English Grammar (Nouns)
English Grammar
Eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection
Common Noun
A general name for a person, place, thing, or idea.
Countable and Uncountable Nouns Exercises Is the indicated noun countable or uncountable? 1.) The {children} fell asleep quickly after a busy day of fun. 2.) Be careful! The {water} is deep. 3.) The parade included {fire trucks} and police cars. 4.) We like the large {bottles} of mineral water. 5.) My mother uses real {butter} in the cakes she bakes. 6.) How many {politicians} does it take to pass a simple law? 7.) Most kids like {milk}, but Joey hates it. 8.) Most pottery is made of {clay}. 9.) Michael can play several different musical {instruments}. 10.) I was feeling so stressed that I ate an entire box of {cookies}.
1.) countable 2.) uncountable 3.) countable 4.) countable 5.) uncountable 6.) countable 7.) uncountable 8.) uncountable 9.) countable 10.) countable
Exercise: Where are the nouns? 1.) The squirrel grabbed a nut and climbed up a tree. Many observers took photos of his climb. 2.) Mary went to pick up the clothes at Target. 3.) Keng is learning how to speak Korean. 4.) On September 8th, the students at the University of Minnesota are going back to school. Though, unfortunately, they will be doing things online. 5.) Search on Google to see which words and ideas are nouns. Wow, nouns really are everywhere! 6.) We went to Chicago during July. We got to see amazing things, such as Lake Michigan and the city itself. 7.) Haruki Murakami's book, Norwegian Wood, is very introspective. 8.) We all listen to music. 9.) We washed clothes at the laundry mat on July 7th, 2020. 10.) I hope you're well off.
1.) squirrel, nut, tree, observers, climb 2.) Mary, clothes, Target 3.) Keng, learning, Korean 4.) September, University of Minnesota, going, doing, things 5.) Search, Google, words, ideas, nouns, everywhere 6.) Chicago, during, July, amazing, things, Lake Michigan, city 7.) Haruki Murakami's book, Norwegian Wood 8.) listen, all 9.) washed, 10.) hope, well
Vowel Harmony
A back vowel becomes front when preceded by a front vowel in the same word. Causes all vowels in a word to "harmonize" or agree in some property such as rounding or backness. Not seen in modern english language.
Irregular Plural Nouns
A noun that does not follow a rule to make it plural (not just adding an "s"). Some nouns have special plural forms they are called irregular plural. Singular Plural: man, woman, goose, child, foot, mouse, die, ox Irregular Plural: men, women , geese, children, feet, mice, dice, oxen.
Concrete Nouns
A noun that names a, person, place, or a thing that can come in contact with one or more of the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell). These refer to people or things that exist physically and that at least one of the senses can detect. You can touch, smell, see, or hear them. Examples: cat, desk, baby, bike, flowers, the MOA, can, arm, violin, water
Nouns
A word (other than a pronoun) used to identify people, places, things, or (abstract) ideas.
Preposition
A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word
Proper Nouns
A word used to name a specific person, place, thing, or idea (established names, individuals, places, things, etc.). These begin with a capital letter. ex. [] [Terry] is my best friend. I saw [Big Ben] in [London]. Have you been to [Disneyland]? other: Sarah, Los Angelas, Mars, Cafe Río,
Nouns can appear in the following positions:
After DETERMINERS such as: ex. articles: THE/A/AND dog(N) demonstrative: THOSE climbers(N) possessive pronouns: HIS/HER happiness(N), etc. After QUANTIFIERS (how much of something) such as: ex. SOME kimchi(N) EVERY person(N) MANY tables(N), etc. SUBJECT of a sentence / sentence frames: ex. CAKE(N) is delicious KENG(N) went out SADNESS(N) is my favorite emotion LINGUISTICS(N) is my favorite subject, etc.
