Chapter 9 – Nouns
I. Kinds of Nouns (Noun – names a person, place, thing, or idea)
A. Proper Noun – names a specific person, place, thing, or idea
B. Common Noun – names any person, place, thing, or idea and can be
concrete or abstract
1. Concrete nouns name things that you can see or touch.
2. Abstract nouns name ideas, qualities, or feelings that cannot be
seen or touched.
II. Compound Nouns – words made up of two or more words
A. One word compound noun – two words that make one
Examples: doorknob, homeroom, strongbox, bookmark, necklace
B. Hyphenated compound nouns – two or more words joined by hyphens
Examples: age-group, runner-up, great-grandmother, kilowatt-hour
C. More than one word – two words that have one meaning
Examples: dining room, motion picture, maid of honor, music box
Forming Plural Compound Nouns
One Word
Hyphenated
More than one word
To Make Plural
Examples
Add s to most words.
neclaces, leftovers,
Add es to most words
strongboxes
that end in ch, sh, s, or x.
Make the most
runners-up, mothers-in-law,
important part of the
great-grandmothers
word plural.
Make the most
music boxes, dining rooms,
important part of the
maids of honor
word plural.
III. Possessive Nouns – Names who or what owns or has something
A. Possessive nouns can be common or proper nouns.
B. Possessive nouns show ownership.
C. Possessive nouns can be singular or plural.
Forming Possessive Nouns
Nouns
Most singular nouns
Singular nouns ending in s
To form Possessive
Examples
Add an apostrophe and s a girl - a girl's coat
('s).
Wichita - Wichita's population
Add an apostrophe and s Joseph Ives - Joseph Ives's clock
('s).
Alexis - Alexis's book
boys - boys' shoes
the Wrights - the Wrights' plane
Plural nouns ending in s
Add an apostrophe (').
Plural nouns not ending in s
Add an apostrophe and s children - children's toys
('s).
women - women's organization
IV. Distinguishing Plurals, Possessives, and Contractions
A. Plural nouns do not have apostrophes.
B. Plural possessive nouns end with an apostrophe.
C. Singular possessive nouns end with an apostrophe and an s. (boy’s)
Plural and Possessive Nouns
Example
Plural Noun
Plural Possessive
Noun
Singular Possessive
Noun
Meaning
The scientists met.
more than one scientist
The scientists' discovery was
important.
the discovery of the scientists
This scientist's photograph is
in the newspaper.
the photograph of one scientist
D. Contraction – a word made by combining two words into one by leaving
out one or more letters.
Possessive Nouns and Contractions
Example
Possessive Elaine's invention is a new bell.
Contraction Elaine's going to the game.
Meaning
the invention by Elaine
Elaine is going.
V. Collective Nouns –
A. Collective nouns name groups of individuals.
Collective Nouns
committee audience swarm club
family
team
crowd orchestra
flock
class
jury
herd
B. Collective nouns can have singular or plural meaning
a. Collective nouns as a unit are singular – use a singular verb.
b. Collective nouns referring to individual members are plural – use
a plural verb.
Examples:
The whole flock enters the meadow through a gate. (a unit, singular)
The flock enter by different gates. (individual members, plural)
The entire audience applauds the performers. (a unit, singular)
The audience take their seats. (individual members, plural)
c. Other words in a sentence may help to determine if the collective
noun is singular or plural.
Examples:
The family begins its trip. (its, singular)
The family eat their sandwiches. (their, plural)
VI. Appositives
A. Appositive – a noun placed next to another noun to identify it or add
information about it.
Ken, an artist, paints beautiful scenes. (The word artist tells what Ken is.
In this sentence, artist is an appositive.)
B. Appositive Phrase – a group of words that includes an appositive and
other words that describe the appositive.
Ken, a landscape artist, paints beautiful scenery. (The word landscape is
used to describe the word artist. The words landscape artist form an
appositive phrase.)