentence.
Nouns of address are used in direct speech to determine the human being or team being directly talked to, or to gain that who attention. Choose interjections, they are grammatically unrelated to the rest of the sentence—they nothing modify or influence any other part of it. For example:
“James, I need you to help me through the dishes.” “Can I have actually some money, Mom?”“This, class, is the video I was informing you about.” “Sorry, Mr. President, ns didn’t view you there.”
Concrete nouns name people, places, animals, or points that are physically tangible—that is, they have the right to be viewed or touched, or have actually some physics properties. Appropriate nouns are likewise usually concrete, as they define unique people, places, or points that are also tangible. For example:
Abstract nouns, as their name implies, surname intangible things, such together concepts, ideas, feelings, characteristics, attributes, etc. Because that instance:
Countable nouns (also known as count nouns) room nouns that can be taken into consideration as individual, separable items, which way that we space able to counting them through numbers—we deserve to have one, two, five, 15, 100, and also so on. Us can also use them v the indefinite articles a and an (which represent a single person or thing) or through the plural type of the noun.
Countable nouns contrast with uncountable nouns (also well-known as non-count or mass nouns), which can not be separated and also counted together individual devices or elements. Uncountable nouns cannot take an indefinite article (a/an), nor have the right to they be made plural.
Collective nouns room nouns that describe a arsenal or group of lot of people, animals, or things. However, even though cumulative nouns describe multiple individuals, lock still duty as singular noun in a sentence. This is because they still room technically referring to one thing: the group as a whole. Because that example:
“The flock of bird flew southern for the winter.”“The organization voted come revoke the rules the it had previously approved.”“The set that tablecloths had disappeared. ”
Attributive nouns, also called noun adjuncts, room nouns the are supplied to modify various other nouns. The resulting expression is referred to as a link noun. Because that example:
In this sentence, toy is the noun adjunct, and also it modifies words soldier, developing the link noun toy soldier.
To learn more about attributive nouns, go to the section on Adjuncts in the chapter on The Predicate.
A compound noun is a noun created of two or more words working together as a single unit to surname a person, place, or thing. Compound nouns are usually comprised of two nouns or one adjective and also a noun.
water + party = water bottle (a bottle used for water) dining + room = dining room (a room offered for dining)back + load = backpack (a fill you stay on your back) police + man = policeman (a police officer that is a man)
A noun phrase is a group of two or more words that function together together a noun in a sentence. Noun phrases consist of a noun and also other words the modify the noun. Because that example:
In this sentence, the shovel with the blue handle is a noun phrase. It collectively acts as a noun while providing modifying words because that the head noun, shovel. The modifiers space the and also with the blue handle.
When noun are created from other parts that speech, the is usually through the usage of suffixes. For example:
“My fiancée is one actor.” (The verb act becomes the noun actor.)“His acceptance of the place was received warmly.” (The verb expropriate becomes the noun acceptance.)“The hardness the diamond makes it a good material for cutting tools.” (The adjective tough becomes the noun hardness.)“This project will be fraught through difficulty.” (The adjective an overwhelming becomes the noun difficulty.)
Quiz
1. A noun deserve to be i beg your pardon of the following?
a) The subjectb) one objectc) Predicatived) A & Be) B & Cf) all of the above2. What category of nouns is offered to identify the human being or group being directly talked to?
a) usual nounsb) noun of addressc) Attributive nounsd) summary nouns3. Recognize the form of noun (in bold) provided in the complying with sentence:“Your indifference is no acceptable.”
a) suitable nounb) Countable nounc) cumulative nound) abstract noun4. What group of noun is supplied to modify other nouns?
a) usual nounsb) nouns of addressc) Attributive nounsd) abstract nouns5. I m sorry of the adhering to is generally used to create a noun from a verb or adjective?
a) Prefixb) Suffixc) Attributive nound) Predicative nounChapter Sub-sections
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