You’re probably familiar with nouns as the words that name people, places, and things. But did you know that nouns don’t just label things; they also serve particular functions in a sentence? Understanding the different functions of nouns can help you construct clearer sentences and get your point across.
In this article, we’ll break down the functions of nouns. We’ll define and provide examples of nouns functioning as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of prepositions, predicate nominative, appositive and more. Knowing the role nouns play will strengthen your writing by helping you actively use nouns to build well-structured sentences. Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll be able to confidently utilize nouns to their full potential.
What Is a Noun? Definition and Examples
A noun is a word that identifies or names a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are one of the basic parts of speech in the English language.
Examples of nouns include “teacher,” “city,” “book,” “Mary,” “Paris,” “Bible,” etc. Nouns add detail and imagery to your writing. Choosing nouns that are specific and concrete helps readers visualize what you’re describing. Using precise nouns in your writing will make your meaning clear and keep readers engaged.
The 11 Types of Nouns used in English Language
Common Noun
A common noun refers to a class of nouns that name general things: boy, country, bridge, table, etc. They are not capitalized. Common nouns can be concrete or abstract. They are non-specific, naming any member of a class. For example, any book can be a ‘book,’ any city a ‘city’, and any friend a ‘friend.’
Proper Noun
A proper noun refers to the name of a specific person, place, or thing: John, Africa, Golden Gate Bridge, etc. They are always capitalized. Proper nouns provide specifics in our language.
Concrete Noun
A concrete noun refers to something that can be perceived through the senses: table, flower, rain, music, etc. Concrete nouns help provide details and imagery in language.
Abstract Noun
An abstract noun refers to something that cannot be perceived through the senses: love, courage, childhood, softness, etc. Abstract nouns represent intangible ideas and concepts. Words like ‘love,’ ‘courage’, and ‘childhood’ are abstract nouns. They name things that cannot be perceived by the senses.
Compound Noun
A compound noun is made up of two or more words used together to make a new noun: toothbrush, basketball, honeybee, etc. Compound nouns are useful for creating new terms to name new concepts or things.
Collective Noun
A collective noun refers to a group of nouns: flock, crowd, team, army, etc. Even though collective nouns are singular, they refer to a group. Collective nouns allow us to refer to groups as a single entity.
Singular Noun
A singular noun refers to one person, place, or thing: boy, country, bridge. Singular nouns denote one unit.
Plural Noun
A plural noun refers to more than one person, place, or thing: boys, countries, bridges. Plural nouns denote more than one unit. Plurals are usually formed by adding ‘-s’ to the end of the word.
Countable Noun
A countable noun refers to something that can be counted: book, apple, or student. Countable nouns can be singular or plural.
Non-countable Noun
A non-countable noun refers to something that cannot be counted: water, rice, or music. Non-countable nouns do not have a plural form.
Material Noun
A material noun refers to the matter or substance that something is made of, e.g., wood, cotton, plastic, metal, etc. Material nouns name the materials that objects are constructed from.
Functions of Nouns in a Sentence
Nouns have different functions in sentences that provide clarity and specificity. Understanding how nouns work as subjects, objects, modifiers, and more will help you construct meaningful sentences and become a better writer. Pay attention to the role each noun plays in the sentences you read and write to gain a deeper understanding of how language functions.
Noun Functions as Subjects
As subjects, nouns are incredibly important in sentences. They refer to the person or thing that is doing the action expressed by the verb. Without a subject, a sentence would not make sense.
People as Subjects
People are commonly used as subjects in sentences. For example:
The teacher explained the lesson. John kicked the ball.
The students completed their homework.
In each of these sentences, the subject refers to the person performing the action (explaining, kicking, completing).
Animals as Subjects
Animals can also function as subjects in sentences. For example:
The dog barked loudly. A cat meowed outside the window. The mice scattered when the light turned on.
Here, the subjects (dog, cat, mice) indicate which animal is performing the action.
Objects as Subjects
Inanimate objects are frequently used as subjects to indicate what non-living thing is performing or involved in the action. For example:
The wind blew fiercely during the storm. The book fell from the shelf. The pencil rolled across the desk.
