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A part of speech that demonstrates the emotion or feeling of the author.

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Our Story

The Quick Answer

An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey an emotion or a sentiment such as surprise, disgust, joy, excitement, or enthusiasm. For example:

No, go away.

Indeed, I intend to leave as soon as possible.
("Indeed" is the interjection.)

Interjections
Interjections are words used to express strong feeling or sudden emotion. They are included in a sentence (usually at the start) to express a sentiment such as surprise, disgust, joy, excitement, or enthusiasm.

An interjection is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence.
A Video Summary
Here is a short video summarizing this lesson on interjections.

Examples of Interjections
In the following examples, the interjections are shaded.

Hey! Get off that floor!

Oh, that is a surprise.

Good! Now we can move on.

Jeepers, that was close.

Yes and No
Expressions such as "yes," "no," "indeed," and "well" are often used as interjections. For example:

Indeed, this is not the first time the stand has collapsed.

Yes, I do intend to cover the bet.

Phew!
Some interjections are sounds. For example:

Phew! I am not trying that again.

Humph! I knew that last week.

Mmmm, my compliments to the chef.

Multi-word Interjections
Some interjections are more than one word. For example:

Oh, really? I doubt that.

Holy moly! She won!

They're not always at the start of a sentence. For example:
Real-Life Examples of Interjections

I'm sure I don't know half the people who come to my house. Indeed, for all I hear, I shouldn't like to. (Poet and playwright Oscar Wilde)

Yes, it's absolutely true that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until you can do it well. (Author Zig Ziglar)

Well, it's 1 a.m. Better go home and spend some quality time with the kids. (Homer Simpson)

Ah! Don't say you agree with me. When people agree with me, I always feel that I must be wrong. (Playwright Oscar Wilde)

It's smoke, and it's in flames now; and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to the mooring mast. Oh, the humanity! (Radio journalist Herbert Morrison reporting on the 1937 Hindenburg disaster)

Why Should I Care about Interjections?
There are two common questions related to interjections.
(Question 1) What punctuation follows an interjection?
Recognizing an interjection will help you to choose the punctuation that follows it. If your interjection is not a question (and most aren't), you have a choice. You can use a comma, a period (full stop) or an exclamation mark. Commas and periods are used for mild interjections, while exclamation marks are used for stronger expressions of emotion. Often, an interjection followed by an exclamation mark will be followed by an exclamatory sentence (i.e., one with an exclamation mark).

Jeepers! You scared the life out of me!

Crikey! Do you think before you speak?
(You can't use an exclamation mark at the end of your sentence if it's a question.)
The choice between a comma and a period depends on your desired flow of text. In other words, choose what looks good to you. If your interjection is a question, you must use a question mark.
I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left. (Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) (When an interjection is in the middle of the sentence, you must offset it with commas. It doesn't happen often.)

(Question 2) Can you use interjections in business writing?
As a general rule, you should avoid using interjections in business writing, but, used very infrequently, they can be impactful and insert some pep into a document. Too much interjection-invoked pep, however, could make you look a little scatty.

Interactive Exercise

Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.

See Also
Take another test on interjections What are adjectives? What are adverbs? What are conjunctions? What are nouns? What are prepositions? What are pronouns? What are verbs? Commas after interjections (yes, no, indeed)Another quick test on interjections

Technical Help

Download Grammarly's app to help with eliminating grammar errors and finding the right words. Download a Free Grammar Checker

(The Grammarly app works with webmail, social media, and texting apps as well as online forms and Microsoft Office documents like Word.)

Self Help

Written by Vocational rather than academic, "Grammar for Grown-ups" is packed with real-life examples and keeps you engaged with a wealth of great quotations from Homer the Greek to Homer the Simpson. Straight talking and methodical, "Smashing Grammar" (2019)
the founder of Grammar Monster, "Smashing Grammar" includes a glossary of grammar essentials (from apostrophes to zeugma) and a chapter on easily confused words (from affect/effect to whether/if). Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to real-life, entertaining examples. All entries conclude with a section highlighting why the grammar point is relevant for a writer and top-level bullet points summarizing the entry. [More]Craig Shrives draws on his years compiling Grammar Monster and as an army officer to present a comprehensive but light-hearted and easily digestible grammar reference guide. [More] "Grammar for Grown-ups" (2011)

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Our Story The Quick Answer An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey an emotion or a sentiment such as surprise, disgust, joy, excitement, or enthusiasm. For example: No, go away. Indeed, I intend to leave as soon as possible. ("Indeed" is the interjection.)

