Nouns

Nouns & Their Uses

Recognizing Nouns

• A noun is a word that names.• Persons• Places• Things• Ideas

Recognizing Nouns

• A compound noun is two or more words used as a single noun• Matthew Henry• Life of Cromwell• Mother-in-law• barbershop

Recognizing Nouns

• A collective noun names a group and is singular in form.• herd• team• swarm• flock• orchestra• club

Practice

• Circle the nouns• Maxwell did not confine his activities to the

laboratory, but worked for Christ in his church and community. He visited the sick and encouraged those who were downtrodden. Maxwell was a leader in his church and helped to establish it with both his time and money. James Maxwell gave his best to every endeavor and was a success both as a scientist and as a Christian.

Recognizing Common & Proper Nouns

• A common noun names a person, place, thing, or idea, but does not say which particular one.• man• state• airplane• horse• hope

Recognizing Common & Proper Nouns

• A proper noun names a particular person, place, or thing and always begins with a capital letter.• John Calvin• Nebraska• Southern Cross

Practice

• Underline common nouns; circle proper nouns

• Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the city of Bonn in western Germany. His father was musically gifted, and his grandfather had been a high-ranking musician in Cologne. Although his early years were troubled, he soon triumphed over his difficulties.

Making Verbs Agree with Noun Subjects

• A subject is a noun or pronoun that tells WHO or WHAT the sentence is about.

• The verb of a sentence must agree with its subject in number


• Singular subjects take singular verbs• Plural subjects take plural verbs.

• Nouns ending in s are usually plural.• Verbs ending in s are usually singular

• The boy works hard.• Singular

• The boys work hard.• Plural


• The number of a subject is not usually affected by phrases between the subject and the verb.• The row of bushes was plantedwas planted to form a to form a

privacy screen.privacy screen.• Singular

• The boats by the dock need repair.• plural


• The verb agrees with the subject, not the predicate nominative.• The steaks were the biggest expense.• The biggest expense was the steaks.

Practice

• Underline each subject; cross out the incorrect verb in parentheses.

• Only a handful of students (were, was) needed to finish decorating the float for the parade.

• The many names of God (reflect, reflects) His various attributes.

Homework

• Grammar page 99 #3-14• Write subject and correct verb


• If a sentence asks a question or begins with there or here you MUST be careful to locate the subject and make the verb agree with it.• What is the title of your project?• There are thirty-five pages in this chapter.


• Doesn’t, isn’t, and wasn’t are singular and must be used with singular subjects.• The car wasn’t made in America.

• Don’t, aren’t, and weren’t are plural and must be used with plural subjects.


• Titles of literary works, works of art, organizations, cities, and countries are usually singular even if they are plural in form.• Pickwick Papers is a novel written by

Charles Dickens.


• The following words are usually singular:• Mumps• Measles• Rickets• Molasses• News• Stamina

Practice

• Underline each subject; cross out incorrect verb in parenthesis.

• Rickets (is, are) a disease that can be prevented by a generous exposure to sunlight.

• Here (is, are) the lab reports you were waiting for.

Answers

• Rickets is a disease that can be prevented by a generous exposure to sunlight.

• Here are the lab reports you were waiting for.

Homework

• Freshmen• Grammar page 100 #3-15

• Write subject and correct verb

• Sophomores• Grammar page 93 #1-10

• Write subject and correct verb


• Collective nouns may be either singular or plural.• Collective nouns name a group

• Jury, team, class, family• The jury has been dismissed.

• Singular

• The jury were unable to agree among themselves.

• Plural


• Expressions stating amounts may be either singular or plural.

• Singular when the amount is considered a unit.• Two thirds of the milk was spilled on the floor.

• Plural when amount is regarded as separate parts.• Two thirds of the peanuts were gone.


• Words that end in -ics may be singular or plural depending on their meaning.

• Courses of study or science terms are considered singular.• Civics was his best subject.• Mathematics is a pure science.

• All other -ics words are considered plural.• Gymnastics are preformed before large audiences

now.

Practice

• Underline each subject; cross out the incorrect verb in parentheses.

• Two thousand pounds (equal, equals) one U.S. ton.

• Hydrodynamics (is, are) the science concerned with the behavior of water in motion.

Answers

• Two thousand pounds equals one U.S. ton.

• Hydrodynamics is the science concerned with the behavior of water in motion.

Homework

• Grammar page 101 #3-15• Write each subject and the correct verb.


• Compound subjects joined by “and” take a plural verb.• Jacob and Joe were here today

• Sometimes subjects joined by and refer to only one person or are considered as one thing.• Our quarterback and team captain is

Brandon Johnson.