In these sentences, the subjects (wind, book, pencil) refer to the objects that are the focus of the verb.
As you can see, subjects are a key component in sentences that help give meaning by indicating who or what the focus of the action or verb is. Keeping your subjects clear and consistent will make your writing coherent and easily understood. Varying the types of subjects you use, from people to animals to objects, will make your writing more dynamic and interesting.
Noun Functions as Direct Objects
As a direct object, nouns receive the action of a verb. They answer the question “who” or “what” after the verb. For example:
The chef baked the cake. In this sentence, “the cake” is the direct object, receiving the action of the verb “baked.”
Some other examples of nouns as direct objects:
- I read the book.
- She called her friend.
- They elected him president.
- We gave the children presents.
In these sentences, “the book,” “her friend,” “him,” and “the children” are all direct objects, receiving the action of the verbs “read,” “called,” “elected,” and “gave.”
Notice that direct objects can be singular or plural, proper or common nouns. They simply receive and are affected by the action expressed in the sentence.
Direct objects are often positioned after the verb, but not always. For example:
Yesterday I watched two movies. Here, “two movies” is positioned before the verb “watched,” but it is still the direct object.
Some verbs often take direct objects, like:
Give, send, lend, show, bring, tell, teach, offer, promise, ask, pay, etc.
These types of verbs require a direct object to receive their action. Leaving out the direct object would make the sentence incomplete. For example, “I gave.” is incomplete without the direct object “I gave him/her/them a gift.”
Direct objects are an important function of nouns in sentences. They complete the meaning and action conveyed by the verb, creating full, logical thoughts and ideas. Understanding direct objects will help strengthen your grammar and writing skills.
Noun Functions as Indirect Objects
As an indirect object, a noun receives the direct object of a verb. It answers the question “to whom” or “for whom” the action of the verb is done. For example:
She gave me a gift. In this sentence, “me” is the indirect object as it receives the direct object “a gift.”
He told his friend the secret. Here, “his friend” is the indirect object as it receives the direct object “the secret.”
They offered John the job. “John” is the indirect object in this sentence.
Sometimes, the indirect object refers to a person for whose benefit an action is performed. For example:
She baked her kids some cookies. Here, “her kids” is the indirect object.
They built us a treehouse. “Us” is the indirect object, referring to the people for whose benefit the treehouse was built.
An indirect object can appear before or after the direct object in a sentence. It is usually a noun or pronoun, and, in some cases, it can be a phrase or clause. To determine the indirect object in a sentence, identify the direct object (the thing or person that receives the action of the verb) and then determine to/for whom or what the direct object relates.
In short, the main functions of a noun as an indirect object are:
- To refer to the person or thing that receives the direct object.
- To indicate for whose benefit an action is performed.
Identifying indirect objects helps in understanding the meaning and structure of sentences better.
Noun Functions as Objects Of Prepositions
As nouns, words can serve different purposes within a sentence. One important function is as objects of prepositions. Prepositions are words like “in,” “on,” “under,” “over,” and “through” that indicate location or placement. When a noun comes after a preposition, it is the object of that preposition.
For example, in the sentence “The cat jumped over the fence,” the noun “fence” is the object of the preposition “over.” The preposition “over” indicates the cat jumped in a location above and across the fence. Similarly, in “The keys are in the drawer,” the noun “drawer” is the object of the preposition “in,” showing the location of the keys.
Some other examples:
- The book fell under the table. (under the table – the table is the object of under)
- We walked through the forest. (through the forest – the forest is the object of through)
- She put the vase on the mantle. (on the mantle – the mantle is the object of on)
- They found a secret passage behind the bookshelf. (behind the bookshelf – the bookshelf is the object of behind)
As you can see, prepositions typically indicate location, placement, or movement. The nouns that come after prepositions (the objects) refer to the place, position, or thing that is being located, placed, or moved. Prepositions help provide context to the sentence by describing the relationship between their objects and other words in the sentence.
