Nouns 名詞
BasicNouns: common and proper.
- Four noun groups: people, places, animals, things.
- Common nouns are general; proper nouns take capitals: Mary, Hong Kong.
- Countables add s: two books; uncountables do not: some water.
文體小知識：Learn basic grammar.
§Text Passage
1Mary is a Primary Three student in Hong Kong. Every day she carries two books and a pencil case to school. Her teacher, Mr Chan, teaches English. At recess, Mary drinks water and eats bread in the playground.
2On Sundays, her family goes to the park. Her brother plays football with his friends. Mary reads a book about animals under a big tree. The park is quiet and green.
3Mr Chan says, 'A noun is the name of a person, a place, an animal or a thing.' 'Mary' is a person. 'Hong Kong' is a place. 'Cat' is an animal. 'Book' is a thing. Can you find more nouns in this story? Nouns are everywhere in our school. The gate, the library and the playground are places. Even the small ant on the ground is an animal. Look around, and you will find nouns everywhere.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
Mary is a Primary Three student in Hong Kong.
Mary 是香港一個小三學生。
Every day she carries two books and a pencil case to school.
他每日帶兩本書同一個筆袋上學。
Her teacher, Mr Chan, teaches English.
他的老師陳先生教英文。
At recess, Mary drinks water and eats bread in the playground.
小息時，Mary 在操場喝水同吃麵包。
On Sundays, her family goes to the park.
星期日，他一家人會去公園。
Her brother plays football with his friends.
他弟弟會和朋友踢足球。
Mary reads a book about animals under a big tree.
Mary 就在大樹下面看一本關於動物的書。
The park is quiet and green.
那個公園又安靜又綠意盎然。
Mr Chan says, 'A noun is the name of a person, a place, an animal or a thing.'
陳先生說：「名詞就是人、地方、動物或者物件的名稱。」
'Mary' is a person.
「Mary」是人。
'Hong Kong' is a place.
「香港」是地方。
'Cat' is an animal.
「貓」是動物。
'Book' is a thing.
「書」是物件。
Can you find more nouns in this story?
你可以在這個故事裡面找到更多名詞嗎？
Nouns are everywhere in our school.
名詞在我們學校周圍都是。
The gate, the library and the playground are places.
大門、圖書館同操場都是地方。
Even the small ant on the ground is an animal.
連地上那隻小螞蟻都是動物。
Look around, and you will find nouns everywhere.
到處看一看，你就會發現名詞無處不在。
1Summary 重點摘要
Nouns: common and proper.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A word that names a person, place, animal or thing.
A general name, like girl or park.
A special name with capital letters, like Mary or Hong Kong.
A person who studies at school.
A person who teaches.
A green place for play.
A ball played with the feet.
A tall plant with a trunk.
A living thing like a cat, dog or bird.
Our city — a proper noun with capital letters.
3Step by step Steps
- Four noun groupsMr Chan says: A noun is the name of a person, a place, an animal or a thing — four groups in all. People: Mary, Mr Chan; place: Hong Kong; animal: cat; thing: book. Tip: a or an follows the first sound — an animal, because animal starts with a vowel sound.
- Find nouns in paragraph 1In Mary is a Primary Three student, Mary and student are people; books and a pencil case are things; Mr Chan is a name. Ask of each word: does it name a person or a thing? Tip: Primary Three is the name of a grade, so both words take capitals, never primary three.
- Find nouns in paragraph 2On Sundays the family goes to the park — park is a place; brother plays football — brother and football are nouns; Mary reads a book under a big tree — book and tree are nouns too, while big is an adjective. A line often holds more than one noun; find them all, then sort them. Tip: articles like the and a usually point to the noun just after them.
- Common vs proper nounsGirl is a common noun for any girl; Mary is a proper noun for that one girl, so it starts with a capital. Park is common; Victoria Park is proper. The rule is simple: only the special name of a particular person or place takes a capital. Tip: proper names keep their capital anywhere in the sentence; common nouns only at the start.
- Capital lettersFour kinds of words take capitals: names like Mary and Mr Chan; places like Hong Kong; days like Sunday; titles like Uncle Lee. The M of Mr takes a capital, because the title is part of the name. Tip: months and days are capital too — Monday, October — but boy and school are not, unless first in the sentence.
- Countable or notCountable nouns can be counted: two books, three pencils add s for more than one. Uncountable nouns have no plural: water and rice take no a and no s; to give an amount, use some water, a bowl of rice. Tip: bread and money look countable but are not — say two pieces of bread, never two breads.
- Sentence practicePractise sorting in one sentence: Mary reads a book in the park. Say the line, then point out that Mary is a person, book a thing, park a place. Write your own, such as My brother plays football at school, and circle the person, the thing and the place. Tip: check two spots — capitals on proper nouns, s on plurals.
5Worked example Example
Full noun sort: put the nouns of Mary's day into four baskets and mark the proper nouns with capitals.
- Read the passage and circle every noun, asking: person, place, animal or thing?
- People basket: Mary, student, teacher, Mr Chan, brother — all names for people.
- Places basket: Hong Kong, school, park — all names for locations.
- Animals: cat; things: book, pencil case, football, tree — objects all go here.
- Proper-noun check: Mary, Hong Kong, Mr Chan and Sunday must all start with capitals.
- Make one sentence per basket: Mary reads a book in the park packs several nouns into one line.
- Answer: People: Mary, student, Mr Chan, brother; places: Hong Kong, school, park; animals: cat; things: book, pencil case, football, tree. Proper nouns: Mary, Hong Kong, Mr Chan, Sunday.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Which one is a proper noun: girl, Mary or park?
Q2What does Mary carry to school?
Q3What does brother do in the park on Sundays?
Q4Plural: one book, three ___
Q5Fix it: my teacher is mr chan.
8Recap Recap
- Four noun groups: people, places, animals, things.
- Common nouns are general; proper nouns take capitals: Mary, Hong Kong.
- Countables add s: two books; uncountables do not: some water.
- Add a/an to singular countables: a cat, an animal.
- Circle nouns while reading and sort them to remember.