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search our site by Craig Shrives

What Are Prepositions? (with Examples)

Prepositions precede words to link them to nearby words. Above, about, below, for, from, in, inside, into, of, to, until, and with are all common prepositions. There are lots of others. Lots of prepositions precede words to tell us where or when things are.

The cat on the table is called Toby.
where the cat is.)
Our lorry is stuck at the traffic lights.
(The preposition "at" precedes "lights" to tells us where the lorry is.)

The meeting on Saturday
when the meeting is.)
The bell will ring at 7 o'clock.
(The preposition "at" precedes "7 o'clock" to tell us when the bell will ring.)

Not all prepositions tell us where or when things are. Prepositions have other roles too. For example, they might show possession (e.g., collar of the dog) or purpose (e.g., a tool for digging). We will discuss this later.
More Examples of Prepositions that Tell Us Where

Here are some more examples of prepositions that tell us where something is in relation to something else (prepositions highlighted):

the boy behind the bush

a mouse under the stairs
(In this example, the preposition "under" tells us where "a mouse" is in relation to "the stairs.")

A Good Way to Think about Prepositions

When you're first learning about prepositions, it might be useful to think about prepositions as anywhere a mouse could go.

This works because lots of prepositions show the relationship between two words by expressing their locations relative to each other.
More Examples of Prepositions that Tell Us When

Here are some more examples of prepositions that tell us when something is in relation to something else:

the calm before the storm

one second after the bang
(In this example, the preposition "after" tells us when "one second" is in relation to "the bang.")

About the Word "Preposition"

The word "preposition" means "positioned before." A preposition sits before a word (either a noun or a pronoun) to show that word's relationship to another nearby word. Look at these examples:

a bone for the dog

everyone except the teacher
(In this example, the preposition "except" sits before the noun "the teacher" to show the relationship between "the teacher" and "everyone." So, this example is not about where or when either.)

List of Common Prepositions

Here is a list of common prepositions:

above, about, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, since, to, toward, through, under, until, up, upon, with, within

More about Prepositions

Expressing where and when are two key roles for prepositions, but they have other roles too. For example, they might show possession or purpose.

These are the wishes of the people.

It is a device for opening jars.
(Here, the preposition "for" shows purpose.)
In the examples below, each preposition (highlighted) sits before the noun "the wizard" to show us the relationship between "the wizard" and "the book."

The book about the wizard

The book by the wizard

The book near the wizard

The book behind the wizard

The book under the wizard

Here are some more examples:

It is a container for butter.

The eagle soared above the clouds.

He is the President of the United States.
("Of" shows the relationship between "the United States" and "the President.")

Click on the Two Prepositions
(Interactive Game)

Real-Life Examples of Prepositions

Here are some real-life sentences featuring prepositions.

I cook with wine. Sometimes, I even add it to food. (Actor W C Fields)

Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes. (Actor Jim Carrey)
("Behind" shows the relationship between "every great man" and "a woman." The term "every great man" is a noun phrase. Note that a preposition can sit before a noun, a noun phrase, a noun clause, or a pronoun.)
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Physicist Albert Einstein)

If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me. (Writer Alice Roosevelt Longworth)
("About" shows the relationship between "anybody" and "to say." "Next to" shows the relationship between "me" and "sit." Note that a preposition can be more than one word. Other common multi-word prepositions are "close to," "ahead of," "in front of," and "according to.")

More about Prepositions

Object of a Preposition

The word (or phrase) that follows a preposition is called the object of a preposition. If there is a preposition, there will always be an object of the preposition. A preposition cannot exist by itself.

Read more about the object of a preposition.
Prepositional Phrase

A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition and the object of the preposition (including any modifiers). Prepositional phrases are very common. They function as either adjectives or adverbs. For example (prepositional phrases highlighted):

It is a message from Mark.

Mark is trapped on the island.
(Here, the prepositional phrase "on the island" is functioning like an adverb because it is modifying the verb "is trapped.")

Read more about prepositional phrases. Here is a 9-minute video summarizing this lesson on prepositions.

There are five common issues involving prepositions:

(Issue 1) Do not capitalize prepositions in a title.

As a rule, a preposition in a title is not capitalized unless it is the first word.

The Last of the Summer Wine

Interview with a Vampire

In the Name of the Father
("In" is capitalized because it is the first word.)
This convention for writing titles is called title case. In title case, articles ("a," "an," "the") and conjunctions (e.g., "and," "or," "but") are not capitalized either. Read more about title case.
(Issue 2) Don't use the wrong case after a preposition.

