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

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.

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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

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

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

9. 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

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

11. 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

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

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

14. 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

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

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

17. Verbs
the other important part of the sentence

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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

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

24. 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.

25. 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.

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

27. 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.

28. 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.)

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

30. 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.

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

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. Questions?