Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021

Nouns
Parts of speech
Grammar Basics

✵ 47 Parts of speech

✵ 48 Sentence patterns

✵ 49 Subordinate word groups

✵ 50 Sentence types

47Parts of speech

Traditional grammar recognizes eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. Many words can function as more than one part of speech. For example, the word paint can be a noun (The paint is wet) or a verb (Please paint the ceiling).

47a Nouns

A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or concept.

Nouns sometimes function as adjectives modifying other nouns. Because of their dual roles, nouns used in this manner may be called noun/adjectives.

Nouns are classified in a variety of ways.

✵ Proper nouns are capitalized, but common nouns are not (see 46a).

✵ For clarity, writers choose between concrete and abstract nouns (see 18b).

✵ The distinction between count nouns and noncount nouns can be helpful to multilingual writers (see 29a).

✵ Most nouns have singular and plural forms; collective nouns may be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used (see 21f and 22b).

✵ Possessive nouns require an apostrophe (see 37a).

EXERCISE 47-1

Underline the nouns (and noun/adjectives) in the following sentences. Answers appear in the back of the book.

a. The stage was set for a confrontation of biblical proportions.

b. The courage of the nurses was an inspiration to the community.

c. The need to arrive before the guest of honor motivated us to navigate the thick fog.

d. The defense attorney made a final appeal to the jury.

e. A national museum dedicated to women artists opened in 1987.