The noun or pronoun governed by a preposition is called the object of a preposition. The object of a preposition is always in the objective case. This just means that words like "I," "she," "we," and "they" change to "me," "her," "us," and "them" when they're governed by a preposition (e.g., "about me," "with her," "for us," "against them"). This is a pretty simple concept for a native English speaker, but it still catches some people out.

It is a present from my wife and I.

It is a present from me and my wife.

Between you and I

Between you and me

Ironically, many people use terms like "from my wife and I" and "between you and I" with a highbrow tone, believing them to be grammatically pure. They're not grammatically pure. They're wrong.
Another one that catches people out is using "who" after a preposition. "Who" becomes "whom" in the objective case. In other words, "who" is to "whom" as "he" is to "him" or "they" is to "them." The bottom line is "who" cannot be the object of a preposition. You need "whom.")

You went with who?

You went with whom?
(Write "whom" after a preposition.)

(Issue 3) Don't confuse prepositions with other words.

Writers sometimes confuse prepositions with other words. Here are the most common issues ordered by how frequently they are seen:

Writing the adverb "too" (which means overly or as well) instead of the preposition "to" (which has several meanings including towards and for).
Read more about "too" and "to".
Writing the preposition "of" instead of "have" when writing "could've," "should've," or "would've" in full.
Read more about "could've," "would've," and "should've.
Writing the noun "dependant" (a person, usually a child or spouse) in the multi-word preposition "dependent on" (which means reliant on).
Read more about dependent and dependant.
Writing the preposition "past" (beyond) instead of "passed" (past tense of to pass).
Read more about "past" and "passed".
Writing the preposition "between" (usually used with two distinct points) instead of the preposition "among" (in the middle of a group).
Read more about "between" and "among".
(Issue 4) Try to avoid ending a sentence in a preposition.

What percentage of people think you can't end a sentence with a preposition?

Have a look at our poll. It tells us the percentage of people who still think you can't end a sentence with a preposition.

Lots of people think it is incorrect to end a sentence in a preposition because, as we've just covered, a preposition is supposed to sit before a noun. (It is, after all, how preposition gets its name.) Therefore, if the preposition is the last word in the sentence, it can't sit before anything. So, there is some logic to this ruling, which many people follow. However, this issue is far more complicated than many realize, and the best way to summarize it is by saying that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, it's perfectly acceptable - from a grammatical perspective - to end a sentence in a "preposition." (I'll explain the quotation marks later.)

Here's the rub. Even though you'd likely be correct by ending your sentence with a "preposition," you should be mindful that a fair few of your readers will think it's a grammar mistake or sloppy writing. As we still haven't trained ourselves to ignore this so-called ruling, we can't ignore it. I like to think of "avoiding a preposition at the end of a sentence" as a game rather than a ruling. Let's look at an example:

It is a scenario I have not thought of.

Let's play the game. Let's restructure our sentence:

It is a scenario of which I have not thought.

But, it sounds terrible, so let's keep playing. Let's reword our sentence:

It is a scenario I have not considered.

So, for now, I'm advising you to follow this non-ruling. However, if restructuring your sentence makes it sound contrived and you can't reword it, then leave the preposition at the end. If you're questioned on it, fight like a dog because you'll be in the right.
So, why was "preposition" in quotation marks earlier in this section? Well, quite often, your sentence will end in something that looks like a preposition but isn't. Be mindful that it could be part of a phrasal verb, i.e., a verb made up of a verb and another word (either a preposition or a particle), e.g., "fill in," "stick to," "catch up," "catch out." Quite often, these words must be next to each other, and that's often a factor in your sentence structure.

Top Tip

The best way to avoid a preposition at the end of a sentence is to choose a non-phrasal verb with the same meaning. This usually leads to a shorter, better-flowing sentence. That's the best reason to avoid a preposition at the end of a sentence.

It is a scenario we should not put up with.

It is a scenario we should not tolerate.
(This is much sharper.)

(Issue 5) Keep your writing succinct.

Some phrasal verbs (i.e., multi-word verbs) have prepositions that do not add anything. When you encounter one of these, delete the prepositions to improve succinctness.

I cannot face up to the consequences.

I cannot face the consequences.
(This is sharper. The prepositions were a waste of ink.)

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Prepositions precede words to link them to nearby words (e.g., in 'a day in May,' the preposition 'in' links 'spring' to 'May.') Lots of prepositions tell us where or when something is in relation to something else. Common prepositions are above, about, below, for, from, in, inside, into, of, to, until, and with.

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A word used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence.

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Basic English Verb Conjugation (Present and Past Tense)

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The way a verb changes form to show number, person, tense, etc.

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A word or an expression that modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, determiner, clause, preposition, or sentence.

