2. What is a Noun?
A noun is a part of speech that
denotes a person, animal, place,
thing, or idea.
The English word noun has its roots in
the Latin word nomen, which means
“names”.
3. PERSON
He is a person to see.
John started to run.
Plato was an influential Greek
philosopher.
Sharon admires her grandmother.
My mother looks a lot like my
grandmother, and I look very much
like them.
4. ANIMAL
The dog barked at the cat.
Elephants are huge mammals.
Sophie is my favourite horse.
5. PLACE
The restaurant is open.
Let’s go to the beach.
Harvard and Yale are two famous
universities.
Look! There’s the Eiffel Tower.
6. THING:
Throw the ball.
Please close the door when you
leave.
Use words properly to
understand.
The lamp sits on a table next to
the sofa.
Money doesn’t grow on trees.
8. Remember that all nouns are words naming
people, animals, places, things, and ideas. Every
noun can be further classified as either common or
proper noun.
Proper Nouns
Proper nouns have two distinct functions:
they name specific one-of-a-kind items and they
begin with capital letters, no matter where they occur
within a sentence.
For example:
Bicol University
Anne Curtis
TWO BASIC TYPES OF NOUNS
9. Common Nouns
Common nouns are words used to
name general items rather than specific
ones.
For example:
tower
city
university
artist
10. Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Countable nouns can be singular or
plural (e.g. animal/animals, cat/cats,
man/men, child/children) or simply anything
that can be counted whether singular – a
dog, a house, a friend, etc. or plural – a few
books, lots of orange, etc.
For example:
These are at least twenty Filipino restaurants
country.
Other Kinds of Noun
11. Anything that cannot be counted
is called uncountable noun. Even
though uncountable nouns are not
individual objects, they are always
singular and one must always use
singular verbs, in conjunction with
uncountable nouns.
For example:
Let’s get rid of the garbage.
Other Kinds of Noun
12. Concrete noun can be defined as
“ the name of an object which may be
perceived by one or more of the five
senses.”
For example:
He loves playing drums.
Other Kinds of Noun
13. Abstract nouns are words that name
things that are not concrete. Your five
physical senses cannot detect an abstract
noun – you can’t see it, smell it, taste it,
hear it, or touch it. In essence, an abstract
noun is a quality, a concept, an idea, or
maybe even an event.
For example:
The Filipinos cried for Liberty.
Other Kinds of Noun
14. Mass nouns are uncountable by a number.
Mass nouns are quantified by a word that signifies
amount.
A few examples:
Materials, food, metals, and natural qualities:
bread, cotton, wood, lightness, adolescence
Names of liquids, gases, and substances made
of many small particles: cappuccino, oil, smoke,
oxygen, rice, sugar, salt, cement, gravel
Names of languages: English, Spanish, French,
Latin, Sanskrit, Chinese
Remember
a number cannot be used to quantify a mass noun.
Incorrect: four woods, one rice, three courages.
Other Kinds of Noun
15. Count nouns are nouns that can be
quantified or counted with a number.
For example:
Names of persons, animals, plants,
insects, and their parts: a boy, a kitten,
a rose, an ear
Objects with a definite shape: a
building, a balloon, an octopus, four
buildings, four houses, two octopi
Units of measurement and words of
classification: a gram, a pound, a piece,
an item.
Other Kinds of Noun
16. Collective nouns are names for a
collection or a number of people or things.
Words like group, herd, and array are
collective noun examples.
Examples:
Our class took a field trip to the natural
history museum.
We waited anxiously for the jury to come
to a verdict.
Other Kinds of Noun
17. Other Kinds of Noun
List of Common Collective Nouns
Herd – A group of herbivore animals
Pack – A group of canine animals such
as wolves or dogs; also used to describe
playing cards and packages containing
multiple objects
Flock – A group of birds; also used to
discuss small hooved animals such as
sheep or goats
Swarm – A group of insects
School – A group of fish
18. Other Kinds of Noun
Compound nouns are words for
people, animals, places, things, or
ideas, made up of two or more words.
Most compound nouns are made with
nouns that have been modified by
adjectives or other nouns.
Compound nouns can either be
separated, hyphenated, or combined.
19. Genders of Nouns
Gender tells us about the sex of the noun.
Noun has three genders, masculine, feminine,
and neuter.
Masculine gender
refers to a male character or member of a
species.