Gerund
Although the term might sound foreign, the gerund is a common part of speech that most of us use every day, whether we know it or not. Gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. They're very easy to spot, since every gerund is a verb with ing tacked to its tail. There are no exceptions to this rule. Like all things grammar, gerunds do take a tiny bit of detective work to spot. The problem here is that present participles also end with the letters ing. Besides being able to spot gerunds, you should be able to tell the difference between a gerund and a present participle. Let's go back to the definition of a gerund for a moment. Remember that gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. Present participles do not act as nouns. Instead, they act as modifiers or complete progressive verbs. To find gerunds in sentences, just look for a verb + "ing" that is used as a noun. It's that simple. As you read these examples of gerunds, notice the verbs they contain, and notice that every single one of them ends in "-ing." By the end of this quick lesson, you'll have no problem recognizing gerunds when you see them. 1.) [Swimming] in the ocean has been Sharon's passion since she was five years old. 2.) Let's go [dancing] at the club tonight. 3.) I delayed [telling] Jerry the bad news. 4.) Holly decided that [flying] above the clouds was the most incredible experience she'd ever had. 5.) Bill avoided [doing] his math assignment because the World Series was on.
Choose the word that makes each of these nouns into a compound noun. 1.) Fund __________ (A - driver, B - seat, C - raiser) 2.) News __________ (A- paper, B - story, C - travels) 3.) Sun ____________ (A- day, B - glasses, C - heat) 4.) Child ___________ (A - hood, B - ren, C - play) 5.) Door ___________ (A- frame, B - handle, C - way)
Answer Key: 1 - C, 2 - A, 3 - B, 4 - A, 5 - C
Fill in the blanks to complete each compound noun, or with the one-word compound noun that fits best. 6.) Prevent a heart _________ by eating properly and getting enough exercise. (A - stroke, B -attack, C - murmur) 7.) Do you prefer peppermint or cinnamon flavored _____________? (A- cookies, B - toothpaste, C - applesauce) 8.) The full ___________ looked enormous as it rose over the horizon. (A - moon, B - sun, C -sunset) 9.) I'm going to the barber for a _____________. (A - trim, B - new style, C - haircut) 10.) They're digging a new swimming ____________ in the park. (A - suit, B - pool, C - game) 11.) I'd love to learn to pilot an ____________(A-boat, B - airplane, C - submarine) 12.) One reason donuts are fattening is that they're fried in cooking _____. (A - oil, B - sugar, C -pans) 13.) Sherrie is upset because she lost an ______________. (A - input, B - earring, C - friendship) 14.) We put a ____________ in the garden to chase birds away.(A - runway, B - sunshade, C -scarecrow) 15.) I've got to pick up a package at the post ___________. (A - man, B - office, C - book)
Answer Key: 6 - B, 7 - B, 8 - A, 9 - C, 10 - B, 11 - B, 12 - A, 13 - B, 14 - C, 15 - B
Collective Noun Exercises Each of these sentences contains a collective noun. Select the correct answer from the options that follow the sentence: 1.) Keys, marbles, and rubber bands were just a few of the things in the pile of objects in his drawer. A - marbles, B - things, C - pile 2.) The boys decided to join the navy after graduation. A - boys, B - navy, C - graduation 3.) After the performance, all the actors joined hands and bowed toward the audience. A - performance, B - actors, C - audience 4.) The team celebrated heartily after scoring a winning goal. A - team, B - winning, C - goal 5.) Most of the students on the council are also on the honor roll. A - students, B - council, C, - honor roll 6.) The boat's crew worked all night to stop the leak. A - boat's, B - crew, C - leak 7.) The talent show featured several individual performers, along with three bands. A - show, B - performers, C - bands 8.) Our extended family includes great-grandparents and second cousins. A - family, B - great-grandparents, C - cousins 9.) All of the students are attending a school assembly on Friday. A - students, B - school, C - assembly 10.) The senate will be voting on three education funding bills tomorrow. A - senate, B - bills, C - tomorrow 11.) he teachers and administrators held a meeting in the faculty office. A - teachers, B - administrators, C - faculty 12.) The sheep clustered in a tight flock to ward off the cold weather. A - sheep, B - flock, C - weather
Answer key: 1 - C, 2 - B, 3 - C, 4 - A, 5 - B, 6 - B, 7 - C, 8 - A, 9 - C, 10 - A, 11 - C, 12 -B
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns are names for a collection or a number of people or things. Words like group, herd, and array are collective noun examples. You might not know it, but you encounter collective nouns in everyday speech. Collective nouns are words for single things that are made up of more than one person, animal, place, thing, or idea. You can't have a team without individual members; even so, we discuss a team as a single entity. Remember that nouns are words naming people, animals, places, and things. Collective nouns are in a class all their own. Once you've read these examples, you'll find it much easier to recognize collective nouns when you see them. * Our [class] took a field trip to the natural history museum. * The [herd] of bison ran across the prairie, leaving a massive dust cloud in its wake. * We waited anxiously for the [jury] to come to a verdict. * This year's basketball [team] includes three players who are over six feet tall. * Napoleon's [army] was finally defeated at Waterloo. * The town [council] has approved plans to create a new park. * He comes from a huge [family]: he's the oldest of eleven kids. * The rock [group] has been on tour for months. * Everyone in the [audience] applauded loudly when Elvis appeared on stage.