The key point to remember is that when a noun directly follows a preposition, that noun will function as the object of that preposition. Identifying the prepositional phrase, which includes the preposition and its object, can help you understand the meaning and context of the sentence.
Noun Functions as Predicates
Nouns can function as predicates in a sentence by renaming or re-identifying the subject. When a noun follows a linking verb like “be,” “seem,” or “appear,” it renames the subject by describing or identifying it. For example:
- I am a teacher.
- The teacher is John.
- This is my friend.
In these examples, “teacher,” “John,” and “friend” are noun predicates that rename the subjects “I,” “the teacher,” and “this,” respectively.
Noun predicates can also follow verbs like “become,” “turn into,” “get,” “make,” and “choose,” where they identify what the subject is turning or changing into. For example:
- I became a doctor.
- She turned into a leader.
- They got lawyers.
- We made him captain.
- I chose writing as a career.
Here, “doctor,” “leader,” “lawyer,” “captain,” and “writing” are nouns that function as predicates by identifying what the subjects became or were made into.
Some other examples of nouns as predicates:
My hobby is photography. (photography identifies hobby)
The winner was Tom. (Tom identifies winner)
Their only child is a daughter. (daughter identifies child)
The highlight of my day is coffee with friends. (coffee identifies highlight)
To summarize, nouns commonly function as predicates when they follow linking verbs or verbs of change/transformation. In these cases, the noun renames, describes, or identifies the subject, providing more details about what the subject is or is becoming. Understanding how nouns work as predicates helps in crafting clear and meaningful sentences.
Noun Functions as Modifiers
Nouns are one of the building blocks of language and grammar. They serve many functions in a sentence, including acting as modifiers. When nouns modify other nouns, they provide more details about them. For example:
- School bus: The noun ‘school’ modifies the noun ‘bus’ to specify what kind of bus.
- Coffee table: The noun ‘coffee’ modifies ‘table’ to indicate the table’s purpose or intended location.
- Chicken soup: The noun ‘chicken’ modifies ‘soup’ to describe the kind of soup.
- Computer monitor: The noun ‘computer’ modifies ‘monitor’ to denote the monitor’s function.
Using nouns as modifiers helps give the reader a fuller, more vivid picture by providing descriptive details about another noun. These noun phrases, or modifiers, can come before or after the noun they modify.
Some other examples of nouns functioning as modifiers include:
- Living room sofa
- Biology textbook
- Soccer field
- Blueberry muffin
- Website content
As you can see, nouns that act as modifiers are very common and help enrich our language by allowing us to be more precise in our descriptions. They make a sentence more engaging and help paint a visual picture for the reader.
Noun Adjunct
A noun adjunct is a noun that modifies another noun. For example, “shoe store” or “family vacation.” The nouns “shoe” and “family” modify the nouns “store” and “vacation,” respectively.
So remember, next time you want to provide details about a noun and strengthen your writing, consider using another noun to modify it. Nouns as modifiers: simple, useful, and effective.
Noun Functions as Appositives
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames or describes another noun or pronoun in a sentence. Appositives provide extra information about a noun. In English grammar, appositives are usually offset by commas.
For example, take the sentence: “My friend, the one with the curly hair, is coming over today.” The appositive phrase “the one with the curly hair” provides more details about the noun “friend.”
Appositives can be essential or nonessential. An essential appositive provides information that is critical for identifying the noun it modifies. For instance, in the sentence “The city Paris is located in France,” “Paris” is an essential appositive. Without it, we wouldn’t know which city is being referred to.
A nonessential appositive provides extra information that is not critical for identifying the noun. For example, in the sentence “My dog, a golden retriever, loves to play fetch,” “a golden retriever” is a nonessential appositive. We already know which dog is being talked about, so the appositive just adds extra details.
