Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Subjects

Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Subjects

By Cinco Delgado

Noun

Definition

A noun is a word or set of words for a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun of more than one word (tennis court, gas station) is called a compound noun.

Common Nouns and Proper Nouns

There are common nouns and proper nouns. Common nouns are words for a general class of people, places, things, and ideas (man, city, award, honesty). They are not capitalized. Proper nouns are always capitalized. They name specific people, places, and things (Joe, Chicgo, Academy Award).

Linking Verbs

Verbs often consist of more than one word. For instance, had been breaking down is a four-word verb. It has a two-word main verb, breaking down (also called a phrasal verb), and two helping verbs (had and been). Helping verbs are so named because they help clarify the intended meaning.

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Many verbs can function as helping verbs, including is, shall, must, do, has, can, keep, get, start, help, etc.

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Linking Verbs

Verbs often consist of more than one word. For instance, had been breaking down is a four-word verb. It has a two-word main verb, breaking down (also called a phrasal verb), and two helping verbs (had and been). Helping verbs are so named because they help clarify the intended meaning.

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Verbs

A verb is a word or set of words that shows action (runs, is going, has been painting); feeling (loves, envies); or state of being (am, are, is, have been, was, seem).

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Participles

You will sometimes hear the word participle, which is the form of a verb used with helping verbs to make verb tenses or is used to form adjectives. For instance, breaking and broken are the present and past participles, respectively, of the verb break. A broken dish is an example of a phrase containing a participle as an adjective

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Indirect Objects

Verbs may also take indirect objects, which receive the direct object. You can spot an indirect object if it makes sense to place to or for in front of it.

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Examples:

Examples: I like cake. (cake receives the action, like, done by the subject, I)

She lifts weights. (weights receives the action, lifts, done by the subject, She)

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Note: Subjects are underlined and verbs are strked through​

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Gerund

Gerund is another verb-related term we'll mention only briefly. Gerunds are also called verbal nouns, because they are formed when verbs have -ing added to them and are used as nouns.

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Example:

Walking is great exercise. (The –ing word, the gerund, is the subject of the sentence.)

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Subject

A subject is the noun, pronoun, or set of verbs that perfor

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Directions

For each question, identify the correct subjects and verbs. The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• I was pleased to learn of her good fortune.

• I was pleased to learn of her good fortune.

• I was pleased to learn of her good fortune.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• Bill is competing againt twenty others to win the chess tournament.

• Bill is competing against twenty others to win the chess tournament.

• Bill is competing against twenty others to win the chess tournament.

• Bill is competing against twenty others to win the chess tournament.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• The rows of flower beds are watered daily.

• The rows of flower beds are watered daily.

• The rows of flower beds are watered daily.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• The doctor told Jim to step on the scale.

• The doctor told Jim to step on the scale.

• The doctor told jim to step on the scale.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• The actor has forgotten his lines.

• The actor has forgotten his lines.

• The actor has forgotten his lines.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• His argument was refuted.

• His argument was refuted.

• His argument was refuted.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• She and I prefer morning classes

• She and I prefer morning classes.

• She and I prefer morning classes.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• She breeds Pomeranian show dogs and sell them too.

• She breeds Pomeranian show dogs and sells them too.

• She breeds Pomeranian show dogs and sells them too.

• She breeds Pomeranian show dogs and sells them too.

Multiple Choice

Identify the correct subjects and verbs

The subjects are underlined and the verbs are striked through.

• The ink dribbled from the pen in his shirt and stained the cloth.

• The ink dribbled from the pen in his shirt and stained the cloth.

• The ink dribbled from the pen in his shirt and stained the cloth.