Comparing common vs proper nouns
Common and Proper Nouns City v.s. Andover Frog v.s. Kermit River v.s. Mississippi Mountain v.s. Appalachian
Compound Noun
Compound nouns are words for people, animals, places, things, or ideas, made up of two or more words. Most compound nouns are made with nouns that have been modified by adjectives or other nouns. In many compound nouns, the first word describes or modifies the second word, giving us insight into what kind of thing an item is, or providing us with clues about the item's purpose. The second word usually identifies the item. Compound nouns are sometimes one word, like toothpaste, haircut, or bedroom. These are often referred to as closed or solid compound nouns. Sometimes compound nouns are connected with a hyphen: dry-cleaning, daughter-in-law, and well-being are some examples of hyphenated compound nouns. Sometimes compound nouns appear as two separate words: full moon, Christmas tree, and swimming pool are some examples of compound nouns that are formed with two separate words. These are often referred to as open or spaced compound nouns.
Compound Noun Examples
Compound nouns can be made with two nouns: * Let's just wait at this [bus stop]. * I love watching [fireflies] on warm summer nights. * While you're at the store, please pick up some [toothpaste], a [six-pack] of [ginger ale], and some [egg rolls]. Compound nouns can be made with an adjective and a noun: * Let's watch the [full moon] come up over the mountain. * Please erase the [blackboard] for me. Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a noun: * Be sure to add bleach to the [washing machine]. * Let's be sure to stay somewhere with a [swimming pool]. Compound nouns can be made with a noun and a verb: * He always gets up before [sunrise]. * I really could use an updated [hairstyle]. Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a preposition: * [Checkout] is at noon. * Please remember to schedule your dog's annual [check-up]. Compound nouns can be made with a noun and a prepositional phrase: * My [Mother-in-law] is the kindest person I know. Compound nouns can be made with a preposition and a noun: * Do you believe in [past lives]? * This city is vibrant, so it's hard to believe it has a thriving criminal [underworld]. Compound nouns can be made with a noun and an adjective: * We need a [truckful] of mulch for the garden.
Common nouns can be concrete or abstract: 1.) I have known my [doctor] forever. His [job] is [tough], so I have much [admiration] and [respect] for him.
Concrete nouns refer to physical things like people, objects and places, things that can be observed and measured E.G. guitar table bed Abstract nouns refer to ideas, processes, occasions, times and qualities; they cannot be touched or seen. E.G. happiness week birth confinement Physical objects (experience with the five senses) vs Concepts and Ideas 1.) Doctor = concrete, Job = abstract, admiration = abstract, respect = abstract
"Mutant Plurals"
Do not obey the normal rules of plurality (only seven of them). 1.) foot --> feet 2.) woman --> women 3.) man --> men 4.) tooth --> teeth 5.) goose --> geese 6.) mouse --> mice 7.) louse --> lice The reason these are called "mutant plurals" is because the vowel sound, the ooh, or the uh, or the ah, or the ou, turns into a different (vowel) sound.
Irregular Plural: Base Plurals
Doesn't matter whether or not there's more than one of them. The form of the word always looks the same (irregular plural that you don't add an "s" to). Ex. Sheep (one sheep, two sheep, etc.), fish (individual fish vs fishes, describing two species of fish), bison, tuna, deer, aircraft, squid (squids refers to two different species of squid), etc. Ex. They went to the aquarium to watch the new exhibit with the giant squid/fish/tuna.
