Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
Carmen’s Diary
23, 2001
Thursday, July
and I got lost
On our trip Dad
and of Crete.
on the Greek isl e ruins looking
th
We wandered in
the minotaur.
of
for the mosaic
kindness of a
Because of the
ally found it.
stranger, we fin
Theme: Lost Cities and Civilizations
Finding Your Way
Poor Carmen! She and her father lost their way while exploring
the ruins of a lost civilization on the island of Crete. Look at the
different nouns in her diary. Which name people? Which name a
place? Which name things? Which names an idea?
As you can see, nouns are an important part of language.
You need nouns to name the people, places, things, or ideas
you write about. Nouns are the signposts in your sentences.
They keep you from getting “lost.”
Write Away: Missing Out
Think about a time when you lost something important to you.
You may have misplaced a treasured item, lost a contest or
competition, or missed a big opportunity. Write a paragraph
that describes this important event.
Save your writing in your
Working Portfolio.
34
Diagnostic Test: What Do You Know?
For each numbered item, choose the letter of the term that correctly
identifies it.
Plato was a Greek philosopher. He wrote about an ancient
(1)
civilization called Atlantis. Long ago, he said, Atlantis had
(2)
disappeared beneath the waves. Plato’s words have caused many
(3)
(4)
people to wonder about this lost place. Some people think Atlantis
(5)
was only a legend. Other people think it was indeed a real place.
(6)
(7)
There may be a very simple explanation for Atlantis. About 3,500
years ago, a volcano erupted on Thera, an island near Greece.
(8)
The explosion completely destroyed the center of the island. So
(9)
Thera may be remembered as Atlantis, a civilization lost to a
(10)
natural disaster.
2. A. singular noun
B. proper noun
C. possessive noun
D. plural noun
3. A. noun as subject
B. noun as direct object
C. noun as object of preposition
D. noun as predicate noun
4. A. common noun
B. possessive noun
C. predicate noun
D. plural noun
5. A. plural noun
B. possessive noun
C. common noun
D. proper noun
6. A. noun as subject
B. noun as direct object
C. noun as object of
preposition
D. noun as predicate noun
7. A. noun as direct object
B. noun as subject
C. noun as predicate noun
D. noun as object of preposition
8. A. singular noun
B. plural noun
C. proper noun
D. possessive noun
9. A. noun as subject
B. noun as direct object
C. noun as predicate noun
D. noun as object of preposition
10. A. noun as predicate noun
B. noun as direct object
C. noun as object of
preposition
D. noun as subject
Nouns 35
NOUNS
1. A. plural noun
B. possessive noun
C. common noun
D. proper noun
1 Here’s the Idea
●
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or
idea.
PERSONS
archaeologist
Theresa
CHAPTER 2
PLACES
site
Colorado
THINGS
pail
shovel
IDEAS
exploration
excitement
Common and Proper Nouns
A common noun is a general name for a person, place, thing,
or idea. Common nouns are not capitalized.
A proper noun is the name of a particular person, place, thing,
or idea. Proper nouns are always capitalized.
Common
people
home
state
Proper
Pueblo Indians
Cliff Palace
Colorado
Proper nouns make writing clear and precise.
COMMON NOUNS
People abandoned their home in the state.
PROPER NOUNS
Ancient Pueblo Indians abandoned the Cliff Palace
in Colorado.
36 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
2 Why It Matters in Writing
●
Sentences without proper nouns are often too general. Notice
how proper nouns make the following description more colorful
and specific.
DRAFT
REVISION
I saw the man slowly
hike up the road with his
students to see the houses
last month.
I saw Mr. DeLalo slowly
hike up Ruins Road with
Rick and Theresa to see
the Cliff Palace last August.
NOUNS
3 Practice and Apply
●
CONCEPT CHECK: What Is a Noun?
Write each noun, and label it as common or proper.
Quickly Lost, Slowly Found
1. Sometimes a place disappears quickly.
2. This happened to Pompeii, in Italy.
3. A volcano called Mount Vesuvius erupted almost
2,000 years ago.
4. Hot lava and ash shot out of the volcanic mountain.
5. The material rained down on the buildings of Pompeii.
6. Families were sitting down to eat bread and fish.
7. Some people ran to the sea and escaped in small boats.
8. Ash completely covered the town, and it was forgotten.
9. Pompeii was finally excavated in recent times.
10. Giuseppe Fiorelli found blackened rolls in a bakery.
●
●
Label each noun that you wrote above as a person, place,
thing, or idea.
