Lesson 1

1. Lesson 1 NOUNS GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

2. THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH • 1. NOUNS • 2. PRONOUNS. • 3. VERBS. • 4. ADJECTIVES • 5. ADVERBS. • 6. PREPOSITIONS. • 7. CONJUNCTIONS. • 8. INTERJECTIONS. • THESE ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF ENGLISH. THE BETTER YOU UNDERSTAND THESE BUILDING BLOCKS YOUR SPEAKING AND WRITING WILL IMPROVE. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

3. WHAT IS A NOUN? • NOUNS ARE THE PARTS OF SPEECH THAT NAMES: • A PERSON, A PLACE, A THING, AN IDEA, AN ANIMAL, A QUALITY, AN ACTIVITY. • HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF NOUNS IN ACTION: • JOHN IS READING ~ DALLAS IS NORTH OF HOUSTON ~ THE ROCK IS VERY HEAVY – PHILOSOPHY IS VERY INTERESTING – MY CAT IS CHASING THE MOUSE ~ OVERCOMING FEAR REQURIES GREAT COURAGE ~ WRITING IS VERY IMPORTANT* • *IN THE LAST SENTENCE WRITING IS A NOUN BECAUSE IT NAMES THE ACTIVITY; IT IS’INT PERFORMING THE ACTIVITY, WHICH IS WHAT A VERB DOES – FOR EXCAMPLE ~ JOHN IS WRITING HIS NAME ~ HERE IT WORKS AS A VERB BECAUSE IT IS THE ACTION JOHN IS PERFORMING. MORE ABOUT VERBS LATER. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

4. EXERCISE 1. CAN YOU FIND THE NOUNS IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES? CLUE: LOOK FOR A PERSON, PLACE OR THING. • Jerry is my English teacher. • Jerry comes from Ireland. • Reading is an important skill to learn. • My class reads stories from all over the world. • Besides being good readers John and Mary also want to be able to write and speak English well. • Reading stories will help me to write English. • Tom uses a dictionary to look up words he doesn’t know. • I spend time every day learning new words and using the new words in sentences. • I write the words and sentences in my notebook. • Last week, Tom wrote a story in his notebook and then typed it on the computer. • Lets look at the answers and see how many we got right GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

5. Exercise 1 answers DID YOU FIND THE NOUNS IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES? • Jerry is my English teacher. • Jerry comes from Ireland. • Reading is an important skill to learn. • My class reads stories from all over the world. • Besides being good readers John and Mary also want to be able to write and speak English well. • Reading stories will help me to write English. • Tom uses a dictionary to look up words he doesn’t know. • I spend time every day learning new words and using the new words in sentences. • I write the words and sentences in my notebook. • Last week, Tom wrote a story in his notebook and then typed it on the computer. • As you can see there are many nouns. We can learn about nouns more easily by dividing them into groups. Lets begin by grouping them into proper nouns and common nouns. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

6. PROPER AND COMMON NOUNS • Common Nouns: They name a person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality or action. • Proper Nouns: Names a specific person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality or action. • It is important to learn the difference because the first letter of proper nouns must be CAPITALISED. • Lets look at some examples: GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

7. Proper and common nouns Proper Noun Common Noun • girl • city • holiday • month • country • building • Rosa • Chicago • Christmas • January • United States • Capitol GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

8. Proper and common nouns • As you can see common nouns name people (girl), places (country), and things (building) generally. By comparison, proper nouns name specific people (Rosa), places (United States), and things (Capitol). • Lets take a moment and see can we pick out common nouns and proper nouns in the following exercise. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

