1. Common Nouns:
Common nouns refer to general, non-specific people, places, or things.
- Examples:
- Singular: cat, mountain, chair.
- Plural: cats, mountains, chairs.
- Usage Tips: Common nouns are used to refer to general items or concepts.
- Common Mistakes: Using common nouns inappropriately as proper nouns, e.g., saying "I visited the Mountains" instead of specifying a particular mountain range.
2. Proper Nouns:
Proper nouns are specific names for people, places, or things, always capitalized.
- Examples:
- People: Albert Einstein, Jennifer Lopez.
- Places: Eiffel Tower, Amazon River.
- Usage Tips: Always capitalize proper nouns. They provide specific names and details.
- Common Mistakes: Failing to capitalize proper nouns, like writing "paris" instead of "Paris."
3. Pronouns:
Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition.
- Examples: he, she, it, they.
- Usage Tips: Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. Ensure clarity in reference.
- Common Mistakes: Ambiguous pronoun references, like using "it" without a clear antecedent.
Ambiguous Reference:
- The student submitted the report, but it was too long.
Clarified Reference:
- The student submitted a report, but the document was too long.
In the first sentence, "it" is ambiguous, while the second sentence clarifies that "it" refers to the document or report.
4. Gerunds:
Gerunds are verbs ending in -ing that function as nouns.
- Examples:
- I enjoy swimming in the ocean.
- Reading is her favorite hobby.
- Usage Tips: Gerunds function as nouns and can be subjects or objects in sentences.
- Common Mistakes: Confusing gerunds with regular verbs, e.g., "I like to swim" versus "I like swimming."
5. Infinitives:
Infinitives are the base form of a verb used as a noun, often introduced by “to.”
- Examples:
- I want to travel the world.
- Her goal is to succeed in her career.
- The tea is too hot for you to drink.
- Usage Tips: Infinitives can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
- Common Mistakes: Omitting "to" when it's needed, like saying "I want travel."
6. Noun Clauses:
Noun clauses are groups of words that function as a noun and include a subject and verb.
- Examples:
- What he said surprised everyone.
- I don't understand why she left.
- Usage Tips: Noun clauses serve as subjects, objects, or complements in sentences.
- Common Mistakes: Confusing noun clauses with simple sentences, e.g., "I don't understand why she left" versus "I don't understand. Why did she leave?"
• In nominal clauses, a question is never possible.
• A nominal clause always has a connector.
Connectors: if, whether, how, that, wh…