Feminine gender
refers to a female member of a species.
Neuter gender
refers to a member of a species which is
neither a male nor a female(lifeless objects)
20. Genders of Nouns
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Masculine:
A boy is playing in the play-ground.
Hero of the movie is not a native of this country.
Feminine:
A girl is playing in the play-ground.
Heroine of the movie is not a native of this
country.
Neuter:
Computer has brought about drastic changes in
our lives.
Books are our best friends.
21. Cases of Nouns
The CASE of a noun tells us
about the position of that noun in a
sentence. In English there are three
CASES.
They are:
Nominative case
Objective case (or Accusative case)
Possessive case (or Genitive case)
22. Cases of Nouns
Nominative case
A noun is said to be in the Nominative
case if it is the subject of a verb. (SUBJECT
is the person or the thing who or which
carries out the action of the verb in the
sentence)
Example:
I am buying vegetables for my family.
“I" is a pronoun in Nominative case.
23. Cases of Nouns
Objective case
Nouns or pronouns are said to be in
Objective cases if they are the direct objects
of verbs or if they are the objects of
preposition. (Direct object is the person or
the thing upon whom or upon which the
action of the verb is carried out).
Examples:
The book is on the table.
“Table" is in objective case.
24. Cases of Nouns
Possessive case
A noun is said to be in possessive
case, if it denotes possession or ownership.
A noun or pronoun in the possessive case is
governed by the noun that follows it.
Example:
John’s sister has been hospitalized.
“John’s" is in possessive case.
26. Understanding Pronouns
A Pronoun is a word that
replaces a noun. It identifies
persons, places, things, and ideas
without restating them. In narrow
sense, pronouns are used to avoid
repeatedly using a noun.
What is a Pronoun?
27. Understanding Pronouns
For example;
Daniel is one of the promising
actors of his generation. He is well-known
for his charismatic appeal.
(In this sentence, we use the pronouns he
and his to substitute for the noun Daniel.
Hence, it avoids redundantly using the noun.)
28. Understanding Pronouns
Along with the pronoun is the
ANTECEDENT. An antecedent is a
word for which a pronoun stands.
For example;
Aldrin brought his book to school.
(In this sentence, Aldrin is the antecedent of
HIS)
29. KINDS OF PRONOUNS
Personal Pronouns
refer to the speaker (First person), the person
spoken to (second person), and the person spoken
about (third person).
First person
( I, me, us, my, mine, our, ours)
Second person
( you, your, yours)
Third person
( he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, hers, its, their,
theirs)
30. CASES OF PERSONAL PRONOUN
Nominative
Case
Objective
case
Possessive
case
SINGULAR
First person i me my, mine
Second person you you your, yours
Third person he,she,it him,her,it his, her, hers, its
PLURAL
First person we us our, ours
Second person you you your, yours
Third person they them their, theirs
31. Cases of Pronouns
The nominative Case
A pronoun is in nominative case
when it acts as the subject of the verb.
Example:
She has the most enticing appeal.
(In this sentence, the pronoun she is in
nominative case for it functions as the subject
in the sentence)
32. Cases of Pronouns
A pronoun is in nominative
case when it is used as a
PREDICATE NOMINATIVE (also
known as Subject Complement)
after any form of the verb (is, am,
are, was, were, been) and other
linking verbs.
33. Cases of Pronouns
Example:
The architect of the mansion is
She.
In this example, the pronoun
she complements the subject ‘The
architect’.
34. Cases of Pronouns
The Objective Case
A. The Objective case is used
as Direct object of a verb.
Example:
Joey summoned her.
(In this example, the pronoun me is
used as a direct object of a verb)
35. Cases of Pronouns
B. The objective case is used as
object of a preposition.
Example:
The teacher complained that he
never reported to him.
(In this sentence, the pronoun him
serves as the object of the preposition
to)
36. Cases of Pronouns
The Possessive Case
The possessive case is used
obviously to show POSSESSION.
(Possessive pronouns followed by nouns
are also called Possessive Adjective)
Examples:
Their car is in the repair shop.
This book is hers.
37. Other Types of Pronouns.
Interrogative Pronouns
are used to ask questions.
(who, whom, whose, which,what)
For example;
Who is that girl standing beside
Jeffrey?
38. Other Types of Pronouns.
Take note:
The Interrogative and relative
pronouns who, whose, and whom are
used to refer to persons, which to
animals or things, whose to animals or
persons.