Here are a few more examples of appositives in sentences:
My brother, the doctor, is visiting this weekend. (nonessential appositive)
The capital city, Oyo, is located in Ibadan. (essential appositive)
Our CEO, a visionary leader, announced exciting news today. (nonessential appositive)
The Nile River, Africa’s longest river, flows through Egypt. (essential appositive)
Appositives allow writers to pack more descriptive details and information into a sentence in an efficient way. They create connections between nouns, renaming or describing a noun with another noun phrase. The next time you want to provide extra details about a noun in your writing, consider using an appositive.
Noun Functions as Possessive
Possessive nouns show ownership. They indicate that something belongs to someone or something. To form a possessive noun, you add ‘s to the end of the noun. For example:
- The dog’s collar (the collar belongs to the dog)
- Mary’s book (the book belongs to Mary)
For plural nouns ending in s, just add an apostrophe:
- The students’ essays (the essays belong to the students)
For singular nouns ending in s, you can add either ‘s or just an apostrophe:
- The boss’s office or The boss’ office (both are correct)
Proper nouns
Proper nouns refer to specific people, places, or things. When a proper noun ends in s, you usually just add an apostrophe:
- St. James’ Park
- Kansas’ weather
However, if the proper noun is a name, like James, you typically add ‘s:
- James’s guitar
For plural proper nouns ending in s, add only an apostrophe:
- The Smiths’ house
Compound nouns
For compound nouns (nouns made up of two or more words), add the ‘s to the end of the word closest to the object owned:
- My brother-in-law’s new car
- The Attorney General’s decision
Descriptive phrases
When a descriptive phrase comes before a noun, you add the ‘s to the end of that phrase:
- The man in the red hat’s dog
- The children living next door’s bike
Genitive
The genitive case shows possession or ownership. Nouns in the genitive case are usually marked with ‘s or an apostrophe. For example, “the boy’s hat” or “the students’ grades.” The nouns “boy’s” and “students'” show possession of “hat” and “grades,” respectively.
In short, to show possession with a noun, simply add ‘s or just an apostrophe, depending on whether the word is singular, plural, or ends in s. With proper use of possessive nouns, your writing will be clear and concise.
Noun Functions as Adverbs
As a noun, a word can function as an adverb in a sentence to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. When a noun acts as an adverb, it’s called an adverbial noun. For example:
Time
Nouns like today, tomorrow, yesterday, etc., can function as adverbs of time. For example:
I will finish the work today. (Today modifies the verb finish)
He came yesterday. (Yesterday modifies the verb came)
Place
Words like home, north, south, etc. can act as adverbs of place. For example:
I live nearby. (Nearby modifies the verb live)
Go upstairs. (Upstairs modifies the verb go)
Manner
Some nouns like gallop, trot, etc., can function as adverbs of manner. For example:
The horse galloped past. (Gallop modifies the verb past)
She trotted into the arena. (Trot modifies the verb into)
Frequency
Words such as daily, weekly, annually, etc., can act as adverbs of frequency. For example:
I visit the doctor annually. (Annually modifies the verb visit)
She goes to church weekly. (Weekly modifies the verb goes)
Degree
Nouns such as completely, partially, etc., can act as adverbs of degree. For example:
The work is partially done. (Partially modifies the adjective done)
I completely forgot about it. (Completely modifies the verb forgot)
As you can see, nouns that function as adverbs add richness to our language by enabling us to express when, where, how, how often, and to what degree actions happen. They make our speech and writing more vivid, precise, and concise.
Noun Functions as Adjectives
A noun can act as an adjective by modifying another noun. When a noun is used as an adjective, it limits or qualifies the meaning of the noun it modifies. For example:
School bus
The noun ‘school’ acts as an adjective to modify the noun ‘bus.’ It tells us what kind of bus it is.
Kitchen table
The noun ‘kitchen’ modifies the noun ‘table’ to indicate the table’s location or purpose.
Computer software
The noun ‘computer’ is used as an adjective to modify ‘software’ and specify what kind of software it is.
Using nouns as adjectives is very common in English. Some other examples are:
- Morning walk
- Evening dress
- Silk tie
- Coffee table
- Rose garden
Compound nouns
When two nouns act together as an adjective, they form a compound noun. For example:
- Teapot (tea + pot)
- Houseboat (house + boat)
- Strawberry jam (strawberry + jam)
- Football (foot + ball)
- Keyboard (key + board)
Compound nouns are very common in English, and new combinations are frequently being coined. Using nouns as adjectives and forming compound nouns are simple ways to create new terms in English.