9. Exercise 2the British colonies in 18TH CENTURY AMERICAWRITE THESE SENTENCES ON THE BOARD WITH A LINE UNDER THE COMMON NOUN AND A DOUBLE LINE UNDER THE PROPER NOUN. • THIS LAND WAS HOME TO NEARLY ONE MILLION EUROPEANS. • A QUARTER MILLION AFRICANS AND A QUARTER MILLION NATIVE AMERICANS ALSO LIVED THERE. • HISTORIANS DIVIDE THIS AREA INTO TWO REGIONS. • MASSACHUSETTS, CONNECTICUT, RHODE ISLAND, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPRISED THE COLONIES OF NEW ENGLAND. • FISHING BECAME AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF MONEY FOR SMALL TOWNS ALONG THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. • A DIFFERENT SOCIETY DEVELOPED IN THE AREA THAT IS TODAY THE STATES OF PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY, AND NEW YORK. • THESE SETTLERS BECAME FARMERS OF THE FERTILE SOIL OF THE REGION. • THE SOUTHERN COLONIES INCLUDED VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND GEORGIA. • THE CLIMATE ALLOWED THEM TO GROW TOBACCO AND RICE. • MERCHANTS IN ENGLAND, GERMANY, AND SPAIN PURCHASED THESE CROPS. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

10. EXERCISE 2: ANSWERS.ANSWERS IN RED ARE COMMON NOUNSANSWERS IN RED AND UNDERLINEDARE PROPER NOUNS • THIS LAND WAS HOME TO NEARLY ONE MILLION EUROPEANS. • A QUARER MILLION AFRICANSAND A QUARTER MILLION NATIVE AMERICANSALSO LIVED THERE. • HISTORIANS DIVIDE THIS AREA INTO TWO REGIONS. • MASSACHUSETTS, CONNECTICUT, RHODE ISLAND, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPRISED THE COLONIES OF NEW ENGLAND. • FISHING BECAME AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF MONEY FOR SMALL TOWNS ALONG THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. • A DIFFERENT SOCIETY DEVELOPED IN THE AREA THAT IS TODAY THE STATES OF PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY, AND NEW YORK. • THESE SETTLERS BECAME FARMERS OF THE FERTILE SOIL OF THE REGION. • THE SOUTHERN COLONIES INCLUDED VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND GEORGIA. • THE CLIMATE ALLOWED THEM TO GROW TOBACCO AND RICE. • MERCHANTS IN ENGLAND, GERMANY, AND SPAIN PURCHASED THESE CROPS. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

11. CONCRETE AND ABSTRACT NOUNS • Concrete Noun: Names something that can be touched or seen. Also known as “countable noun” because it names something that can be counted. For example: CAT(S) and PENCIL(S) GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

12. COLLECTIVE NOUNS A TYPE OF CONCRETE NOUN THAT IS USED TO DESCRIBE A GROUP OF PEOPLE OR THINGS THAT IS CONSIDERED A SINGLE UNIT IS CALLED A GROUP NOUN OR A COLLECTIVE NOUN. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES: FAMILY ~ JURY ~ GROUP ~ MAJORITY ~ CLASS ~ TEAM ~ NATION ~ BAND. CAN YOU THINK OF SOME MORE? GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

13. ABSTRACT NOUN AN ABSTRACT NOUN NAMES: • AN IDEA • A THOUGHT • A FEELING In other words it names something that cannot be touched or seen. They are also called noncountable nouns because they name something that cannot be counted. For example: you cant count happiness. Abstract or noncountable nouns are always common nouns. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

14. CONCRETE & ABSTRACT NOUNS ABSTRACT: You cant touch, feel or see CONCRETE: You can touch, feel or see • John • Computer • San Francisco • Butterfly • Car • Friendship • Humour • Fear • Happiness • Culture GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

15. Exercise number 3can you find:1. abstract nouns (clue: untouchable), 2. concrete nouns (clue: touchable) 3. collective nouns (clue: groups) in the following statements: • Fairness and responsibility are traits of a good citizen. • Fairness means to treat all people equally. • Your culture greatly determines how you live. • Culture can include language, customs, and religion. • An ethic group is a group of people who share the same culture. • Responsibility is addressing problems that occur in our society. • Attending school and following school rules are also part of our civic responsibility. • In this country, students are important citizens. • Citizens in a democracy vote to elect their representatives. • Education helps citizens to be better voters because they can read about and understand the problems facing their society. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