Example:
For whom are those lovely red
roses?
39. Other Types of Pronouns.
Demonstrative Pronouns
point out the person or thing
referred to (this that those these). When
these words modify a substantive, they
function as Adjectives.
For example;
This is my responsibility
40. Other Types of Pronouns.
Take note:
this (singular), these (plural)
that (singular), those (plural)
41. Other Types of Pronouns.
Indefinite pronouns
(each, either, neither, one, none,
some, other, another, few, all, many,
several, and both) refer to persons,
places, or things.
For example;
Each should do his work.
42. Other Types of Pronouns.
Compound nouns
are formed by adding -SELF or
-SELVES to some of the simple
personal pronouns: myself,
yourself, himself, herself, itself,
ourselves, themselves.
43. Other Types of Pronouns.
1. A compound personal pronoun is
used correctly as a reflexive to refer
back to the subject of the sentence.
For example;
Anica finished her work by
herself.
44. Other Types of Pronouns.
2. It is also used as an INTENSIVE
for emphasis.
For example;
He HIMSELF is wrong.
45. Other Types of Pronouns.
Relative Pronoun
is not only a pronoun but also a
connecting word. Because a relative pronoun
connects the subordinate clause to the main
cause, it is also called conjunctive pronoun
(who, whom whose, which, that)
For example;
The contestant whose shirt is red is my
favorite of them all.
47. What is preposition?
Preposition can be defined as “A word
governing, and usually preceding, a noun or
pronoun and expressing a relation to another
word or element in the clause, as in ‘the man
on the platform’, ‘she arrived after dinner’,
‘what did you do it for?
48. List of prepositions
about, till, out, above, against, below,
beneath, beside, besides, between, through,
up, upon, within, during, except, for, from, in,
off, on, onto, opposite, near, of, behind,
inside, into, outside, around, before, among,
to, along, at, toward, under, underneath,
across, like, until, with, beyond, by, down,
since, without, after, etc.
49. For Example:
My class teacher laughed.
(this is a correct sentence, however
does not provide much detail about the
situation without a preposition word)
My class teacher laughed at the joke.
(in this sentence, preposition word is
used properly which gives us much detail
about the situation)
50. TYPES OF PREPOSITION
There are various types of prepositions
described below with proper definition and examples:
Simple Preposition
Compound Preposition
Phrase Preposition
Participle Preposition
Double Preposition
Other Preposition (preposition of place, preposition
of time, preposition of direction)
51. Simple preposition
Simple prepositions are used in the simple
sentences. Some of the simple prepositions are
in, on, at, to, from, with, by, about, over, under,
off, of, for, etc.
For example:
I am not going with you.
She is waiting in the park.
Dad is going to the market.
52. Compound preposition
Compound prepositions are used to join two
nouns, pronouns or phrases. Some of the compound
prepositions are about, across, among, beside, before,
above, along, inside, between, around, behind, below,
beneath, etc.
For example:
My city is located between two mountains.
I will finish the lunch before 12 o’clock.
I want to know about my former teacher
more.
53. Phrase preposition
Prepositional phrases are groups of
words having prepositions indicating
relationships among various elements in the
sentence. Some of the phrase prepositions
are according to, an account of, in spite of, in
front of, for the sake of, in order to, by means
of, with reference to, in addition to, due to,
etc.
For example:
I work hard in order to maintain
my position in the class.
54. Participle preposition
A participle preposition is a participle (like an,
ed, or ing verb) which acts as a preposition such as
assuming, considering, barring, given, concerning,
notwithstanding, pending, during, regarding,
respected, provided, etc.
For example:
I get sick during summer season.
I would like to
speech regarding healthy food.
My project work is still pending.
I think I can pass the exam
easily considering my hard work.
55. Double preposition
Double prepositions are words having two
prepositions (joined together to make a whole new
one) such as into, onto, outside of, out of, within,
from behind, because of, etc.
For example:
We need to solve three questions out
of five.
We won the game just because of
Ronnie.
I need to complete my
project within four days.
56. Preposition of place
Prepositions of place are used to show the
place where something is located such as at, in, on,
while, during, near, over, under, between, behind,
etc.
For example:
Dog is on the floor.
My home is near to the office.
My home is behind the metro station.
Mom is in the room.
57. Preposition of time
Prepositions of time are used to
indicate time of an action or time relationship
between nouns in the sentence. Such as at,
to, in, etc.