For a SELF-CHECK and more practice, see the EXERCISE BANK, p. 267
Nouns 37
1 Here’s the Idea
●
A singular noun names one person, place, thing, or idea.
A plural noun names more than one person, place,
thing, or idea.
A tourist walked down the cobbled street. (singular nouns)
Tourists walked down the cobbled streets. (plural nouns)
CHAPTER 2
To make sure you spell plural nouns correctly, follow the rules
in the Quick-Fix Spelling Machine.
QUICK-FIX SPELLING MACHINE:
SINGULAR
1
ruin
building
2
3
Add -s to most nouns.
ruins
buildings
trench
dish
Add -es to a noun that ends in
s, sh, ch, x, or z.
trenches
dishes
volcano
Add -s to most nouns that end
in o.
volcanos
Add -es to a few nouns that end
in o.
echoes
For most nouns ending in y, change
the y to an i and add -es.
cities
When a vowel comes before
the y, just add -s.
stairways
shelf
knife
For most nouns ending in f or fe,
change the f to v and add -es or -s.
shelves
knives
chief
Just add -s to a few nouns that end
in f or fe.
chiefs
For some nouns, keep the same
spelling.
deer
buffalo
echo
4
city
stairway
5
6
RULE
PLURALS OF NOUNS
PLURAL
deer
buffalo
38 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
The plurals of some nouns are formed in irregular ways.
Singular
child
woman
man
foot
Plural
children
women
men
feet
2 Why It Matters in Writing
●
Plural nouns are the cause of many spelling errors in writing.
When you proofread, pay special attention to this challenge.
Notice how plural nouns are spelled correctly in the model below.
NOUNS
Suddenly it seemed too late for Tito. The red hot
ashes blistered his skin; the stinging vapors tore his
throat. He could not go on. . . . In a moment Bimbo was
beside him. . . . He licked Tito’s hands, his feet, his face.
—Louis Untermeyer, “The Dog of Pompeii”
3 Practice and Apply
●
A. CONCEPT CHECK: Singular and Plural Nouns
Rewrite the nouns in parentheses in their plural forms.
Have You Seen My Mummy?
1. The (priest) of Egypt put the (body) of dead kings in tombs.
●
2. (Egyptian) believed that a body had to be preserved in
●
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
order to have life after death.
For this reason, they prepared their dead to be (mummy).
At first, only dead (king) and (queen) were wrapped in cloth.
After many (century), ordinary people were also mummified.
The mummies were buried with precious (object).
(Scientist) study mummies to learn about (disease).
They have found (rash) and (sore) caused by (parasite).
Egyptians with many (rich) often had short (life).
Perhaps the (story) about a mummy’s curse got started
because (archaeologist) were infected by ancient germs.
For a SELF-CHECK and more practice, see the EXERCISE BANK, p. 267.
Nouns 39
B. PROOFREADING: Spelling Plural Nouns
Garbage In, Knowledge Out!
Can you imagine archaeologists going through your trash?
People who excavate, or dig up, lost citys do exactly that!
They find artifacts that provide us with echos of the past.
An artifact is any object mans, womans, and childs use in
their daily lifes. Today’s scientists examine pottery, tools,
and other objects used by ancient communities. A future
scientist may examine your mattresses, your toothbrushs, or
your baby toys! A scientist today may look at bones to see
which animals people ate, such as deers or buffalo. A future
excavator may examine the leftover tomatos in your salad!
Here’s a hint. Keep your old dishs clean, in case they’re
ever seen!
C. WRITING: Describing Artifacts
M
RR
U
CU
CHAPTER 2
RO S S T
HE
AC
Ten plural nouns in the following passage are misspelled. Find
them and write their correct spellings.
ICUL
On a social studies field trip, you saw the student archaeologist
below. Write a description of the tools he used and the artifacts
he found. Be sure to spell plural nouns correctly.
Field Trip Notes
Social Studies
artifacts
tools
bone
brush
pot
pick
40
1 Here’s the Idea
●
The possessive form of a noun shows ownership or
relationship.
The divers waited outside the archaeologist’s tent.
