Nouns and Pronouns Overview

Nouns

• Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas.
• Types of nouns:
  • Common nouns: general names (e.g., dog, city)
  • Proper nouns: specific names (e.g., Rover, London) – always capitalized
  • Concrete nouns: physical objects that can be touched (e.g., table, book)
  • Abstract nouns: ideas or concepts that cannot be touched (e.g., happiness, freedom)
  • Collective nouns: names for groups of things (e.g., team, flock)
  • Compound nouns: made of two or more words (e.g., armchair, textbook)
  • Possessive nouns: show ownership (e.g., John's car, the dog's bone)

Pronouns

• Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition.
• Types of pronouns and their forms:

  Person	Single Personal	Single Possessive	Plural Personal	Plural Possessive
  1st	I, me	My, mine	We, us	Our, ours
  2nd	You	Your, yours	You	Your, yours
  3rd	He, she, it, him, her	His, her, hers, its	They, them	Their, theirs

Adjectives

• Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.
• Types of adjectives:
  • Coordinate adjectives: describe the same noun, separated by commas (e.g., a red, shiny ball) – order can be reversed
  • Cumulative adjectives: describe the same noun, NOT separated by commas (e.g., a large wooden box) – order is important, not reversible, except for compound nouns
  • Ordering of cumulative adjectives: based on a hierarchy of importance

Conjunctions

• Conjunctions connect parts of sentences.
• Types of conjunctions:
  • Coordinating conjunctions: connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
  • Subordinating conjunctions: connect a less important clause to a more important clause (e.g., because, although, since)

Clauses

• A clause is a subject and a verb.
• Independent clause: forms a complete sentence.
• Dependent clause: does not form a complete sentence.

Degrees of Comparison

• Degrees of comparison describe the intensity of an adjective or adverb.
• Positive degree: no comparison.
• Comparative degree: comparing two things.
• Superlative degree: comparing three or more things.

Verbs

• Verbs are the core of sentences, expressing actions or states of being.
• Types of verbs:
  • Action verbs: describe physical or mental actions.
  • Linking verbs: connect the subject to a noun or adjective.
  • Helping verbs: help the main verb to express the tense

Character

• Character: a person or animal in a literary work.
• Character traits: unique qualities that define a character; shows how a character acts or behaves.
• Character motives: reasons or emotions driving a character's actions.