So, in summary, when a noun modifies another noun to qualify its meaning, it acts as an adjective. Nouns are commonly used as adjectives in English, and together with other nouns, they form compound nouns. Using nouns creatively as adjectives and creating interesting compound nouns are simple techniques to generate new vocabulary in English.
Noun Functions as Nominative
Nouns in the nominative case can function in different ways: as the subject, as an appositive, as a subject complement, and as a predicate.
Subject of a Verb
The nominative case noun can act as the subject of a verb. The subject is the person or thing that performs the action of the verb. For example:
- The boy ran.
- The sun rises.
- The committee meets today.
In the examples above, ‘the boy,’ ‘the sun’, and ‘the committee’ are nouns in the nominative case, acting as the subject of the verb.
Complement of a Subject
The nominative case noun can act as a complement to the subject. The complement adds more information about the subject. For example:
- The teacher, strict but kind, taught the lesson.
- The player, an experienced batsman, scored a century.
Here, ‘strict but kind’ and ‘an experienced batsman’ are nominative case nouns acting as complements, giving more details about ‘the teacher’ and ‘the player’ respectively.
Appositive
The nominative case noun can also act as an appositive. An appositive is a noun that renames another noun. It provides another name for the same person or thing. For example:
- The animal, a tiger, roared loudly.
- My friend, a genius, solved the puzzle.
In the examples above, ‘a tiger’ and ‘a genius’ are nominative case nouns acting as appositives, providing another name for ‘the animal’ and ‘my friend’ respectively.
Predicate Nominative
A nominative case noun can also act as a predicate nominative. A predicate nominative renames the subject and comes after a linking verb. For example:
- The winner was Femi.
- The culprit is the butler.
In the examples above, ‘Femi’ and ‘the butler’ are nominative case nouns acting as predicate nominatives, renaming ‘the winner’ and ‘the culprit’ respectively.
As you can see, the nominative case noun has several functions in a sentence. Knowing these functions will help you understand sentences better and use nouns correctly.
How to Use Nouns Correctly in a Sentence
So you’ve learned all about nouns, from concrete to abstract, proper to common. Now, it’s time to put that knowledge into practice by using nouns correctly in your writing. The key is understanding how nouns function in a sentence.
Subject
The subject of a sentence refers to the person, place, or thing that is doing or being something. Nouns are commonly used as subjects. For example, “The curious student (noun) asked many questions (verb).” Here, “student” is the subject. Make sure your subject and verb agree in number; a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Direct Object
A direct object receives the action of a verb. It answers the question “what?” or “whom?”. For example, “The teacher graded the essays (direct object).” The direct object is the thing or person that is acted upon by the subject.
Indirect Object
An indirect object identifies to what or to whom something is done. It answers the question “to what?” or “to whom?”. For example, “The teacher gave the students (indirect object) the essays (direct object) back.” The indirect object is the recipient of the direct object.
Objective Complement
An objective complement describes or renames the direct object. It answers the question “what?” or “whom?”. For example, “The committee elected Mary (direct object) president (objective complement).” The objective complement provides more information about the direct object.
Subjective Complement
A subjective complement describes or renames the subject. It follows a linking verb like “to be.” For example, “The new student (subject) is (linking verb) an excellent writer (subjective complement).” The subjective complement gives more information about the subject.
Using nouns correctly as subjects, objects, and complements in your sentences will make your writing clear, precise, and impactful. With practice, these concepts will become second nature and help you construct compelling prose.
Conclusion
Now you know all about the different functions that nouns can serve in sentences. From being the subject or object to acting as appositives or predicate nominatives, nouns are a remarkably versatile part of speech. Just remember that their key purpose is to name a person, place, thing, or idea. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to identify noun functions with ease. Put it into practice as you continue reading and writing.