Nouns: Definition, Examples, and Functions

• A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea and is the "who" and "what" in a sentence
• Nouns and pronouns form simple sentences

Examples of Nouns

• Abby danced
• Abby danced tango
• Abby danced Tango with Jace
• Abby and Jace danced tango to entertain the crowd
• Abby and Jace danced tango to entertain the crowd before the event started
• The dancing duo felt excitement and wanted to dance more
• The place was filled with laughter after the event
• The dancing duo bought drinks after the event
• Jace noticed that his drink had sugar in it
• Abby was satisfied with her drink

Noun Functions as Subject

• The subject tells "who" or "what" about the verb
• Taal volcano erupted in January
• The car rammed the shop window
• Rose kicked the ball.
• The ocean seemed calm
• A friend wrote a book about relationships

Noun Functions as Direct Object

• A direct object receives the action of a verb
• It answers "whom?" or "what?" after an action verb
• The eruption destroyed many places
• Jerry explained what you meant
• Roger needs money.
• Lian invited Jamal and Paula to the party
• Ivana saw us at the game
• Richard plays guitar
• The audience appreciates music
• Oscar always carries a calculator

Noun Functions as Indirect Object

• An indirect object answers "to whom?", "for whom?", "to what?", or "for what?" after an action verb
• A sentence typically requires a direct object to have an indirect object
• The indirect object appears between the verb and the direct object
• The government provided the people food to eat
• That noise gives me a headache
• Michael brought Mary a gift
• Sightseers paid the guides fees
• Willie lent his brother and sister money
• You can reserve you a seat
• The man bought the woman a diamond ring
• You give the customs officer the form

Noun Functions as Object of the Preposition

• The object of the preposition is the last word in a prepositional phrase
• To identify the object of the preposition, identify the prepositional phrase
• Many residents in the place left their comfort zones
• The bus drove through the tunnel
• They are playing in the park
• The bus stopped at the lights
• She drove the car in the garage

Noun Functions as Object Complement

• An object complement answers "what?" after a direct object
• It completes the meaning of the direct object by identifying or describing it
• An object complement may be an adjective, a noun, or a pronoun
• It usually appears in a sentence after the direct object
• The citizens of Taal considered the eruption a disaster
• Taylor named her cat mingming
• Joshua appointed Roger CEO of the company
• Public speaking makes Athena nervous
• Some pet owners consider their dogs children
• We painted the ceiling red
• Abigail's hair dye turned the water pink

Noun Functions as Subject Complement

• A subject complement gives information about the subject
• It usually comes after linking verbs, sense verbs (be, seem, smell, taste), and change of state verbs (go, get, become)
• COVID-19 is a huge crisis of 2020
• Allysa eventually became my best friend
• Ethiopia is an African country
• This is Shehnaz
• My brother's name is John

Noun Functions as Appositive

• An appositive is a noun or pronoun that is placed next to another noun or pronoun
• It serves to identify or give additional information
• Angel Locsin, a philanthropist, never failed to help.
• My cousin, Carol, is studying for a degree in microbiology
• Manuel, an expert sailor, guided the sailboat smoothly into the harbor
• My friend, Cardo, delivered his speech with confidence
• Job, the minister, led the funeral with sensitivity

Noun Functions as Vocative

• A vocative addresses a reader or listener directly
• It is often a personal name, title, or term of endearment (Bob, Doctor, Snookums)
• The person's name or term of address is set off with vocative commas
• "Let me ask you, citizens of this country, what help can you offer?"
• "Son, we need to talk."
• "Thank you so much, honey, for doing that for me."
• "Hey, doc, when are you going to get me out of here?"
• "We'll miss you, lad."

Noun Functions as Modifier

• Noun modifiers qualify another noun, describe it, and make a shorter phrase
• They describe part of something, material, or function
• The Filipino citizens once again proved their resilience
• I want chicken soup
• He's a Harvard man
• Meet me at the railway station
• It's a brick house

Noun Functions as Possession

• A possessive noun shows ownership and is identified by "’s"
• Angel Locsin's beauty is not just skin-deep; it is rooted in her heart
• Bea's messy desk
• She grabbed her boyfriend's phone
• My aunt's house is painted green
• The first noise heard was a rooster's crowing

Sentence Pattern

• Nouns are used as subject, subject complement, object of the preposition, indirect object, and object complement in the five basic sentence patterns

Transitive Verb

• A transitive verb is an action verb followed by a word(s) answering "what?" or " whom?"
• "Lapidaries cut gems"

Intransitive Verb

• An intransitive verb is an action verb NOT followed by a word(s) answering "what?" or "whom?"
• "The knife cut quickly and with precision."

Linking Verb

• A linking verb links, or joins, the subject with a word or expression that identifies or describes the subject
• Common linking verbs: be (am, is, are, was, were, will be, has been, was being)
• A symphony is a work for musical instruments
• The plots of operas are often tragic
• Samuel Barber was an American composer

Sentence Patterns

• Pattern 1: S-IV
  • S = Subject
  • IV = Intransitive Verb
  • Examples:
    • The party has just started.
    • Catriona Gray won.
    • The class agrees.
• Pattern 2: S-TV-DO
  • S = Subject
  • TV = Transitive Verb
  • DO = Direct Object
  • Examples:
    • People lost hope
    • Harry witnessed the solar eclipse
    • Teachers create new learning materials
• Pattern 3: S-LV-SC
  • S = Subject
  • LV = Linking Verb
  • SC = Subject Complement
  • Examples:
    • Maria is a visionary
    • The woman sitting next to Dave was my former coach
    • Anyone can be a hero
• Pattern 4: S-TV-IO-DO
  • S = Subject
  • TV = Transitive Verb
  • IO = Indirect Object
  • DO = Direct Object
  • Examples:
    • Terry gave Justin a thousand pesos
    • Hillary baked her best friend cake
    • Kelvin sent his family Balikbayan Box
• Pattern 5: S-TV–DO-OC
  • S = Subject
  • TV = Transitive Verb
  • DO = Direct Object
  • OC = Object Complement
  • Examples:
    • My sister treats dogs her best friends
    • Froda made Jane a hero
    • The gang elected Kevin president