OWNERSHIP
The archaeologist’s family had come to visit.
RELATIONSHIP
You may use possessive nouns in place of longer phrases.
ship’s location.
The divers used a robot to find the location of the ship.
NOUN
RULE
POSSESSIVE
Singular
Mars
mound
Add an apostrophe
and -s.
Mars’s orbit
mound’s location
Plural ending
in -s
temples
travelers
Add an apostrophe.
temples’ treasures
travelers’ postcards
Plural not
ending in -s
people
men
Add an apostrophe
and -s.
people’s goods
men’s shoes
2 Why It Matters in Writing
●
When you write, be sure you have formed the possessive
correctly. A misplaced apostrophe can confuse the reader.
Notice how the revision in the model below clears up whether
one or more people made the discovery.
When the archaeologists opened the wooden chests,
,
they found priceless relics. The explorer’s discovery made
headlines in newspapers across the country.
Nouns 41
NOUNS
QUICK-FIX SPELLING MACHINE: POSSESSIVES
3 Practice and Apply
●
A. CONCEPT CHECK: Possessive Nouns
Write the possessive form of each noun in parentheses. Then
label each possessive noun singular or plural.
Risen from a Watery Grave
1. The Mary Rose was one of (England) finest warships.
●
2. She sank near the Portsmouth (Harbor) seabed during a
●
CHAPTER 2
battle with the French fleet in 1545.
3. Many (eyewitnesses) accounts told of her sad end.
4. The Mary Rose quickly became covered with the (seabed)
mud and sand.
5. Alexander McKee located the (wreck) position in 1967.
6. In 1982 the ship was raised and stored in the (city) dry
dock.
7. Bows, arrows, and other (archers) equipment were found
on the gun deck.
8. Other weapons were found in the (sailors) cabins.
9. Netting kept the (Mary Rose) sailors from escaping when
the ship sank.
10. The Mary Rose and its artifacts tell us about the
(seamen) lives on board the ship.
HE
AC
For a SELF-CHECK and more practice, see the EXERCISE BANK, p. 268
RO S S T
U
CU
M
B. REVISING: Using Possessive Nouns
RR
ICUL
Use possessive nouns to make these phrases short enough
to fit on labels for a social studies project.
Example: The Cliff Houses of Mesa Verde
Answer: Mesa Verde’s Cliff Houses
1. The Capital City of
the Aztecs
2. The Ruins of Pompeii
3. The Earth Mounds of
Cahokia
4. The Royal Tomb of
King Tut
Mesa Verde’s Cliff Houses
42 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
1 Here’s the Idea
●
You use nouns every time you talk or write. Nouns name the
people you meet, the places you visit, the sights and sounds
you experience, and the ideas you have. Because nouns have
many jobs, they are found in different places in sentences.
Nouns as Subjects
A subject tells whom or what the sentence is about. Notice
the following sentences in which nouns act as subjects.
The Aztec Empire was located in the area now known
as Mexico.
Tenochtitlán was the capital of the Aztec Empire.
Spanish soldiers destroyed Tenochtitlán during their
conquest of Mexico.
Nouns as Complements
A complement is a word that completes the meaning of a
verb. When a noun is a complement, it may be a predicate
noun, a direct object, or an indirect object.
Nouns as Complements
Predicate
noun
renames or defines
the subject after a
linking verb
The Aztecs were fierce
warriors.
Direct
object
names the receiver
of the action of the
verb
Spanish soldiers defeated the
Aztec Empire in 1521.
Indirect
object
tells to whom or what
or for whom or what
an action is done
The Aztecs gave the Spanish
gold and other precious
goods.
Nouns 43
NOUNS
Invaders entered Tenochtitlán in 1519.
Nouns as Objects of Prepositions
An object of a preposition is the noun or pronoun that follows
the preposition. Nouns often appear in sentences as objects
of prepositions.
The Aztec people settled in central Mexico.
PREPOSITION
OBJECT OF PREPOSITION
Aztec merchants traded with distant lands.
Among their valuable goods were gold and silver.
2 Why It Matters in Writing
●
CHAPTER 2
Using nouns in their various jobs can help you write a detailed
explanation of any subject. Notice how the highlighted nouns in
the model below add information to the sentences.