Examples of Collective Nouns Usage
Every morning, the herd follows its leader to the watering hole for a drink. → Herd is a singular collective noun. Follows is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular pronoun. All the animals in the herd arrive at the watering hole at the same time. Today, Ms. Kennedy's class takes its SOL test. → Class is a singular collective noun. Takes is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular pronoun. All the students in Ms. Kennedy's class are taking the same test at the same time. The committee agrees that people are misusing their cell phones, so its verdict is that phones must not be used during working hours. → Committee is a singular collective noun. Agrees is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular pronoun. All the members of the committee are thinking alike. Now imagine three teenagers in the living room. Are they all doing the same thing at once? Not likely! One is watching TV intently. Another is reading a book and listening to music. The third has one eye on the TV and the other on his computer. There is a single group of teenagers, but the members of the group are doing different things. Members of collective nouns can act the same way, as individuals doing their own thing. When members of a collective noun act as individuals, that collective noun is plural and must be paired with plural pronouns and plural verbs. As you read the following examples, you'll notice that members of the collective noun are not functioning in unison. After eight hours sitting in the stuffy courtroom, the jury stretch, look at their watches, and head to their cars for the commute home. → Jury is a plural collective noun in this instance. Stretch, look, and head are plural verbs, and their is a plural pronoun. The members of the jury are stretching and looking at their individual watches before they head to different cars to go to their own homes. After taking a test, the class start their papers on Shakespeare's sonnets. → Class is a plural collective noun in this instance. Start is a plural verb, and their is a plural pronoun. Although the students are in the same class, they are beginning their own papers on different sonnets written by Shakespeare.
Gerund & Infinitive Examples
Examples of gerunds Gerunds are formed with the letters "ing". For example: • Thinking • Acting • Walking • Talking • Fishing • Caring • Writing • Listening Examples of infinitives Infinitives are prefaced with the word "to". For example: • To think • To act • To walk • To talk • To fish • To care • To write • To listen Both Gerunds and Infinitives can act as the subject of a sentence: Thinking is something that comes naturally. To think is something that comes naturally. You can use a gerund or an infinitive as the object of a verb: I like fishing. I like to fish. Only a gerund can be the object of a preposition. An infinitive cannot: We are thinking about walking in the woods.
Examples of Nouns
For example: * People --> Boy, Keng * Places --> House, Andover * Things --> Hat, Pizza * Ideas --> Happiness, Sadness
Gerund & Infinitive Usage: At first glance, it may seem difficult to know when to use an infinitive and when to use a gerund. You will find the following guidelines for gerund/infinitive usage helpful.
Gerunds Gerunds are best for use in sentences about actions that are real or complete, or that have been completed. • I stopped worrying about the future. In this example, the worrying was real and it happened until I stopped. • We really enjoy climbing mountains. In this example, the climbing is real and it's something we like to do. Infinitives Infinitives are best for use in sentences about actions that are unreal or abstract, or that will occur in the future. • I'd like you to think about something. In this example, I'm asking you to think about something, but the thinking hasn't happened yet. • Can we take a walk without you stopping to smoke? In this example, we're talking about taking a walk and the smoking hasn't happened yet.
List of Common Collective Nouns: This list of common collective nouns contains words that describe groups of animals, people, or things. These words are sometimes interchangeable, and English writers and speakers often use them to describe different things. For example, the word swarm is usually used to discuss a group of insects such as ants, flies or bees, but many writers use it to talk about a very busy crowd of people. Once you are familiar with these words, you'll notice that they are used in a variety of situations.