For example:
I go to school daily at nine
o’clock.
My result gets declared in March.
58. Preposition of direction
Prepositions of direction are used to
indicate direction of someone or something
in the sentence such as over, under, to, on,
into, in, onto, right, left, etc.
For example:
It's time to go to school.
The train is going into the tunnel.
We are going over the bridge.
60. The object of a preposition is the noun or pronoun
governed by a preposition.
The object of a preposition is usually but not always
the noun or pronoun immediately to the right of
the preposition.
Prepositions often begin prepositional phrases. To
complete the phrase, the preposition usually teams
up with a noun, pronoun, or gerund, or the object of
the preposition.
In English grammar, the object of a preposition is
a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that follows
a preposition and completes its meaning. The object
of a preposition is in the objective case.
61. Here are some examples of objects of
prepositions
This is one small step for a man, one giant
leap for mankind. (Neil Armstrong)
(The word a before man is a modifier. The object of a
preposition is often accompanied by modifiers that
precede it or follow it.)
The ants get in your ears when you are sleeping.
(The word your is a modifier.)
Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed
idealist. (George Carlin)
(The words every and cynical are modifiers.)
62. List of prepositions
While there are only about 150
prepositions in the English language, these 5
words are among the most important.
Without them, the sentences we speak, read,
and write would be difficult to understand.
The following list of prepositions is not a
complete one, however it is among the most
comprehensive lists of prepositions available
anywhere.
63. ON
Used to express a
surface of something:
I put an egg on the
kitchen table.
Used to specify days
and dates:
The garbage truck
comes on
Wednesdays.
I was born on the 14th
day of June in 1988.
Used to indicate a
device or machine, such
as a phone or computer:
He is on the phone
right now.
She has been on the
computer since this
morning.
My favorite movie will
be on TV tonight.
64. AT
Used to point out
specific time:
The bus will stop here
at 5:45 p.m.
Used to indicate a place:
There is a party at the
club house.
We saw a baseball
game at the stadium.
Used to indicate an
email address:
Please email me at
abc@defg.com.
Used to indicate an
activity:
He laughed at my
acting.
65. IN
Used for unspecific
times during a day,
month, season, year:
The new semester will
start in March.
Used to indicate a
location or place:
She looked me directly
in the eyes.
Used to indicate a
shape, color, or size:
This painting is mostly
in blue.
The students stood in a
circle.
Used to indicate a belief,
opinion, interest, or
feeling:
I believe in the next life.
66. TO
Used to indicate
Place/direction
Who is going to
market?
They are going to
America in May.
Used before a verb
He wants to go there.
To take exercise is
good for health.
Used to indicate Time
He works from 9am to
7pm.
They lived in our house
from April 1996 to June
1999.
It is ten minutes to five.
67. FROM
Used to indicate Place
They have just come
from Mumbai.
Withdraw money from
the bank.
For Person
You can borrow money
from your friend.
I have taken this book
from Raja.
Indicate Time
He works from morning
till evening.
We shall start this work
from Monday.
For Source
The light comes from
the sun.
She has taken the
story from this book.
68. Understanding Conjunction
What is a Conjunction?
A conjunction is a part of speech that is used to connect
words, phrases, clauses or sentences. Conjunctions are
considered to be invariable grammar particle, and they may or
may not stand between items they conjoin.
69. Conjunction Rules
There are few important rules for using conjunctions. Remember
them and you will find that your writing flows better:
Conjunctions are for connecting thoughts, actions, and ideas as
well as nouns, clauses, and other parts of speech.
For example: Mary went to the supermarket and bought oranges
Conjunctions are useful for making lists.
For example: We made pancakes, eggs and coffee for the
breakfast.
When using conjunctions make sure that all parts of your
sentences agree.
For example: “I work busily yet am careful” does not agree. “ I work
busily yet carefully” shows agreement.
70. Conjunctions List
There are only a few common conjunctions yet these words perform many
functions: they present explanations, ideas, exceptions, consequences and
contrasts. Here is a list of conjunctions commonly used in American English.
And
As
Because
But
For
Just as
Or
Neither
Nor
Not only
So
Whether
Yet
71. Examples of Conjunctions
In the following examples, the conjunctions are in
bold for easy recognition:
I tried to hit the nail but hit my thumb instead.
I have two goldfish and a cat.
