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THIS is a familiar title and assumed to be the easiest of all concepts. The definition of noun can be sung if taken for granted.
However, wide reading will prove that there are various definitions of it from the most familiar to the more complex.
One expert says nouns are words that name. They group everything you can see and even things you cannot see like thoughts.
You can learn to recognise nouns in three different ways through their definition, their division into classes and their features that distinguish them from other parts of speech.
In today’s article you will study and practice each of these ways to identify nouns.
A noun is usually defined as the name of a person, place, thing or idea. Abel was Cain’s brother. (Abel is the name of a person). We live in Bulawayo. Bulawayo is a name of a place. A knife is a name of a thing. Peace in the world is encouraged. Peace is an idea.
Grouping nouns by classes: Two large classes of nouns are proper nouns and common nouns.
Proper nouns name specific persons, places, things or ideas. All other nouns are called common nouns. Our neighbours visited South Africa this holiday.
The noun “neighbours” is a common noun because it does not name specific people.
The Dube family visited South Africa this past holiday. The noun Dube is a proper noun because it names specific people. Proper nouns are capitalised, common nouns are not. They sang a song.
They sang a song is a common noun. They sang the National Anthem. National Anthem is a proper noun. Her friend lives in the capital. (common noun). Her friend lives in Harare. Harare is the (proper noun). The airport was crowded and noisy. The Victoria Falls airport was crowded and noisy, The Victoria Falls International airport was crowded and noisy. (Proper noun).
Many proper nouns, and some common nouns are compound nouns, because they are made up of more than one word.
Compound proper nouns have two or more words. A compound and common noun may be closed (spelled as one word), open spelled as two separate words, or hyphenated).
Closed: airplane, dishwasher. Open: report card, station wagon, swimming pool. Hyphenated: mother-in-law, push-up, great-aunt.
Finding nouns by their features. Four features can help you identify nouns. A word that is a noun must have at least one of these features, and some nouns will have all four. Nouns often have determiners before them.
Determiners are words like a, an, the, this, that, these, those, some, many, one, two.
The most common determiners – a, an and the –are also called articles. Many sweets, a friendship, this letter, the moccasins, four pizzas, an operation. Nouns may be either singular or plural.
Most nouns have different forms for singular and plural. The plural form is used for nouns that name more than one person, place, thing, or idea. For example, under the headings singular and plural: one book –two books; one map –several maps; one tooth –several teeth, one loaf – many loaves, one lady – two ladies, one box –ten boxes.
Nouns may show ownership or relationship; both singular and plural nouns have possessive forms that show ownership or relationship.
A possessive noun ends with an apostrophe and –s the boy’s uniform) or with an apostrophe (the two girls’ voices).
The bike that Mike owns is three-speed. Mike’s bike is a three-speed. (ownership) The pane of the window was frosted. The window’s pane was frosted. (relationship).
Nouns may be formed with a noun suffix such as –ation, -ism, -ment, -ness –ance. Consider becomes consideration when the noun suffix- ation is added. The ending of many words give helpful clues that they are nouns. Imagine + ation –imagination; capital + ism -capitalism; assign + ment- assignment; lonely + ness – loneliness; accept + -ance – acceptance.
Forming the plurals of nouns. Most nouns form the plural by adding the suffix –s or –es to the singular form.
These plurals are called regular plurals. Form the regular plural of most nouns by adding the suffix –s under singular and plural. For example: one song – two songs, one cake – several cakes.
Form the regular plural of nouns ending in s, sh, ch, x, or z by adding the suffix –es under singular or plural. One bus –three buses, a dish –several dishes, a church –two churches, the fox-two foxes, one buzz –many buzzes.
Form the plural of nouns ending in o preceded by a vowel by adding the suffix –s.
Form the plural of nouns ending in o preceded by a consonant by adding the suffix –es. A stereo –several stereos, one tomato -four tomatoes, an echo – some echoes.
Exception: The plurals of nouns that end in o and have to do with music take only the suffix-s (solos, pianos, trios).
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