Herd- A group of herbivore animals Pack- A group of canine animals such as wolves or dogs; also used to describe playing cards and packages containing multiple objects Flock- A group of birds; also used to discuss small hooved animals such as sheep or goats Swarm- A group of insects Shoal- A group of fish Group - A very general term used to describe people, places, things, and animals Crowd - Usually used to describe a group of people Gang - Usually used to describe a group of criminals; also used to describe a group of workers, particularly sailors or dock workers Mob - Normally used to describe an angry or unruly group of people; also used to describe a group of kangaroos Staff - A group of people who work in the same place Crew - Usually used to denote a group of workers; also used to describe aircraft and ships personnel Choir - A large, organized group of singers Orchestra - A large, organized group of instrumentalists, led by a conductor Panel - A group of experts Board - A group of people, usually professionals, who take on an advisory role Troupe - A group of actors or acrobats; also used to describe a group of monkeys Bunch - Usually a group of smallish objects such as grapes, flowers, keys, or bananas Pile - An untidy collection of items such as rubbish Heap - A mounded collection of items; used interchangeably with "pile" Set - A tidy group of matched objects such as dishes; also used to describe rules or a social group of people Stack - A group of items neatly laid one on top of another; i.e., a stack of books Series - Used to discuss movies, books, or events that follow one after another, i.e. Star Trek or Harry Potter Shower - Usually used to describe rain, although it can be used to describe gifts or compliments Fall - Often used to discuss weather, such as rain, snow or hail
Countable Nouns
In English grammar, countable nouns are individual people, animals, places, things, or ideas which can be counted. They have both singular and plural forms (e.g. cat/cats; woman/women; country/countries). In the singular, they can be preceded by a or an. ex. dog - dogs, exam - exams, King - Kings Anything that can be counted, whether singular - a dog, a house, a friend, etc. or plural - a few books, lots of oranges, etc. is a countable noun. The following countable noun examples will help you to see the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Notice that singular verbs are used with singular countable nouns, while plural verbs are used with plural countable nouns. 1.) There are at least twenty Italian [restaurants] in Little Italy. 2.) Megan took a lot of [photographs] when she went to the Grand Canyon. 3.) Your [book] is on the kitchen [table]. 4.) How many [candles] are on that [birthday cake]? 5.) You have several [paintings] to study in art appreciation [class]. 6.) There's a big brown [dog] running around the [neighborhood].
Infinitive
Infinitive is a linguistics term referring to certain verb forms existing in many languages, most often used as non-finite verbs. As with many linguistic concepts, there is not a single definition applicable to all languages. Usually, it is a verb form, usually preceded by "to," that is used as a noun, adjective, or adverb (to + verb).
Gerunds and Infinitives: What's the difference between gerunds and infinitives?
Knowing the difference between gerund and infinitive can save you from making costly grammar mistakes when writing. In a nutshell, a word formed from a verb acting as a noun and ending in "-ing" is a gerund. Infinitive phrases - normally referred to as infinitives - are formed with the word "to" in front of a verb. Both gerunds and infinitives can be subjects in sentences, and both gerunds and infinitives can serve as the object of a verb. Now that you know how these two elements can work in similar ways, it's time to note an important difference in the gerund/infinitive equation: A gerund can be the object of a preposition; an infinitive cannot.
Germanic languages
Languages (English, German, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) that reflect the expansion of peoples out of Northern Europe to the west and south
How to Use Collective Nouns
People who are new to writing often encounter some trouble with sentence agreement when using collective nouns. This is understandable, because a collective noun can be singular or plural, depending on a sentence's context. How do you know if a collective noun is singular? How can you tell if it's plural? What pronouns and verbs are best for pairing with the collective noun you've chosen? Here's a simple trick you can use to decide how to use collective nouns in sentences: Imagine a herd of zebras grazing peacefully on the savanna. Suddenly, a lion jumps out of a clump of tall grass. What do the zebras do? They run away as a single unit as they attempt to make a getaway, galloping across the savanna in the same direction. Often, people behave in the same way, engaging in a single activity in unison with everyone else in their group. When individuals are in a team, a choir, a committee, or part of any other collective noun, that noun is singular and is paired with singular pronouns and singular verbs. As you read the examples that follow, notice that each individual who is part of the collective noun is doing the same action at the same time as others who are part of that collective noun.