The Aztecs had many enemies. For
this reason, they built their capital on
an island. Long causeways led from the
mainland to the island. Causeways are
raised roads built across water. Aztec
warriors guarded the ends of the
causeways. In this way causeways
provided the Aztec people protection.
SUBJECT
DIRECT OBJECT
INDIRECT OBJECT
PREDICATE NOUN
OBJECT
OF
REFLEXIVE
PREPOSITION
REFLEXIVE
3 Practice and Apply
●
A. CONCEPT CHECK: Nouns and Their Jobs
Identify each underlined noun as a subject, a complement, or
an object of a preposition.
Roadbuilders in the Sky
1. The Inca lived in the Andes Mountains in South America.
2. Cuzco was their capital.
3. The Inca were excellent record keepers.
4. They invented the quipu to keep track of their goods.
●
●
44 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The quipu was a long cord with many strings.
Clerks tied knots in the strings in different patterns.
The Inca also built excellent roads.
Their system of roads carried runners across deep gorges.
Officials gave runners messages to carry hundreds of
miles.
10. Some roads are still used today by Andean people.
For a SELF-CHECK and more practice, see the EXERCISE BANK, p. 268.
Identify each complement in the exercise above as a predicate
noun, a direct object, or an indirect object.
B. WRITING: Creating a Caption
1. Quetzalcoatl = both snake and bird
2. Quetzal = brightly colored bird found
in forests of Central and South America
3. long emerald feathers of quetzal
highly valued
4. Quetzalcoatl = god of learning
5. Aztecs worshiped Quetzalcoatl
Working Portfolio: Revising Find your Write Away
paragraph from page 34. Revise your paragraph by adding
specific complements that add to your explanation.
Nouns 45
NOUNS
Quetzalcoatl: Feathered-Serpent God
The photograph below shows Quetzalcoatl, a god worshiped
by the Aztecs. Write a caption for a museum exhibit based
on the information provided. Include nouns as subjects,
complements, and objects of prepositions.
Using Nouns in Science
When you label diagrams, or identify specimens for science,
chances are you use nouns. For example, nouns label the
parts of the coniferous tree in the illustration. Some parts, or
structures, are common to most plants. The illustrations show
two types of plants; one coniferous plant (a pine tree) and one
flowering plant (a rosebush). Notice the nouns used to label
the pine tree.
CHAPTER 2
needles
cone
trunk
roots
ilar to a
A flowering plant is sim
coniferous plant.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
46 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
L
AC
R
e CURRI
CU
S th
UM
OS
Practice and Apply
SC
IENCE
A. USING NOUNS
Look at the diagrams of the pine tree and the rosebush. Copy
the diagram of the rosebush on a separate sheet of paper.
Then use the nouns below to write the words that label the
rosebush. Use the labels on the pine tree diagram as a guide.
stem holds the plant upright, like the trunk of a pine tree
roots hold the plant in the soil and absorb water and nutrients
from the soil to feed the plant
flower holds the seed of the plant, like the cone of the pine tree
leaves make plant food from sunlight and chlorophyll, like the
needles on a pine tree
B. WRITING: Compare and Contrast in Science
NOUNS
A flowering plant carries its seeds in its flowers. A cone-bearing
plant carries seeds in its cones. Write a paragraph in which you
compare and contrast a pine tree and a rosebush. How are they
alike? How are they different? Use the nouns you have learned
in this lesson to refer to the parts that are alike and different.
Nouns
47
Mixed Review
CHAPTER 2
“Anyhow, according to the ‘Science Times,’ things would have
turned out quite differently if that meteor had hit Earth.”
© The New Yorker Collection 1999 Gahan Wilson
A. Kinds of Nouns Look at the cartoon, and answer the questions.
1. Which of the following
is a proper noun?
Earth,
meteor,
things
2. Which of the following
is a common noun?
Science Times,
Earth,
meteor
3. Which of the following is a plural noun?
Science,
things,
meteor
4. Which of the following is the correct possessive?
dinosaurs’ pet,
dinosaur’s pet,
dinosaurs’s pet
5. Write a sentence telling what is going on in the cartoon.
Underline the nouns, and identify how they are used.
B. Nouns and Their Jobs In each group of sentences, the same
underlined noun is used in different ways. Label each noun as a
subject, direct object, indirect object, predicate noun, or object of a
preposition.
