Understanding Nouns and Their Types English Grammar JSS 1 First Term Lesson Notes Week 1
English Grammar JSS 1 First Term Lesson Notes
Subject: English Language
Class: JSS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 1
Age: 10-12 years
Topic: Parts of Speech
Sub-topic:
- Nouns – Meaning
- Types of Nouns with Examples
Duration: 40 Minutes
Behavioural Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
- Define a noun.
- Identify the different types of nouns.
- Provide examples of each type of noun.
- Use nouns correctly in sentences.
Keywords:
- Noun
- Common noun
- Proper noun
- Abstract noun
- Collective noun
Set Induction:
The teacher will ask the students to mention names of people, places, and things around them to introduce the lesson on nouns.
Entry Behaviour:
Students can identify names of people, places, animals, and things in everyday conversation.
Learning Resources and Materials:
- Flashcards showing examples of nouns.
- Charts displaying types of nouns.
- Pictures representing various types of nouns.
Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge:
Students use nouns in their daily conversations, but they may not know that these words are classified into different types.
Embedded Core Skills:
- Communication
- Listening skills
- Classification skills
Reference Books:
- Lagos State Scheme of Work
- English Language for JSS 1 by Ogunsanwo Folasade
Instructional Materials:
- Flashcards
- Charts
- Whiteboard
- Markers
Content:
1. Meaning of Nouns
- A noun is a word that names a person, animal, place, thing, or idea.
- Nouns are one of the most important parts of speech as they help in identifying subjects in a sentence.
2. Types of Nouns with Examples
There are several types of nouns:
- Common Nouns: These refer to general names of people, places, or things.
Examples: boy, girl, city, dog, chair. - Proper Nouns: These refer to specific names of people, places, or things and always begin with a capital letter.
Examples: Lagos, Nigeria, John, Christmas. - Abstract Nouns: These refer to things that cannot be seen or touched, such as ideas, emotions, and qualities.
Examples: love, courage, happiness, truth. - Collective Nouns: These refer to a group of people, animals, or things.
Examples: team, family, herd, choir, class.
Nouns
What is a Noun?
Of all the parts of speech, nouns are perhaps the most important. A noun is a word that identifies a person, animal, place, thing, or idea. Here, we’ll take a closer look at what makes a noun a noun, and we’ll provide some noun examples, along with some advice for using nouns in your sentences.
Identifying a Noun
A noun is a part of speech that denotes a person, animal, place, thing, or idea. The English word noun has its roots in the Latin word nomen, which means “name.” Every language has words that are nouns. As you read the following explanations, think about some words that might fit into each category.
*.Person– A term for a person, whether proper name, gender, title, or class, is a noun.
*.Animal– A term for an animal, whether proper name, species, gender ,or class is a noun.
*.Place– A term for a place, whether proper name, physical location, or general locale is a noun.
*.Thing– A term for a thing, whether it exists now, will exist, or existed in the past is a noun.
*.Idea– A term for an idea, be it a real, workable idea or a fantasy that might never come to fruition is a noun.
Identifying a noun in a sentence
When we first start to learn the parts of speech, trying to identify different words can seem like a challenge. This process gets easier with practice. Here are some noun examples to help you get started. The nouns in each sentence have been italicized.
- Person –He is the person to see.
Person –John started to run.
Person – Plato was an influential Greek philosopher.
Animal – The dog barked at the cat.
Animal – Elephants never forget.
Animal – Sophie is my favorite horse.
Place – The restaurant is opened.
Place – Let’s go to the beach.
Place – Harvard and Yale are two famous universities.
Thing – Throw the ball.
Thing – Please close the door and lock it.
*.Idea – Follow the rules.
*.Idea – The theory of relativity is an important concept.
TYPES OF NOUNS
Common noun
A common noun is a noun that refers to people or things in general, e.g.boy, country, bridge, city, birth, day, happiness.
Proper noun
A proper noun is a name that identifies a particular person, place, or thing, e.g.Steven, Africa, London, Monday. In written English, proper nouns begin with capital letters.
Concrete noun
A concrete noun is a noun which refers to people and to things that exist physically and can be seen, touched, smelled, heard, or tasted. Examples include dog, building, coffee, tree, rain, beach, tune.
Abstract noun
An abstract noun is a noun which refers to ideas, qualities, and conditions- things that cannot be seen or touched and things which have no physical reality, e.g .truth, danger, happiness, time, friendship, humour.
Collective nouns
Collective nouns refer to groups of people or things, e.g.audience, family, government, team, jury. In American English, most collective nouns are treated as singular, with a singular verb: The whole family was at the table.In British English, the preceding sentence would be correct, but it would also be correct to treat the collective noun as a plural, with a plural verb: The whole family were at the table. A noun may belong to more than one category. For example, happiness is both a common noun and an abstract noun, while Mount Everest is both a concrete noun and a proper noun.