I’d like a bike for commuting to work.
You can have peach ice cream or a brownie
sundae.
Neither the black dress northe gray one looks
right on me.
My dad always worked hard so we could afford
the things we wanted.
I tried very hard in school yet I am not receiving
good grades.
72. Coordinating Conjunction
Coordinating conjunctions coordinate or join two or more sentences, main
clauses, words, or other parts of speech which are of the same syntactic
importance. Also known as coordinators, coordinating conjunctions are used to
give equal emphasis to a pair of main clauses.
Coordinating Conjunction Rules
As there are only seven of these words there are just a few rules for using
coordinating conjunction correctly.
1. It’s a good idea to use the mnemonic “FANBOYS” to memorize
coordinating conjunctions so you’ll never forget them. They are:
F = for
A = and
N = nor
B = but
O = or
Y = yet
S = so
73. 2. Coordinating conjunctions always connect phrases, words and clauses. For
example: this batch of the mushroom stew is a savory and delicious.
3. Some instructors warn that starting a sentence with a coordinating
conjunctions is incorrect. Mostly this is because they are attempting to help
prevent you from writing fragments rather than complete sentences;
sometimes though, it’s just a personal preference. The fact is, you can begin
sentences with coordinating conjunctions as long as you follow these three
rules for doing so:
Ensure that the coordinating conjunction is immediately followed by a main
clause.
Don’t use coordinating conjunctions to begin of all your sentences. Do so
only when it makes your writing more effective.
Although commas typically follow coordinating conjunctions used in areas
other the beginning of the sentence, they should not be used after
coordinating conjunction used to open sentences unless an interrupter
immediately follows.
74. Examples of Coordinating Conjunctions
In the following examples, the coordinating conjunctions have
been italicized for easy identification.
1. You can eat your cake with a spoon or fork.
2. My dog enjoys being bathed but hates getting his nails
trimmed.
3. Bill refuses to eat peas nor will he touch carrots.
4. I hate to waste a drop of gas, for it is very expensive these
days.
75. Subordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions are parts of speech that join
dependent clauses to independent clauses. Sometimes
referred to as subordinators or subordinate conjunctions,
these important words and phrases may also
introduce adverb clauses.
76. Subordinating conjunctions are essential parts of complex sentences with
include at least two clauses, with one of the clauses being main
(independent) and the other being subordinate (dependent).
There is only one rule to remember about using subordinate
conjunctions:
A subordinate conjunction performs two functions within a sentence. First,
it illustrates the importance of the independent clause. Second, it provides a
transition between two ideas in the same sentence.
The transition always indicates a place, time, or cause and
effect relationship. For example: We looked in the metal canister,
where Ginger often hides her candy.
77. Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions
In the following examples, the subordinating conjunctions
are in bold for easy identification:
1. As Sherri blew out the candles atop her birthday cake, she
caught her hair on fire.
2. Sara begins to sneeze whenever she opens the window to
get a breath of fresh air.
3. When the doorbell rang, my dog Skeeter barked loudly.
78. After Although
As As soon as
Because Before
By the time even if
Even though Every time
If in case
Now that Once
Why
So
Unless
Until
79. Correlative Conjunctions
What is a correlative conjunction?
As suggested by their name,
correlative conjunctions correlate, working in pairs to join
phrases or words that carry equal importance within a
sentence. Like many of the most interesting parts of speech,
correlative conjunctions are fun to use. At the same time,
there are some important rules to remember for using them
correct
80. When using correlative conjunctions, ensure verbs agree so
your sentences make sense. For example: Every
night, either loud music or fighting neighbors wake John
from his sleep.
When you use a correlative conjunction, you must be sure
that pronouns agree. For
example: Neither Debra nor Sally expressed her
annoyance when the cat broke the antique lamp.
When using correlative conjunctions, be sure to keep
parallel structure intact. Equal grammatical units need to be
incorporated into the entire sentence. For example: Not
only did Mary grill burgers for Michael, but she also fixed a
steak for her dog, Vinny.
81. Examples of Correlative Conjunctions
In the following examples, the correlative
conjunctions have been italicized for easy
identification.
1. She is both intelligent and beautiful.
2. I will either go for a hike or stay home and watch
TV.
3. Jerry is neither rich nor famous.
4. He is not only intelligent, but also very funny.
5. Would you rather go shopping or spend the day at
the beach?