English Grammar: The Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech — Nouns
You will begin your study of the parts of speech with the noun. A noun is one of the most important words that you use when either speaking or writing. It is the word that tells what you are talking about. A noun is a word that names something. You have a name. I have a name. Everything that we see, or examine, or talk about must have a name. There are names for persons, animals, places, and objects that can be pointed out and recognized. There are also names for substances, qualities, actions, and measures of time or quantity. The following list includes examples of different kinds of nouns.
| A noun is a word that names something. | ||||
| Persons: | soldier | Jane | friend | Canadian |
| Animals: | elephant | mouse | zebra | panda |
| Places: | home | Chicago | camp | factory |
| Objects: | desk | picture | computer | food |
| Substances: | iron | air | water | lead |
| Qualities: | heroism | beauty | faith | kindness |
| Actions: | climbing | cooking | reading | swimming |
| Measures: | year | pound | inch | day |
Nouns Used in Sentences
The soldier is wearing his new uniform.
Chicago is a great industrial city.
Iron is a useful metal.
Quiz A
In this quiz, choose whether the noun is the name of a person, place, animal, object, quality, substance, action, or measure.
Quiz B
In this quiz, select the option that contains all of the nouns in the sentence.
