The Eight Parts of Speech: Nouns

      Nouns are persons, places, things, ideas, or emotions in English. A helpful way to identify them is to place the words “an”, “a”, or “the” before the word. However, articles don't work before Proper Nouns.

There are five types of nouns:

1. Common Nouns
2. Proper Nouns
3. Concrete Nouns
4. Abstract Nouns
5. Collective Nouns
         ** Counting and Non-Counting Nouns

I. A common noun is a word that express run-of-the-mill people, places, things, emotions, and ideas. Word such as happiness, boy, and desk are such.

 

II. A Proper Noun is a word that express special people, places, things, emotions, and ideas. They are designated by capital letters.

What's the difference? Here is another way to look at the differences between common and proper nouns. Common nouns are a set of limited words that define general people, places, things, emotions, and idea. On the other hand, Proper Nouns are virtually limitless. If you can place copyright protection, then it's a Proper Noun.

III. A Concrete Noun is a word that express anything that can be communicated through the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and scent.

IV. An Abstract Noun is a word that express anything that can't be communicated through the five senses. These nouns covey ideas and emotion.


What's the difference between Concrete and Abstract Nouns? The difference is the nature of the thing being conveyed. For example the word cloud is a concrete noun because it is conveying something that can be seen. However, Abstract nouns have the uncanny ability to convey anything that can't be communicable through the senses. When was the last time you touched happiness or saw Buddism? These are emotions and ideas – they can't be conveyed through sensational avenues.

[Writing Advice – Concrete {vs. Common} vs. Abstract Nouns] – Concrete Nouns lend support to English's ability to be precise in conversation and writing. Where an individual may tell us about the truck he drove to go shopping, we may instead tell the same story about a how a young boy drove his father's ford pick-up to the store so that he may purchase slippers for his mother. We may talk about the sweeping generalities, but it is often better to choose a concrete noun. And perhaps when we read, “Jesus wept.” we find more fascination than any author who wrote about the tears of clouds. Not only are concrete nouns more expressive and more vivid, but are able to capture the ideas moment better than abstract and common nouns.

V. A Collective Noun is a word that represent a collection of people, places, things, ideas, or emotions without being plural. These words include family, herd, flock, audience, orchestra, and so forth. However, unlike other nouns, collective nouns can be subdivided into counting and non-Counting nouns.

[A note on Collective Nouns] – Collective Nouns are special for one reason: they are singular unless you reference the internal members. What this means is unless you use a pronoun that references back to the noun (called a reflexive pronoun because it is reflecting) then a collective noun is always singular. For example, we can say, “Our family[singular] loves your cookies.” because the noun family is referencing a single unit. However, when we say, “Our family[plural] are arguing amongst themselves to determine if the cookies were popular.” we are using a reflexive pronoun (themselves) to draw attention to the members inside the unit. Most writers prefer to make this more obvious by writing, “Our family members are arguing amongst themselves to determine if the cookies were popular.”

[A note on Counting and Non-Counting Nouns] – The English language has special nouns called counting and non-counting nouns. The difference between counting and non-counting is that counting nouns must have “a” or “an” placed before them. This designates that the following noun is either “one among many” or “any one” and emphasizes that the noun is unknown to the reader (contrary to the word the which signifies that the noun is known to the reader).

A helpful reminder is that non-counting nouns – such as steel, knowledge, or jewelry – do not have plural forms. For example, saying, “Did your mother purchase a jewelry,” doesn't make sense. Neither saying, “Can you pass a sugar.” Passing a sugar cube? Perhaps. But passing a sugar? That's the sign you're working with a non-counting noun. If you're talking about one piece of jewelry or cupboards full of sugar, there exist no plural form.

Please note that, as with all eight parts of speech, a single word, depending on placement, can be located in multiple categories. For example, the word happiness is both a common and an abstract noun, or the word family is a concrete, common, collective noun.

Helpful Reminders:

• Nouns can be made plural or possessive.
• Can assume the following endings: player, justice, happiness, division, guidance, reference, pavement, childhood, kingdom, agency, tourist, sincerity, censorship.

Nouns can be used to modify other nouns; they are called noun adjectives.


And that is everything you will ever need to know about nouns.