• When a compound subject is joined by or, nor, either…or, or neither…nor, the verb agrees with the NEARER subject.• Either her helpers or the librarian is there

to assist you.

Practice

• The Constitution and the United States (was, were) frigates which fought in the War of 1812.

• Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci (was, were) famous painter during the Renaissance.

Answers

• The Constitution and the United States were frigates which fought in the War of 1812.

• Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were famous painter during the Renaissance.

Practice

• Canaries or parakeets (makes, make) great pets; the former are known for their song, the latter for their ability to imitate speech.

• For every school program, Adam or Steve (asks, ask) to work the lights.

Answers

• Canaries or parakeets make great pets; the former are known for their song, the latter for their ability to imitate speech.

• For every school program, Adam or Steve asks to work the lights.

Practice

• The judge and the jury (is, are) waiting for the final witness to appear.

• Neither the doctor nor his nurses (is, are) in the office on Wednesdays.

• Hitler and Mussolini (was, were) both dictators.

Answers

• The judge and the jury are waiting for the final witness to appear.

• Neither the doctor nor his nurses are in the office on Wednesdays.

• Hitler and Mussolini were both dictators.

Using Nouns as Predicate Nominatives

• A predicate nominative is a noun that follows a linking verb and renames or explains the subject.• Mr. Hurley is our coach.


• In a sentence containing a predicate nominative, you can always replace the verb with the word equals.• Ezra was a ready scribe.

• Ezra equals scribe.

• Deuteronomy is the last book of the Pentateuch.

• Deuteronomy equals book.


• Predicate nominatives can NEVER be in a prepositional phrase.• Deuteronomy is the last book of the

Pentateuch.• Book is the predicate nominative.• Pentateuch is not because is in a prepositional

phrase.


• Predicate nominatives may be compound.• Some early men of great faith were Job,

Enoch, and Noah.


• Predicate nominatives are sometimes called subject complements. Subject complements always follow linking verbs.

List of Linking Verbs• Memorize the list of linking verbs.

Linking Verbs

Am Were Taste Look Grow

Is Be Feel Appear Remain

Are Being Smell Become Stay

Was Been Sound Seem

Practice

• Underline the linking verb; circle the predicate nominative.

• Patrick Henry was a famous statesman from Virginia.

• Francis Marion and Ethan Allen were courageous military leaders during the Revolutionary War.

Answers

• Patrick Henry was a famous statesman from Virginia.

• Francis Marion and Ethan Allen were courageous military leaders during the Revolutionary War.

Homework

• Freshmen• Page 104 #3-10

• Write linking verb and predicate nominative

• Sophomores• Page 98 # 1-10

• Write linking verb and predicate nominative

Using Nouns as Direct Objects

• There are two kinds of complements that follow action verbs: Direct objects Indirect objects


• A direct object is a noun (or a pronoun) that follows an action verb and receives the action from that verb.• A good tree bears good fruit.

• Tree bears what?• Fruit


• If no word answers the question whom or what after the verb, the sentence has no direct object.• She smiled pleasantly.


• Direct objects can never be in prepositional phrases.• We ate steak at a fine restaurant.

• We ate what?• Steak


• Direct objects may be compound• God created the heavens and the earth.

• God created what?• Heavens and earth.

Practice

• Underline the direct objects.• Bears often eat grubworms and fish.• Achan hid the silver and gold in his

tent.• Check you papers for correct spelling.• The band needs a flute player and a

drummer before next week.• Samson killed the lion with his bare

hands.

Answers

• Bears often eat grubworms and fish.• Achan hid the silver and gold in his

tent.• Check you papers for correct spelling.• The band needs a flute player and a

drummer before next week.• Samson killed the lion with his bare

hands.

More Practice...• Ananias kept part of the price of the

land for himself.• The President gave the State of the

Union address in January.• Hardwood trees lose their leaves in late

fall.• The Israelites won a decisive battle at

Jericho.• Daniel gave the credit to God for the

interpretation of dreams.

Answers• Ananias kept part of the price of the

land for himself.• The President gave the State of the

Union address in January.• Hardwood trees lose their leaves in late

fall.• The Israelites won a decisive battle at

Jericho.• Daniel gave the credit to God for the

interpretation of dreams.

Homework

• Freshmen• Page 107 Exercise A #11-20

• Just write direct object

• Sophomores• Page 100 Exercise B #1-6

Recognizing Objects of Prepositions

An object of a preposition is a noun (or a pronoun) that completes a prepositional phrase.

Chris entered the room and sat down in the first chair.

Chair is the object of the preposition in

Practice Underline the nouns used as objects of

prepositions. The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures: He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou are with me; They rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Answer... Underline the nouns used as objects of

prepositions The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures: He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou are with me; They rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

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Nouns