Nouns and verbs foundation words for sentence development Professor Lesly V. Borge ENC 0020 College Preparatory Writing 2

The Main Ingredient of the Subject As you should know, every sentence has two parts: the subject and the predicate. The key word in the subject is the noun (or noun substitute—pronoun). The noun tells what or whom the subject of the sentence is. Burt works at the park. The trees need trimming. Bayside is a lovely place to shop. Love hurts.

Noun A word used to name a person, place, thing, or idea

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel Name 8 things that you can see or could touch if you could physically enter the painting. These are called concrete nouns.

Concrete Noun Names a person, place, or thing that can be perceived or experienced with one of the five senses Examples: hummingbird music popcorn Maroon 5 ocean star heat hamburger President Barack Obama

These are called abstract nouns. Name 5 things that you can not see or symbolize what a courtroom or judicial proceeding represents (an idea). These are called abstract nouns.

Abstract Noun Names a feeling, quality, idea, characteristic, or emotion that is experienced in your mind Examples love joy freedom peace knowledge pride faith

A Classroom In Action These are called common nouns. Name 8 things that you can see in this picture. These are called common nouns.

Names any one of a group of persons, places, or things Common Nouns Names any one of a group of persons, places, or things Examples poem day city street

New York City Skyline Name 5 buildings or monuments that you can identify in the New York City skyline. These are called proper nouns.

Name a specific or particular person, place, or things Proper Nouns Name a specific or particular person, place, or things Examples “The Raven” Friday Miami Unity Drive

Let’s Test What You Know About Nouns Tell whether each word names a person, place, thing, or idea. *Note: some are not nouns

student marbles satisfaction enter entrance ugly often singer person thing idea not noun place

England and under liberty roadside forgiveness file clerk sunflower Tell whether each word names a person, place, thing, or idea. *Note: some are not nouns England and under liberty roadside forgiveness file clerk sunflower place not noun idea person thing

Tell whether each noun is concrete or abstract. Philadelphia wisdom eagle First Continental Congress freedom concrete abstract

Tell whether each noun is concrete or abstract. Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence Potomac River law happiness concrete abstract

Verbs the other important part of the sentence

The Main Ingredient of the Predicate As you should know, every sentence has two parts: the subject and the predicate. The key word in the predicate is the verb. The verb tells what the subject of the sentence is, has, does, or feels. Burt works at the park. He trims the trees. He loves his job. He paints the benches.

Action Verbs Most verbs are action verbs. Some action verbs refer to physical action that can be seen by other people. Others refer to mental action that cannot be seen. Physical Action: The gardener feeds the ducks. Mental Action: She likes the migrating birds best.

Being Verbs Other verbs express a state of being. These verbs do not refer to action of any sort. They simply tell what the subject is. Burt is the gardener’s assistant. He seems afraid of the swans. One swan looks angry. In fact, swans are hungry.

The State of Being Verb: “to be” Person Present Tense I am You are She is We They Person Present Perfect Tense I have been You She has been We They Person Past Tense I was You were She We They Person Past Perfect Tense I had been You She We They

The State of Being Verb: “to be” Person Future Tense I will be You She We They Person Future Perfect Tense I will have been You She We They

Can you identify the verbs? Identify each verb in the sentences below. Does it express action or being?

We parked and locked our bicycles in the rack at the library. Many, many resources were available there. I considered several books about wild animals. All of the books looked interesting. Finally, I decided on one about tropical birds. The book described many birds from countries in Central and South America. I especially liked the photographs in the book. The pictures of the birds are very colorful. Some of the birds’ feathers are pink, orange, red, and green. I carried the book home in my backpack.

Linking Verbs A verb that expresses a state of being often functions as a linking verb. A linking verb links, or connects, the subject with a noun or an adjective in the predicate that names or describes the subject. Peanut is a toad. Peanut is tiny.

Other linking verbs: appear remain become smell feel sound grow stay look taste seem

Some verbs can function as either linking verbs or action verbs. The lily pond smells stagnant. The squirrel smells its food. The gardener felt tired. She felt the tree’s thick leaves.

If the verb is not a “state of being” verb, how do I know whether or not it is linking? To help you decide whether one of these verbs is a linking verb, try substituting is or are for the verb. If the sentence still makes sense, the verb is probably a linking verb. The pigeons look comical. (The pigeons are comical.) The swan’s hiss sounds fierce. (The swan’s hiss is fierce.)

Can you identify the linking verb? Which sentence in each of the following pairs contains a linking verb?

A monkey appears from behind a tree. It appears excited. The young deer grew taller. The male deer grew antlers. The koala baby looks cute. It looks for its mother. The koala tastes a leaf. Does it taste good? We smell the eucalyptus tree. It smells pleasant. We feel the tree’s bark. It feels smooth.

Can you identify the type of verb? Where are the verbs and are they action or linking?

List the verbs in the sentences below List the verbs in the sentences below. Label each verb action or linking. Photographs, television, and movies show us a variety of unusual creatures. We can see animals in their natural habitat in national parks, nature sanctuaries, or even city parks. Few animals look strange to us today. Some animals still seem unusual, however. The anteater is one example. The head and snout of this animal form a long tube. A giant anteater becomes six feet long. It grows a coarse coat of hair. The front toes and claws of the anteater fold under. The animal actually walks on its knuckles.

List the verbs in the sentences below List the verbs in the sentences below. Label each verb action or linking. The giant anteater usually appears shy. It enjoys dark, wet tropical forests. Ants and termites appear in this animal’s diet. The anteater is a peaceful animal.

Questions?