SOME TRAITS OF ENGLISH NOUNS

Definition of “noun” - A noun is a word used in a sentence (used in context) as a name, a noun names something.

The following is a partial list of important traits pertaining to English nouns. These are only some preliminary thoughts, please add to this list as you discover more information.

nouns can have a plural form nouns can show possession student students the cat’s fur my teacher’s hat child children the bank’s policy our parent’s house woman women book books nouns can form a syntactic unit with adjectives red paint strong coffee most nouns can be counted cold beer beautiful people (these are called “count nouns”) one car / two cars / twelve cars an assignment / three assignments can form a syntactic unit with determiners and adjectives one apple / five apples the old white house that silly child my new bicycle this funny joke her only child a little old lady (note: some nouns can’t be counted) (these are called “non-count nouns”) hay police nouns can act as the object of a preposition salt water in our house from New York air people about happiness in three weeks under that table nouns can form a syntatic unit with determiners the tree some grass nouns have “function” when used in sentences this building those people subject time that man a message direct object location an eagle any money beneficiary destination object of preposition accompaniment predicate nominal possession nouns can be specific or non specific instrument etc. (specific) (non-specific) the book a book The tree blocked the sun. (performer) this sugar some sugar The farmer cut down the tree. (victim) those people any people Insects were living in the tree. (location) nouns can form a syntatic unit with possessive adjectives nouns (the full syntactic unit) can be replaced by pronouns my car your friend the old white house 6 it her wallet his parents that silly child 6 he its odor our relationship my crazy parents 6 they their money John and Mary 6 you

English has “common” nouns and “proper” nouns. pronouns can show case forms Proper nouns are names of people, places, etc. I me In English, proper nouns are capitalized. she her (proper) (common) he him John person we us Paris city they them Ms. Brown woman who whom Mercedes automobile