Nouns and gerunds
Nouns
There are three ways to tell if a word is a noun.
1. It is the name of a specific person, place, thing, or idea
- Patrick Stewart
- Washington Square Park
- Titanic
- democracy
2. You can put a, an, or the in front of it
- a tomato
- an apple
- the carrot
3. It ends in one of the suffixes that make nouns
Suffixes include -ment, -ion, -ity, -ness, -ism, and -ist.
| Suffix | Examples |
|---|---|
| -ment | excitement, discernment, chastisement |
| -ion | exclusion, interruption, omission |
| -ity | density, gravity, intensity |
| -ness | silliness, oiliness, lioness |
| -ism | cubism, racism, Rastafarianism |
| -ist | numismatist, chemist, pharmacist |
Practice question
The snow sparkling in the moonlight reminded Helena of the first time she saw the Northern Lights.
Identify the nouns in the sentence.
a. Snow, moonlight, reminded, first, time
b. Snow, moonlight, Helena, time, Northern Lights
c. Snow, moonlight, first, time, Northern Lights
d. Snow, moonlight, Helena, first, Northern Lights
e. Snow, sparkling, Helena, first, time
Correct answer:
The correct answer is b.
Snow, moonlight, Helena, time, Northern Lights is correct because all five words are nouns. “Northern” is technically an adjective, but “Northern Lights” is a name and counts as a noun.
a. Snow, moonlight, reminded, first, time is incorrect because “reminded” is a verb and “first” is an adjective.
c. Snow, moonlight, first, time, Northern Lights is incorrect because “first” is an adjective.
d. Snow, moonlight, Helena, first, Northern Lights is incorrect because “first” is an adjective.
e. Snow, sparkling, Helena, first, time is incorrect because “sparkling” and “first” are adjectives.
Proper nouns
Proper nouns are always capitalized. They name specific people, places, things, or ideas.
Common categories of proper nouns include:
- Individual people
- Titles of specific people
- Specific holidays
- Brand names
- Specific streets, towns, cities, parks, states, countries, continents, and bodies of water
- Months of the year
- Days of the week
- Religions and the people who practice them
- Languages and nationalities
- Specific political parties
Example
Gwen was Welsh and a citizen of the United kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught physics and French at Towson University.
Practice question
Select the correct version of the sentence:
a. NO CHANGE
b. Gwen was Welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught Physics and French at Towson University.
c. Gwen was welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught physics and French at Towson University.
d. Gwen was Welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught physics and French at Towson university.
e. Gwen was Welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught physics and French at Towson University.
Correct answer:
The correct answer is e.
Gwen was Welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught physics and French at Towson University is correct. The names of specific people, nationalities, countries, states, languages, and universities are all proper nouns.
a. NO CHANGE is incorrect because “United Kingdom” is a proper noun, so both words should be capitalized.
b. Gwen was Welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught Physics and French at Towson University is incorrect because physics is not a proper noun and should not be capitalized.
c. Gwen was welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught physics and French at Towson University is incorrect because Welsh is a nationality and should be capitalized.
d. Gwen was Welsh and a citizen of the United Kingdom, but she was raised in Towson, Maryland, where her parents taught physics and French at Towson university is incorrect because University should be capitalized because it is part of the university’s name.
Gerunds
Gerunds are nouns that are formed by adding the suffix -ing to the infinitive, or to form, of a verb:
study + ing = studying
They indicate an action that is ongoing, as in this example:
Pauline is studying for her test.
In this sentence, studying is an ongoing action rather than a finite one. Pauline could be studying for half an hour, but she could also be studying for two weeks. In contrast, Pauline studies for her test suggests a more limited action.
Gerunds have many uses because they can do everything that nouns do. In addition to acting as subjects of sentences, they can be direct objects:
My dog loves playing catch.
Here, playing is the object of the dog’s love.
They can also be the objects of prepositions:
Brian’s love of swimming motivated him to become a lifeguard.
Here, the prepositional phrase of swimming modifies love and connects Brian’s interest in swimming to his decision to become a lifeguard.
Practice question
Despite his _____ grades, Harold continued to spend his free time _____ and playing basketball.
Choose the best answer:
a. Failed…gaming
b. Failing…gamed
c. Failing…gaming
d. Failing…games
e. Fails…gaming
Correct answer:
The correct answer is c.
Failing…gaming is correct. Harold’s grades are in an ongoing state of failure, and gaming suggests an ongoing activity as well.
a. Failed…gaming is incorrect because failed does not correctly describe the ongoing state of Harold’s grades.
b. Failing…gamed is incorrect because gamed puts the activity of gaming in the past instead of showing that it is ongoing.
d. Failing…games is incorrect because games is not functioning as a gerund.
e. Fails…gaming is incorrect because fails is present tense, whereas failing indicates an ongoing state of affairs.