1. The dinosaurs had no cities or civilizations.
2. What happened to the dinosaurs?
3. The most popular animals in museums are dinosaurs.
4. We must give dinosaurs credit for surviving 160 million years.
5. Did an asteroid or other disaster kill the dinosaurs?
6. Other animals on Earth were mammals.
7. Ancient mammals were much smaller than the huge dinosaurs.
8. Finding food was easier for these mammals.
9. An earth without dinosaurs gave mammals much more space.
10. However, no blockbuster movie features small mammals!
48 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
Mastery Test: What Did You Learn?
For each numbered item, choose the letter of the term that correctly
identifies it.
Roanoke Island lies off the coast of North Carolina. In 1587
(1)
English colonists started a colony on the island. John White was
(2)
the leader of the colony. White’s ship Hopewell returned to
(4)
(3)
England in 1587 to get more supplies. In 1590 the ship was
bringing supplies to the new colony. However, White found no
(5)
colonists, only the colonists’ possessions. A tree near the fort had
(6)
(7)
the name CROATOAN scratched in its bark. A storm prevented
the ship from reaching Croatoan Island. The disappearance of the
(8)
colony is a great mystery. Some historians believe the colonists
(9)
(10)
went to live with local Native American people in their villages.
NOUNS
1. A. proper noun
B. common noun
C. possessive noun
D. plural noun
6. A. singular noun
B. proper noun
C. possessive noun
D. predicate noun
2. A. possessive noun
B. plural noun
C. singular noun
D. proper noun
7. A. noun as object of preposition
B. noun as predicate noun
C. possessive noun
D. noun as direct object
3. A. noun as direct object
B. noun as predicate noun
C. noun as object of preposition
D. noun as indirect object
8. A. proper noun
B. plural noun
C. common noun
D. possessive noun
4. A. common noun
B. plural noun
C. possessive noun
D. predicate noun
9. A. noun as direct object
B. noun as indirect object
C. noun as object of preposition
D. noun as predicate noun
5. A. noun as subject
B. noun as indirect object
C. noun as direct object
D. noun as object of preposition
10. A. noun as subject
B. noun as direct object
C. noun as indirect object
D. noun as predicate noun
Nouns 49
A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.
Archaeologists in Egypt discovered a cemetery filled with mummies’ tombs.
Common
Noun
Proper
Noun
Singular
Noun
CHAPTER 2
QUICK-FIX SPELLING MACHINE:
SINGULAR
1
tool
team
2
3
6
PLURALS OF NOUNS
PLURAL
tools
teams
box
wrench
Add -es to a noun that ends in
s, sh, ch, x, or z.
boxes
wrenches
radio
Add -s to most nouns that end
in o.
radios
Add -es to a few nouns that end
in o.
tomatoes
For most nouns ending in y, change
the y to an i and add -es.
discoveries
When a vowel comes before
the y, just add -s.
roadways
leaf
half
For most nouns ending in f or fe,
change the f to v and add -es or -s.
leaves
halves
belief
Just add -s to a few nouns that end
in f or fe.
beliefs
For some nouns, keep the same
spelling.
sheep
salmon
discovery
roadway
5
Plural
Noun
Add -s to most nouns.
tomato
4
RULE
Possessive
Noun
sheep
salmon
50 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics
QUICK-FIX SPELLING MACHINE: POSSESSIVES
NOUN
RULE
POSSESSIVE
Singular
Venus
skull
Add an apostrophe
and -s.
Venus’s
skull’s owner
Plural ending
in -s
explorers
princes
Add an apostrophe.
explorers’ discovery
princes’ crowns
Plural not
ending in -s
children
sheep
Add an apostrophe
and -s.
children’s games
sheep’s pasture
esert?
he d
t
n
’s i
W hat
NOUNS
Nouns and Their Jobs
Nouns as . . .
Examples
Subject
The cemetery is more than 2,000 years old.
Predicate Noun
Dr. Salwah is an archaeologist.
Direct Object
He visited a tomb.
Indirect Object
He handed his assistant a flashlight.
Object of a Preposition
There were rows of mummies.
The Bottom Line
Checklist for Nouns
Have I . . .
chosen specific nouns?
spelled plural nouns
correctly?
used complements to
provide specific details in
explanations?
used possessives to show
ownership or relationship?
Nouns 51