English 9
Nouns
Name_________________________
Period _____ Date_______________
A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns can be categorized as Common, Proper,
Compound, Collective, Concrete, Abstract.
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A common noun names any one of a group of people, places, things or ideas and is
generally not capitalized: author, city monument, religion.
A proper noun names a person, place, thing or idea and is capitalized: Sandra Cisneros,
Houston, Statue of Liberty, Buddhism
A compound noun consists of two or more words used together as a single noun. It may
be written as one word, separate words which represent one item, or as a hyphenated
word: baseball, willpower, Central Kitsap Junior High, Vice Principal, self-control,
Stratford-on-Avon.
A collective noun names a group: band, class, swarm, herd. They are used with singular
verbs since they represent one item.
A concrete noun names a person, place, thing, or idea that can be experienced by the five
senses- hearing, taste, touch, smell, sight: violin, onions, Eiffel Tower, computer.
An abstract noun names an idea, feeling, quality, or characteristic: peace, honor, selfconfidence, Hinduism
A noun can be classified in more than one of the categories above. For example, Grand Canyon
can be considered a proper noun, a compound noun, and a concrete noun.
A. Identify all nouns in the paragraph below, and write them on the lines provided. (14 pts.)
Businesses sometimes used gigantic objects to advertise their products. A stand that sells fruit
might look like an enormous orange, complete with doors and windows. A restaurant in Austin,
Texas has a delivery van shaped like a dinosaur. Huge dogs, windmills, and figures of Paul
Bunyan are formed with cement or fiberglass to help sell chain saws, trucks, and souvenirs. An
old hotel in New Jersey was even built to look like an elephant. Advertising companies are
usually hired to formulate ideas for these structures.
Nouns
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28. __________
B. Common and Proper Nouns: Above each noun in the following sentences, write C if it is a
common noun and P if it is a proper noun. (13 pts.)
1. Climbing is a fast-growing activity in the United States.
2. Climbers often speak of the mystical attraction they feel for Mount Everest.
3. Mount McKinley is also known as Denali.
4. Mount Rainier is a popular destination in the Pacific Northwest.
5. It provides beautiful scenery as well a climbing challenge.
C. Compound Nouns: Underline the compound nouns in the following sentences. (4 pts.)
1. We are planning a visit to our grandparents and other relatives in San Francisco.
2. This city has perhaps the largest Chinese community in the United States.
3. Thousands of Chinese Americans live in Chinatown.
4. The Chinese New Year is celebrated after the second moon in winter.
5. My sister and brother-in-law sent me photos of last year's fireworks show.
D. Collective Nouns: Circle the collective noun in each of the following noun pairs. (4 pts.)
1. children
family
5. Pep Club
cheerleaders
2. faculty
teachers
6. neighbors community
3. Congress
Capitol
7. orchestra
concert
4. football
team
8. flock
birds
E. Concrete and abstract nouns: On the lines provided, identify each of the following nouns by
writing C for concrete nouns and A for abstract nouns. (5 pts.)
_____1. peanuts
_____5. enthusiasm
_____8. heritage
_____2. patriotism
_____6. truth
_____9. loyalty
_____3. totem pole
_____7. dragonfly
____10. Atlantic Ocean
_____4. mountain