Evaluation
Identify the nouns in the following sentences
- Person – Sharon admires her grandfather.
Place – Look! There’s the Eiffel Tower.
Thing – The lamp sits on a table next to the sofa.
Thing –Money doesn’t grow on trees.
Person – My mother looks a lot like my grandmother, and I look very much like them.
*Idea –Love is a wonderful emotion.
Reading assignment
Nouns
Reference
English Grammar for Junior Secondary Schools. Pages 8 – 10
15 Fill-in-the-blank Questions:
- A noun is a word that names a person, place, ____ or idea.
a) Song
b) Animal
c) Sound
d) House - A ____ noun refers to general names of people, places, or things.
a) Abstract
b) Proper
c) Collective
d) Common - Proper nouns always begin with a ____ letter.
a) Small
b) Capital
c) Red
d) Blue - A noun that refers to an idea or quality is called an ____ noun.
a) Common
b) Collective
c) Abstract
d) Proper - A group of people or animals is referred to as a ____ noun.
a) Proper
b) Abstract
c) Common
d) Collective - The word “family” is an example of a ____ noun.
a) Common
b) Abstract
c) Collective
d) Proper - The word “Lagos” is an example of a ____ noun.
a) Abstract
b) Proper
c) Common
d) Collective - The word “love” is an example of an ____ noun.
a) Common
b) Abstract
c) Proper
d) Collective - The word “team” is an example of a ____ noun.
a) Proper
b) Common
c) Abstract
d) Collective - The word “city” is an example of a ____ noun.
a) Common
b) Proper
c) Abstract
d) Collective - ____ nouns refer to specific names of people or places.
a) Proper
b) Collective
c) Abstract
d) Common - ____ nouns refer to general names of things and people.
a) Abstract
b) Common
c) Proper
d) Collective - The word “courage” is an example of an ____ noun.
a) Collective
b) Common
c) Proper
d) Abstract - “Class” is an example of a ____ noun.
a) Abstract
b) Common
c) Collective
d) Proper - ____ nouns name things that can’t be seen or touched, like feelings or qualities.
a) Collective
b) Abstract
c) Proper
d) Common
15 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- What is a noun?
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, animal, or idea. - What are common nouns?
Common nouns are general names of people, places, or things. - What are proper nouns?
Proper nouns are specific names of people, places, or things and always begin with a capital letter. - What is an abstract noun?
An abstract noun refers to an idea, quality, or feeling that cannot be seen or touched. - What is a collective noun?
A collective noun refers to a group of people, animals, or things. - Give examples of common nouns.
Examples of common nouns include dog, chair, city, and girl. - Give examples of proper nouns.
Examples of proper nouns include Lagos, John, and Christmas. - Give examples of abstract nouns.
Examples of abstract nouns include love, courage, and truth. - Give examples of collective nouns.
Examples of collective nouns include team, family, and class. - Why do proper nouns always start with capital letters?
Proper nouns start with capital letters because they refer to specific names. - Can a common noun be used to refer to a proper noun?
No, common nouns refer to general things, while proper nouns are specific. - What is the difference between abstract and concrete nouns?
Abstract nouns cannot be seen or touched, while concrete nouns can. - What is the function of nouns in a sentence?
Nouns act as the subject or object in a sentence, representing people, places, or things. - How do collective nouns differ from common nouns?
Collective nouns refer to groups, while common nouns refer to individual objects or persons. - Is “truth” a common or abstract noun?
“Truth” is an abstract noun.
Presentation:
Step 1: The teacher revises the previous topic (if any).
Step 2: The teacher introduces the new topic, explaining the definition of nouns and the different types.
Step 3: The teacher shows examples of each type of noun, using flashcards and real-life objects.
Teacher’s Activities:
- Explain the meaning of nouns.
- Show examples of common, proper, abstract, and collective nouns.
- Ask students to give examples of each type of noun.
- Write examples of nouns on the board and classify them.
Learners’ Activities:
- Listen attentively to the teacher.
- Give examples of different types of nouns.
- Write down examples of nouns in their notebooks.
- Classify nouns into common, proper, abstract, and collective.
Assessment:
- Define a noun.
- List three types of nouns.
- Give two examples of common nouns.
- What is a proper noun?
- Provide an example of an abstract noun.
Ten Evaluation Questions:
- What is a noun?
- Give two examples of proper nouns.
- What is an abstract noun?
- Mention two examples of collective nouns.
- What are common nouns?
- Why do proper nouns start with capital letters?
- Give two examples of abstract nouns.
- What is the difference between a proper and a common noun?
- Provide an example of a collective noun.
- What is the function of nouns in sentences?
Conclusion:
The teacher will move around the class, checking students’ work and offering feedback on their understanding of nouns.