Grammer Usage & Mechanics

Nouns

A person, place, object, idea, or event.

Proper Nouns

A specific person, place, or organization. Needs to be capitalized.

Common Nouns

General group or class of people, places, or objects that do not need to be capitalized. The “the” test: If a noun can be used with “the” in front of it, it’s likely a common noun.

Collective Nouns

Nouns such as family, team, and majority. These nouns can complicate out sentences when we have to make a decision about whether these nouns are singular or plural because we have to choose verbs that will agree with these nouns

e.g. is family seen as a singular or plural unit in the context of the sentence?

Verbal Noun

Type of noun that is derived from a verb. It looks like a verb because of the -ing ending, but it actually functions in a sentence like a noun.

e.g. Jogging is a good exercise.

Compound Noun

A noun made up of two or more words. Sometimes hyphenated.

Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Subjective: who the sentence is about

Objective: who is receiving the action

EXAMPLES

Subjective (singular): I, you, he, she, it (plural): we, you, they

Objective (singular): me, you, him, her, it (plural): us, you, them