NOUNS

THURSDAY-9.6.2011-What is nouns?  A noun is a word used to name a person, animal, place, thing, and abstract idea. Nouns are usually the first words which small children learn.

Examples

• The cat sat on the mat.
• Please hand in your assignments by the end of the week.
• Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
• George Washington was the first president of the United States of America.
• Please complete this assignment with black or blue pen only, and keep your eyes on your own paper.

A noun can co-occur with an article or an attributive adjective. Verbs and adjectives can't. In the following, an asterisk (*) in front of an example means that this example is ungrammatical.

1. the name (name is a noun: can co-occur with a definite article the.)
2. *the baptize (baptize is a verb: cannot co-occur with a definite article.)
3. constant circulation (circulation is a noun: can co-occur with the attributive adjective constant.)
4. *constant circulate (circulate is a verb: cannot co-occur with the attributive adjective constant.)
5. a fright (fright is a noun: can co-occur with the indefinite article a.)
6. *an afraid (afraid is an adjective: cannot co-occur with the article a.)
7. terrible fright (The noun fright can co-occur with the adjective terrible.)
8. *terrible afraid (The adjective afraid cannot co-occur with the adjective terrible.

 http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/nouns.html