Irregular Plural [words that end in -en]
Regular Plural * snake - snakes * tree - trees Irregular -en: *ungrammatical * child --> child(s)* --> children * ox --> ox(es)* --> oxen uncommon: * brother --> brothers (or) brethren * sister --> sisters (or) sistren
Irregular Plural [ -f to -ves]
Regular Plural: * dog - dogs * bottle - bottles Irregular -f to -ves: *ungrammatical * leaf --> leaf(s)* --> leaves * loaf --> loaf(s)* --> loaves * calf --> calf(s)* --> calves * hoof --> hoof(s)* --> hooves * bookshelf --> bookshelf(s)* --> bookshelves
Singular and Plural Nouns
The term number refers to whether a noun is singular or plural. Most nouns can be either singular or plural, depending on whether you are talking about one thing or more than one. You know the basic rule of adding -s to make the plural of a noun ( one cat, three cats), and you also know that many nouns don't follow that rule—for example, sheep (singular), sheep (plural); enemy, enemies; wharf, wharves; hero, heroes; goose, geese, and so on. Check a dictionary if you're not sure how to spell a plural noun. Do not add an apostrophe + s to a singular form to make it plural, even if the noun is a family name: the Taylors, not the Taylor's; donkeys, not donkey's; taxis, not taxi's. The singular and plural forms of some nouns with Latin and Greek endings can cause trouble. The noun data, for example, is plural; datum is the singular form. Although today the plural data is widely used as a singular noun, you should keep the distinction, particularly in scientific writing. The final datum (singular) is not consistent with the preceding data (plural), which are positive. Here are some examples of Latin and Greek singular and plural words that can be troublesome: bacterium, bacteria; criterion, criteria; medium, media; alumnus (masculine singular) , alumni (masculine plural), alumna (feminine singular), alumnae (feminine plural). TL;DR differentiating between singular (one of something) versus plural (more than one thing).
Abstract Nouns
These have no physical existence. They refer to ideas, emotions and concepts you cannot see, touch, hear, smell, or taste. Names we have for ideas, emotions, qualities, processes, occasions and times. Invisible and tangible. e.g. 'joy', 'gentleness', 'wedding' Example: love, time, fear, freedom, states, depression, permission, math, adolescence, months of the year,
Uncountable/Mass Nouns
Uncountable nouns are not individual objects, so they cannot be counted. Nouns in which do not have distinct plural forms (don't end in "s"). These nouns cannot ordinarily be enumerated: e.g., milk, water; *two milks is ungrammatical except when interpreted to mean 'two kinds of milk,' 'two containers of milk,' and so on. Anything that cannot be counted is an uncountable noun. Even though uncountable nouns are not individual objects, they are always singular and one must always use singular verbs in conjunction with uncountable nouns. The following uncountable noun examples will help you to gain even more understanding of how countable and uncountable nouns differ from one another. Notice that singular verbs are always used with uncountable nouns. 1.) There is no more (water) in the pond. 2.) Please help yourself to some (cheese). 3.) I need to find (information) about Pulitzer Prize winners. 4.) You seem to have a high level of (intelligence). 5.) Please take good care of your (equipment). 6.) Let's get rid of the (garbage). Uncountable nouns can be paired with words expressing plural concept. Using these words can make your writing more specific. Here are some examples of how to format interesting sentences with uncountable nouns. • Garbage - There are nine bags of garbage on the curb. • Water - Try to drink at least eight glasses of water each day. • Advice - She gave me a useful piece of advice. • Bread - Please buy a loaf of bread. • Furniture - A couch is a piece of furniture. • Equipment - A backhoe is an expensive piece of equipment. • Cheese - Please bag ten slices of cheese for me.
Foreign Plural Noun
Words that are borrowed into English from some other language. Different forms of plural: Latin: change: a - ae | singular: larva | irregular: larvae | regular: larvas change: us - i | singular: fungus | irregular: fungi regular: funguses change: um - a | singular: datum | irregular: data regular: ---- change: ex - ices | singular: index | irregular: indices regular: indexes Greek: change: is -es | singular: thesis | irregular: theses regular: thesises change: on - a | singular: criterion | irregular: criteria regular: ---- Examples: reflex - reflexes, neurosis - neuroses, millenium - millenia, crisis - crises, phenomenon - phenomena
What happens if you can't decide whether a collective noun is singular or plural?
You can use different words to compose your sentence to be sure there is no agreement error. For example, you can insert the word "members" after a collective noun or use a different word such as "players" instead of "team" or "zebras" instead of "herd" or "students" instead of "class." Reread what you have written to be sure it sounds natural, and give yourself some time to practice. Soon enough you'll be able to use plural verbs without worrying whether you have made mistakes.
Speech
oral expression of language