2. Nouns Having identified the different parts of speech, we shall examine each of them individually. ‘What shall we start with? Nouns- A noun is a naming word. What do you understand by the term- naming word ? It simply means a word that is used as a name for something. Take a look around the room. Aren't you able to identify every object around the room with a name ? Say aloud the names of all that you can see. You definitely don’t use gestures to convey the name of an object. Do I draw pictures in the air or use hieroglyphics-certainly not ! In essence, a noun is therefore the name of a person, place, object or idea. 2.1 Kinds of Nouns There are a variety of nouns and to simplify our understanding we classify them into groups. The primary classification is Common and Proper nouns. A common noun refers to the name that everyone identifies that object by. For instance- a tree, a man and a shoe. Ba For most of us any plant with a thick trunk and leaves is a tree, while a covering for the feet is a shoe or a human being a person. How is this different from a proper noun ? A particular name, unique in a way, given to an object, person or place is a proper noun. If you were to take the example of a shoe, you would have various brands like Nike, Adidas and Lee Cooper which would be proper nouns used to describe the shoe. Let us look at yet another example. In our daily life as a human being, you play various roles. You are a daughter, a son or an employee, a parent, an aunt or a friend. Would these words you used to describe yourself be common nouns or proper nouns? Are these names particular to one person or does everybody share such similar relationships? 61|PageYes- these are therefore common nouns. However if you were to use your name, say, Alia or Mostafa, would this be a common or a proper noun? This is a name unique to you, your individual identity and hence a proper noun. Remember the singular form of a common noun in most cases must be preceded by an article; whereas it is alright to avoid the article in the plural form. It is incorrect to say “cat ate the food” while it is alright to say “cats are my favourite animals.” A proper noun on the other hand is not preceded by an article. Do we say, “Let us go the Egypt” or “The Irene has come”. There are however exceptions to almost every rule and we can discuss it when you come across them. ‘What are other kinds of nouns? So far you have looked at words to name things that you can touch, see or feel. What about objects that you cannot touch, see or feel like an idea or a concept, these are intangible. Such nouns are abstract nouns. Some such nouns are happiness, youth, grief and brevity. Close your eyes and try to create an image of these words in your mind. Not an easy task. Rig Check with your partner. Do both of you have the same image? The image would differ. This is not so with common nouns where you wil! see a greater similarity in the images. Often, we use single words to describe a group of objects. Such words not only add to your vocabulary but also enable easy communication, For instance, we use words like team, staff, to mean a collective group of like-minded people. These are collective nouns. IE were to call five of you to conduct a discussion, I would address you as a panel of speakers, alternately if you were a group of people breaking into a house you would be called a gang of thieves. What if you were birds ?- a flock of birds, a gaggle of geese, and a murder of cows ! Fill in the appropriate collective noun from the list below. ‘Agenda, House, Chain, Host, Convoy, School [ Sparrows Fish Islands Tasks Trucks ‘Senators 62|Page