16. Exercise number 3: answersabstract nouns in red: concrete nouns in blue and collective nouns underlined • Fairnessand responsibilityare traits of a good citizen. • Fairnessmeans to treat all peopleequally. • Your culture greatly determines how you live. • Culture can include language, customs, and religion. • An ethic groupis a groupof peoplewho share the same culture. • Responsibility is addressing problemsthat occur in our society. • Attending schooland following school rulesare also part of our civic responsibility. • In this country, students are important citizens. • Citizens in a democracy vote to elect their representatives. • Educationhelps citizensto be better votersbecause they can read about and understand the problemsfacing their society. Did you notice how people (2 & 5) and group (5) both play a dual role as concrete and collective nouns. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

17. Singular and plural nouns Concrete nouns can be singular or plural. Singular: refers to a single person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality, or action. Plural: refers to more than one person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality, or action. Usually you can make a concretenounplural by adding an ‘s’ to the end of the word. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

18. Singular and plural nouns PLURAL SINGULAR DOG BOOK CAMERA PENCIL COMPUTER DOGS BOOKS CAMERAS PENCILS COMPUTERS GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

19. ABSTRACT NOUNS ARE ALWAYS PLURAL SO THEIR SPELLING NEVER CHANGE.NOT ALL CONCRETE NOUNS FORM THEIR PLURALSFOUR GOLDEN RULES APPLY HERE: RULE NUMBER ONE. IF THE LAST SOUND IN THE WORD IS: –S, -CH, -SH, OR –X, YOU MUST ADD AN –ES TO CHANGE THE SINGULAR CONCRETE NOUN TO A PLURAL NOUN, AND SO IT CAN BE EASILY PRONOUNCED. LETS LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES: GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

20. RULE NUMBER ONE. PLURAL SINGULAR CLASS MATCH DISH CLASSES MATCHES DISHES This rule will guide you in forming the plural for many nouns, but there are still many nouns remaining. For instance, some nouns end with the letter –y, and these nouns have their own rule. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

21. RULE NUMBER TWO. PLURAL SINGULAR BABY LADY COUNTRY BABIES LADIES COUNTRIES When a noun ends in a consonant followed by a –y, to form the plural, drop the –y and add –ies as you see above. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

22. RULE NUMBER THREE PLURAL SINGULAR BOY DONKEY BAY BOYS DONKEYS BAYS Remember, if the final –y has a vowel before it, you form the plural by simply adding an –s. These 3 rules explain how to form plurals when the concrete noun ends in –s, -ch, -sh, -x and –y. Lets put all this to the test with a simple exercise. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

23. Exercise number 4change the following from singular to plural nouns PLURAL SINGULAR • CHURCH • FLOWER • WISH • BIRTHDAY • DAY • WORD • HOUSE • SPEECH • FAMILY • SCHOOL • CHURCHES • FLOWERS • WISHES • BIRTHDAYS • DAYS • WORDS • HOUSES • SPEECHES • FAMILIES • SCHOOLS GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

24. RULE NUMBER 4 PLURAL SINGULAR WIFE SCARF LEAF WIVES SCARVES LEAVES Some other simple pointers…. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

25. KEY POINTS TO TRY TO REMEMBER For most concrete nouns ending in –fe or –f, you can form the plural by first dropping the –fe or –f and then adding a –v and an –es. This rule covers most of the nouns ending in –fe or –f. there are some nouns ending in –f that form their plurals just by adding an –s. For example – chief becomes chiefs. Other nouns ending in –f that form their plurals vy adding an –s nare: belief, reef, cliff, cuff, poof, roof, scruff, staff, surf, and whiff. Next we ask a simple question….. GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

26. QUESTION IS YOUR BRAIN FRIED YET? GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1

27. OTHER NOUNS GERARD J. HANNAN/ CLASS 1