** You can click on the image below for a larger picture.

The Eight Parts of Speech: A Continued Adventure

    To my fellow class mates and to my friends and to my companions on this dark road, I reach out to you. English writing was never invented for the feint of heart, but the heart that goes on without bursting. English grammar was never invented for the mathematician or the logicians, but for those who wish step away from the rigidity of science and embark on the meaning of sound. I reach out to you to offer simple gestures that will make the road a bit more straight.
   For every stage performance we are given the actor; for every movie we are shown the face; but who may own the credence of well written prose? Where do we look when we find ourselves lost in time with our favorite book? Or, perhaps, when we begin to understand a new concept, who can we thank? I'm most sorry to inform you that there is only one word - one, single, unpolished, unloved, unforgotten word. Grammar.
     What I hope to accomplish in a series of articles on the eight parts of speech is nothing less than what a small flicker of candlelight means to a lone traveler. By breaking the world's lingua franca into eight simple parts, I intend to do what many will miss in a college class room. I hope to give understanding to an otherwise frustrating art. I hope to reduce hours of tedious work to minutes of reading. I hope to reduce the late night diagraming into a perfect luncheon memorization activity. I hope to give the twinkling of a single candlelight along a vast, empty road.

Sincerely,
ShadowTitan9997

P.S. But remember, there are two times in your life that you will be impelled to take a moment of silence. In the first case it is in those times when someone has died. In the second case, it is in those times when one is about to die. And English grammar is one of those exceptional things which has slain the living and quicken the dead.



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Part One: Nouns
Part Two: Adjectives
Part Three: Pronouns
Part Four: Interjections
Part Five: Prepositions
Part Six: Conjunctions

The King's Speech - A Response Essay

        Like an evening star, every sport, every hobby, and every profession has mined wisdom from the phrase, “practice makes perfect.” It doesn't make a difference if you're a football player, a chess fanatic, or a poker player, if you don't practice, you'll be as wanted as a leather chair on a hot summer day. But for some unbeknownst reason we forget to make that connection with public speaking. Public Speaking is a fine art that requires just as much practice to make perfect. After watching the King's Speech and attending my Communication 301 class at Sacramento City College, I've learned three important aspects of public speaking: Rehearsal, Weakness, and Communicating.

        One of the first things that are thrown out with the baby is rehearsal. Often we'll visualize our audience, organize a fluent outline, and, in the best of nights, have a wonderful PowerPoint presentation. All of these things are the bare minimum for a successful presentation. However, I learned that vocalizing your practice speeches, instead of memorizing it in your mind, gives you that cutting edge for a fluent speech. Time and again, in the King's speech, the Duke of York was required to rehearse out loud not only his speeches but also his intonations, enunciation, and other verbal ques. It's not enough to have a well-ordered mind, but also a well-ordered mouth. In my Communication class we were given the opportunity to recited our speeches at least four times before small groups. Of course, this is in addition to the practice sessions that my siblings and parents are dragged into. However, this was a perfect opportunity to practice how my speech would sound, where the blood clots were, potentially fatal pauses, and places were we may want to stress a bit more “umpf”. In other words, when we practice our speech, we need to practice in situations as if we were delivering the real thing.
         The second aspect that I learned is probably the most overlooked aspect of any sport or art: weakness. Many a night, we are drilled with the notion of perfecting our strength, strength, and strength. However, if we fail to identify what stops our clocks, what really makes the audience squirm in their seats, then no matter how well spoken we may be, our weaknesses will glare our audiences into submission. In the King's Speech, the Duke of York understood that despite his earnest sincerity to do well for his country. If he couldn't control his stammer his, country would look right past him. So he took steps to control his stammer. In my Communication 301 class, I learned that failing to delivery important points in the context that you're given isn't only an opportunity to perfect an art, but also a weakness that I desperately needed to address. To become an effective speaker, I need to learn how to cut down the oak and plant the acorn. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.

        And lastly, Communication. When people think of communication they tend to fly for two stereotypes: a formal speech given at Victorian dinner, accented with Austinian calibre language, or a down to earth “homie-buddy-buddy” style that attacks every notion of good form. What we forget is that the art of communication is communicating. In the final scene of the King's Speech, the Duke of York is required to give a global military address. They've been practicing, practicing, and practicing, but the speech isn't coming out quiet right. It's time to give his speech. They're escorted to the speaking room. The door is close. The light is blinking. And just before the light signals to commence his speech, Lionel, the Duke of York's speech therapist, standing on the other side of the Duke's microphone, says, “Speak, speak like you're talking to me.” I learned in my public speaking class that the art of communication is learning how to speak to your audience as if you were friends, as if you were talking to them.

        I believe that if we take the time to rehearse our speeches exactly as we are to give them – out loud and clear – learn to identify our weaknesses and account for them in our speaking opportunities, and learn how to simply communicate, like friends, to your audience then we are one step closer to achieving our goals. But too often we find ourselves shouting the same words as King George V. “Just do it!” We're frustrate because we're not seeing our actions align with our perception: public speaking appears to be leaps and bounds easier than it we often give credit. I'm thankful for the opportunity to analyze this movie and to participate in a class that explores the fine art of public speaking.