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Pretest: Nouns

Underline the words used as nouns in the following sentences. Label each noun. Use P for proper nouns, C for common nouns, and COL for collective nouns. Next, circle the abstract nouns and draw a second line under the concrete nouns.

C/COL 1. Did any American teams win a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in

Athens?

2. Your attitude is a part of your personality.

3. Babe Didrikson Zaharias excelled in track, tennis, golf, and swimming.

It. Jerusalem is a holy city to three religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

Indicate the functions of each of the underlined nouns in the following sentences. Use these symbols: S for subject, PN for predicate noun, 10 for indirect object, DO for direct object, and OP for object of a preposition. Use POS for nouns showing ownership.

S 1. My little sister reads many books.

2. Her favorite book is Julius, Baby of the World.

3. In this charming children's book, Lilly, the main character, gets a

baby brother.

It. Lilly is jealous, so she teases her baby brother.

5. Lilly's antics are harmless fun.

6. My sister laughs aloud when Lilly makes up a story about her

brother and says, "Julius was like dust under your bed."

7. Then her cousin makes insulting remarks about Julius.

8. Lilly immediately gives Julius her love.

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Classes of Nouns 1 A noun is a word that names something: a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. There are

five classes of nouns: proper, common, concrete, abstract, and collective. Turn to 701.1-701.5 in Write Source.

Underline the words used as nouns in the following summary. Identify the nouns using P for a proper noun, C for a common noun, and COL for a collective noun. (Collective nouns will have a double classification: P /COL or CICOL.)

P C C C 1 The Constitution, a document that has played an important role in history,

C C PICOL 2 clearly defines the freedoms and goals of the United States of America. It was

3 written in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention. Fifty-five

4 representatives from a dozen states drafted the document between May and

5 September of 1787. George Washington was chosen as president of the

6 convention, which included such statesmen as James Madison, Benjamin

7 Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton. Because of his role in the convention, and

8 his ability to resolve disputes, James Madison became known as the Father of

9 the Constitution. Governor Morris of Pennsylvania was responsible for the

10 expressive literary style of the Constitution-an unusual feature for an official

11 document. The convention was in session for 16 weeks. These weeks included

12 many trying days and nights. Some of the delegates even withdrew at one

13 point, claiming that the convention was overstepping its authority by drafting a

14 constitution.

List the nouns from the first sentence in the paragraph above on the correct lines J below. (There should be three concrete nouns and four abstract nouns.) "

concrete: __________________________________________________________

abstract: __________________________________________________________

Extend: Study a paragraph from your writing. Underline the nouns. Read "Specific Nouns" on page 534 in Write Source. Could you have used more vivid nouns?

Writers INC 533.1 - 533.5 and page 116 © Great Source. All rights reserved. (9)

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Nouns .-'.'. '~',71 .i;'~!!.:~.' ... .

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Classes of Nouns 2 Proper nouns are always capitalized. Common nouns are not capitalized. Abstract nouns

name ideas or feelings, while concrete nouns name tangible things. Learn more about the classes of nouns to improve your writing. Turn to page 701 in Write Source.

Complete each pair below with either a proper or a common noun. Use capitalization as needed. Remember to underline the titles of movies and books.

PROPER COMMON

Tom Hanks actor1.

Central Park park2.

president3· movieIt·

Oklahoma5· book6.

religion7· Spain8.

Make a list of abstract nouns and concrete nouns. )

ABSTRACT CONCRETE

1. 1.

2. 2.

3· 3·

It· It·

5· 5·

6. 6.

7· 7·

8. 8.

© Great Source. All rights reserved. (9) Writers INC p. 533

72 .

Functions of Nouns Nouns can be used six different ways. Study the chart below and turn to 702.3 in Write

Source for more information.

Writers INC

550.1

534.3, 539. 1

540.1

540.1

547

534.3

Write Source Function Symbol Example

738.1 subject S Pilots fly.

702.3, 714.1 predicate PN Pilots are captains.

716.2 direct object DO Pilots fly planes.

716.2 indirect object 10 The pilot gave passengers a message.

732 object ofpreposition OP The pilot spoke to the people.

702.3 possesswe noun POS The pilot got the passengers' attention.

Identify how the underlined nouns function in the following statements, using the symbols from the chart above.

S 00 OP 1. Birds have eyes on the sides of their heads.

2. A group of lions is a pride.

3. A lion's pride is often his mane.

4. The name for a group of monkeys is a band.

5. Only female mosquitoes bite.

6. The ostrich is the largest bird; it is also the fastest runner.

7. The smallest bird is the bee hummingbird; it weighs less than a penny.

8. Loons, the fastest swimmers, can also dive 160 feet below the surface.

9. A loon can outswim fish and catch them underwater.

10. Loons are shy birds; and their haunting calls give some people goose bumps.

11. Geese, the highest flyers, have been known to fly at 29,000 feet.

12. A peregrine falcon can dive at a speed of 200 miles per hour.

13. The curlew, a long-legged bird related to the sandpiper, can fly 2,000 miles

nonstop over water.

Extend: Write four to six sentences about your favorite animals. Include nouns in each sentence; try to use at least three of the six functions listed in the chart above.

© Great Source. All rights reserved. (9) Writers INC 534.3

r ­__.....,..~~__j Nouns

Nominative, Possessive, & Objective Cases of Nouns To determine the case of a noun, look at the way it is used in the sentence. Study the chart

below before turning to 702.3 in Write Source.

Writers INC

550.1

534.3

540.1

540.1

547

534.3

Write Source Case Function Symbol Example

738.1 subject S The car wouldn't start.

702.3 Nominative

predicate noun PN The car is a lemon.

716.2 direct object DO Jake's driving gives me the creeps.

716.2 Objective indirect object

object ofpreposition

10

OP

Jake's driving gives Hannah the creeps.

He drives with one hand.732

702.3 Possessive possesswe noun POS Hannah's driving skills are much better.

Label the function of the underlined nouns in the following statements using the symbols from the chart above. Indicate the case of each underlined noun (N for nominative, 0 for objective, and POS for possessive) on the blanks.

S N 1. Dolphins are aquatic mammals related to both whales and porpoises.

2. These amazing creatures live in seas and rivers all over the world.

3. Measuring less than four feet, the buffeo is the smallest dolphin known.

It. Most dolphins eat nearly one-third of their weight in food every day.

5. For years, humans hunted dolphins for their valuable oil.

6. Considering their fragile history, the dolphins' survival is remarkable.

7. Between 1959 and 1972, an estimated 4.8 million dolphins were killed

when they became entangled in tuna fishing nets.

8. Then, the United States threw dolphins a lifeline and helped stop the

tragedy.

9. It pressured both domestic and international tuna canneries to refuse

shipments from fleets that did not protect dolphins.

___ 10. The United States passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

11. It prevents the exploitation of aquatic animals, including dolphins.

© Great Source. All rights reserved. (9) Writers INC 534.3