English home language
Grade 5
Fabulous
Module 11
Nouns
Different types of nouns:
Common nouns:
A word used for any person, animal, place or item (not specific) – ordinary, everyday things, e.g. puppy.
Proper nouns:
The name of a particular person, animal, place or item and always begins with a capital letter (specific) –e.g. Pasha.
Here’s a clue concerning the proper noun: because it is the specific name of something or someone, it is written with a capital letter.
Collective nouns:
A word used for a collection or group of similar persons, animals or items e.g. a pile of bones.
Abstract nouns:
Words which name feelings or qualities (cannot feel these with your hands) - (We do not do this in detail at all).
Exercise 1
Identify the different nouns from the following columns.
| 1 | Common noun | 2 | Proper noun |
| 3 | Collective noun | 4 | Abstract noun |
Put the correct number into the space provided. Refer to the above grid for help if necessary.
| Casper | a feeling of freedom | ||
| a swarm of bees | peace | ||
| ghost | A crowd of onlookers | ||
| cat | anger | ||
| Pretoria | bouquet | ||
| astonishment | Pasha | ||
| A litter of kittens | fear | ||
| Monday | December | ||
| peace | World War 1 |
COMMON NOUNS
Exercise 2
1. Verbally list words that name:
(a) six occupations
(b) six animals
(c) six foods
(d) six items from your pencil bag
COMMON NOUNS AND PROPER NOUNS
Exercise 3
2. In the sentences below,
(a) pick out the common nouns that name people and circle them in RED .
(b) pick out the common nouns that name objects and underline them in BLUE .
(c) pick out the proper nouns and outline them in GREEN .
(i) Elize Grobbelaar, a neighbour, found the little squirrels.
(ii) Berena’s cat, Kit-Kat, became the orphans’ mother.
(iii) The kittens are fascinated with Snap, Crackle and Pop.
(iv) Pama, the father and farmer, says they eat his pumpkins and butternuts.
Exercise 4
3. Rewrite the following sentences using capital letters to begin the proper nouns:
(a) he is a game ranger in the kruger national park.
(b) my aunt anne works as a secretary for the nature conservation society.
(c) the only lioness left in captivity in natal can be viewed at durban zoo.
(d) port elizabeth is a holiday resort in the eastern cape.
(e) we have an “i love cape town” sticker on the back of our opel astra.
Exercise 5
(a) Find yourself a partner and let’s play the Alphabet Game.
(b) Select a letter of the alphabet in a fair manner.
(c) Try to complete the list before your partner can.
| Letter | Country or city | Fruit / Vegetable | Makes / Names: cars | Animal |
Memorandum
Exercise 1
Common Nouns: ghost; cat
Proper Nouns: Casper; Pretoria; Monday; Pasha; December; World War 1
Collective Nouns: a swarm of bees; a litter of kittens; a crowd of onlookers; bouquet
Abstract Nouns: astonishment; peace; a feeling of freedom; anger; fear
Exercise 3
Common Nouns that name people: neighbour; mother; father; farmer
Common Nouns that name objects: pumpkins; butternuts
Proper Nouns: Elize Grobbelaar; Berena’s; Kit-Kat; Snap; Crackle; Pop; Pama
Exercise 4
(i) -
(ii) Aunt; Nature Conservation Society
(iii) Natal; Zoo
(iv) -
(v) -