Nouns & Pronouns

Proper/Common Nouns

Proper Nouns Nouns can be divided into proper nouns that refer to particular individuals, places, and things. These are usually official names, and they are always capitalized. Willis Tower (noun - proper) Chicago (noun - proper) International TEFL Academy (noun - proper) Dr. Noam Chomsky (noun - proper) Days of the week, months of the year, and names of countries, languages, and religions are all proper nouns and are capitalized in English. Common Nouns Nouns that are not proper are called common nouns, which are not capitalized and refer to objects in general. tower (noun - common) city (noun - common) academy (noun - common) doctor (noun - common)

Subject Pronouns

Subject Pronouns In the sentence below, she is a pronoun that replaces the proper noun Lizzy. It is the subject of the sentence, and we use it so we do not have to repeat the name. Lizzy is a happy girl. She smiles all the time. (subject pronoun) Sometimes, the noun being replaced hasn't been previously mentioned, but it is clear from the context, as in this example: I like movies. (subject pronoun) In this example, we know that the pronoun I refers to whoever wrote or said the sentence, so no previous noun needed to be replaced. We also commonly use the pronoun it to describe weather or general conditions. It is raining hard today! (subject pronoun)

What type of pronoun is the underlined word? Caio is going to teach English in Thailand. He will love it. Select one: a. object pronoun b. reflexive pronoun c. subject pronoun

The correct answer is a. Explanation: "It" is the object pronoun. "It" is the object of the verb "love" and replaces the idea of teaching English in Thailand.

Which type of pronoun is the underlined word? My backpack feels like a bag of rocks. Select one: a. possessive adjective pronoun b. possessive pronoun c. reflexive pronoun

The correct answer is a. Explanation: "My" is a possessive adjective pronoun. "My" shows ownership of a noun (backpack) and modifies the noun (backpack).

Which of the following underlined words is an example of a reflexive pronoun? They were expected to help themselves to it. Select one: a. themselves b. they c. it

The correct answer is a. Explanation: "Themselves" is a reflexive pronoun. It is used when the object of a verb or preposition refers back to the subject of the sentence.

What type of pronoun is the underlined word? Caio, I cannot believe that you are going to teach English in Thailand. Select one: a. subject pronoun b. object pronoun c. reflexive pronoun

The correct answer is a. Explanation: This sentence contains a main clause and a noun clause which begins with the word "that." "You" is the subject of the noun clause and it is a subject pronoun.

Which type of pronoun is the underlined word? Did you know that your book bag looks like mine? Select one: a. possessive adjective b. possessive pronoun c. reflexive pronoun

The correct answer is b. Explanation: "Mine" is a possessive pronoun. It shows ownership of the noun (book bag) that was previously referred to.

Which of the following is an example of a non-count/uncountable noun? Select one: a. mouse b. rice c. knife

The correct answer is b. Explanation: "Rice" is a non-count/uncountable noun. It is a noun that cannot be divided into separate elements and as a result cannot be counted numerically. It always stays in the same form and -s is not added to make it plural.

Which of the following pairs contain two compound nouns? Select one: a. people; doorknob b. banknotes; fruit fly c. money; headphones

The correct answer is b. Explanation: 'Banknotes' is a compound noun that includes two nouns combined to create one noun. 'Fruit fly' is a compound noun that includes two nouns that form a compound noun, but the words have remained separate.

Which of the following is not an example of an irregular plural noun? Select one: a. tooth-> teeth b. benefit-> benefits c. syllabus-> syllabi d. fish-> fish

The correct answer is b. Explanation: The noun "benefit" is a common noun with a plural that is formed by adding "-s".

Which type of pronoun is the underlined word? Ahmed didn't buy a book. The English school may supply him with a textbook. Select one: a. reflexive pronoun b. possessive pronoun c. object pronoun

The correct answer is c. Explanation: "Him" is the object pronoun. It is the object of the verb "supply" and it replaces the name, Ahmed.

Which of the following is not a proper noun? Select one: a. The Burj Khalifa Tower b. French c. Seagulls d. April

The correct answer is c. Explanation: "Seagulls" is a common noun. It does not refer to any particular individual, place, or thing.

a dummy subject or the existential there

There is one additional pronoun. (pronoun - existential) There are four chapters in this unit. (pronoun - existential) Whether there is actually a pronoun in these sentences is controversial, as some grammarians argue that There is a noun when used as the subject of a sentence. It does not appear to do what other pronouns do (it is not replacing another noun), but it is very common in use, so we have included it here with the other subject pronouns.

Pronouns

are words used to replace nouns that have been previously stated or are already understood. We use them to avoid repetition, as in these sentences below: This module covers a lot of grammar. It should be helpful. (pronoun)

compound noun

contains multiple words that combine to make a single noun.English teacher (noun - compound) The most common type of compound nouns can be called closed (or fixed) compounds. These usually consist of two nouns that have been combined into a single word. headphones (noun - compound) doorknob (noun - compound) backpack (noun - compound) Sometimes, compound nouns become fixed but retain their status as multiple words. fruit fly (noun - compound)

nouns

denote a person, a place, or a thing, and we can further expand the last one of these three to include a quality, an animal, or an idea. ________________ are also commonly preceded by articles and adjectives to create noun phrases, as in the following example: a happy student (noun phrase)

possessive pronoun

designates ownership of a noun that has previously been referenced. This book bag is yours. Mine is in the hall. (possessive pronoun)

possessive adjective pronoun

designates ownership of a noun that the pronoun is modifying. My book bag is very heavy. (possessive adjective pronoun)

Object Pronouns

eg. first, second, third / me, you, him, her, it / us, you, them Lizzy is a happy girl. Mom gave her a present. (object pronoun) Thus if we wish to replace Lizzy before the verb (as a subject), we use she. But if we wish to replace it after a verb (as an object), we use her. Table 1.4 contains personal object pronouns.

countable noun

is a noun that can be singular or plural, and the plural form can be counted numerically. speakers (noun - countable)

uncountable noun

is a noun that cannot be divided into separate elements and therefore cannot be counted numerically.money (noun - uncountable)

gerund

is a verb ending with -ing that functions as a noun (e.g. I like reading).

common noun

is not capitalized and refers to an object in general.teacher (noun - common)

regular plural noun

is one to which we add -s. benefits (noun - regular plural)

reflexive pronoun i

is the form the object pronoun takes when the object of a verb or preposition refers back to the subject of the sentence. The teacher helped himself. (reflexive pronoun as object of the verb help)

proper noun

refers to the name of a particular person, place, or thing, and it is capitalized. English (noun - proper)

irregular plural noun

takes a plural ending other than -s. people (noun - irregular plural of the noun person)