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The Noun
1a. A noun names a person, a place, a thing, or an idea.
PERSONS accountant, neighbor, athlete, George Washington Carver
PLACES library, gymnasium, village, South Dakota
THINGS calendar, shelves, streetlight, Declaration of Independence
IDEAS truth, self-awareness, humor, belief, Confucianism

Common Nouns and Proper Nouns

A common noun names any one of a group of persons, places, things, or ideas. A common
noun is capitalized only when it begins a sentence or is part of a title. A proper noun names a
particular person, place, thing, or idea. A proper noun is always capitalized.
COMMON NOUNS monarch, state, era, treaty
PROPER NOUNS Queen Anne, Alaska, Renaissance,Treaty of Versailles

EXERCISE A Underline all of the nouns in the following sentences. Then, write P above each proper noun.
P
Example 1. The researcher, Robin Jerome, peered through the microscope at the specimen.

[Researcher names any one of a group of persons. Microscope and specimen name any

one of a group of things. Robin Jerome names a particular person.]

1. Old Faithful, a geyser in Yellowstone National Park, erupts at fairly regular intervals. [Which

words name particular things? Which words name any one of a group of things?]

2. A forerunner of jazz, ragtime is a musical style that was popular earlier in the century.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

3. Nutritionists can help patients plan healthy meals and develop good eating habits.

4. Confucius was a famous teacher and philosopher from China.

5. The audience called for an encore after the pianist walked off the stage.

Concrete Nouns and Abstract Nouns

A concrete noun names a person, a place, or a thing that can be perceived by one or more of
the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell). An abstract noun names an idea,
feeling, quality, or characteristic that cannot be perceived by one or more of the five senses.
CONCRETE NOUNS screen, Munich, Sophie Webber, cactus
ABSTRACT NOUNS dedication, courtesy, satisfaction, leisure

EXERCISE B Determine whether each of the following nouns is concrete or abstract. Then, write C for
concrete or A for abstract on the line provided.

Developmental Language Skills 1

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Examples A 1. allegiance [Allegiance cannot be perceived by the senses.]

C 2. radio [Radio can be perceived by the senses.]

6. destiny 11. self-sacrifice

7. receipt 12. Barbara Jordan
8. persistence 13. joy
9. kodiak bear 14. birthstone
10. loyalty 15. cheetah

Collective Nouns
The singular form of a collective noun names a group. Some collective nouns are family, team,
council, audience, and herd.
EXAMPLES The shepherd tended the flock that was grazing in the pasture. [Flock
names a group of animals.]
The committee voted for the proposal. [Committee names a group of
people.]

Compound Nouns
A compound noun is made up of two or more words that together name a person, a place, a
thing, or an idea. A compound noun may be written as one word, as two or more separate
words, or as a hyphenated word.
ONE WORD raindrop, flagship, playground, swordfish, Iceland
SEPARATE WORDS civil liberty, assistant professor, Cape Verde, rock salt
HYPHENATED WORD out-of-towner, make-believe, two-by-fours

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

EXERCISE C Determine whether each of the underlined nouns in the following sentences is collective or
compound. Then, if the noun is collective, write COLL for collective on the line provided. If the noun is
compound, write COMP for compound on the line provided.

Example COMP 1. Isn’t your brother-in-law a radio announcer? [Brother-in-law is a compound

noun that names a single person rather than a group.]

16. As the graduates entered the gymnasium, the band played a traditional march. [Does
the underlined noun name one person or a group of people?]
17. The children always ride the merry-go-round when they go to the carnival.
18. In E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, isn’t the pig Wilbur the runt of the litter?
19. Using a robotic submarine, biologists watched lanternfish glow in the darkness.
20. Spain and Portugal occupy the Iberian Peninsula.

2 HOLT HANDBOOK Sixth Course