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Adjectives are ‘describing words.’ They describe nouns or pronouns. ‘Old,’ ‘green,’ and ‘cheerful’ are examples of adjectives. This page has examples of the different types of adjectives.

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A word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.

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Pronouns are words that stand in for other words, such as nouns or phrases. Pronouns avoid repetition and make writing clear and concise. Examples of pronouns are she, he, they, and it, which can replace names or objects that have already been mentioned.

Video transcript

- [Voiceover] Hello grammarians. We're going to start talking about pronouns today, and of course that begins with the question, What are pronouns? Allow me to answer that question by way of a demonstration. Emma laughed so hard, milk came out of Emma's nose. Zach lifted the log. Zach found a worm under the log. So, these sentences don't have pronouns, but what they do have is repeated nouns. Here we have Emma and then we say Emma's again, and then we say Zach and the log, and then we say Zach and the log. But, people are smart, right? We have relatively long attention spans, and so if we start off a sentence talking about Emma, and we're pretty sure that we're still talking about Emma, we don't need to say that name twice. We don't need to say Emma and then Emma again. So, what a pronoun does is it allows you to take out the unnecessary noun when we're very certain we know what we're talking about. So you don't have to say Emma a million times, you can replace Emma with her. Same thing applies to the second two sentences. We don't have to keep on mentioning Zach and the log when we know what we're talking about. So the first sentence would still read Zach lifted the log, but then in the second sentence we can replace the name Zach, since we already know who we're talking about, with the word he, and we can replace this little phrase, the log, with it, since we know we're talking about the log. Now, words like her and he and it are all pronouns. So, what are pronouns? They are words that stand in for other words. Now, obviously, her, he, and it are not the only pronouns in English, but for now I just want you to think about the idea that a pronoun is a word that stands in for another word. You can learn anything. David out.

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What is a pronoun? (video) | Khan Academy

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Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

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A word that takes the place of a noun.

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search our site by Craig Shrives

What Are Nouns?

Nouns are words that represent people, places, or things. Everything we can see or talk about is represented by a word. That word is called a "noun." You might find it useful to think of a noun as a "naming word."

Often, nouns name things we can touch (e.g., "lion," "cake," "computer"), but sometimes they name things we cannot touch (e.g., "bravery," "mile," "joy").

Examples of Nouns

Here are some examples of nouns. (Notice that some have capital letters. We will discuss why later.)

Person: soldier, Alan, cousin, lawyer

Place: house, London, factory, shelter

Thing. This includes:

Objects: table, London Bridge, chisel, nitrogen, month, inch, cooking

Animals: aardvark, rat, shark, Mickey

Ideas: confusion, kindness, faith, Theory of Relativity, joy

Most nouns can be pluralized, which usually involves adding "s" to the end (e.g., "aardvark" becomes "aardvarks").
Table of Contents

Common Nouns and Proper Nouns

Types of Nouns

Abstract Nouns

Concrete Nouns

Collective Nouns

Compound Nouns

Countable and Non-countable Nouns

Gender-specific Nouns

Gerunds

Verbal Nouns

The Function of Nouns

Noun Phrases

Noun Clauses

Video Lesson

Why Nouns Are Important

Printable Test

Common Nouns and Proper Nouns

Every noun can be categorized as either a common noun or a proper noun. A common noun is the word for a person, place, or thing. It's the word that appears in the dictionary. For example: A proper noun is the given name of a person, place, or thing. It's likely to be a personal name or a title. For example: A proper noun always starts with a capital letter. The difference between common nouns and proper nouns becomes clearer when they're listed side by side.

How To Spot a Common Noun and a Proper Noun

A common noun answers the question "What is it?"
A proper noun answers the question "What's its name?"

Q: What is it? A: It is a bridge.
(The word "bridge" is a common noun.)

Q: What's its name? A: It is London Bridge.
(The name "London Bridge" is a proper noun.)

Types of Nouns

As well as being categorized as a common noun or a proper noun, a noun can be further categorized according to its meaning or its structure (e.g., Is it something tangible, or is it made up of more than one word?). For example:

Note that it is common for a noun to fit into several noun categories.

More about the Different Types of Noun

Here is a list of the different types of noun with examples. Each entry includes at least one key point for writers related to the type of noun.

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are things you cannot see or touch. For example:

An Interesting Point about Abstract Nouns

Many creative writers (particularly poets), consider abstract nouns "the enemy." Even though abstract nouns cover many of the topics that poets like to address (e.g., love, loss, sadness, loneliness), poets know that using abstract nouns (e.g., I was in love; she felt loneliness) tells their readers little. For creative writers, the challenge is often to capture these abstract feelings using concrete nouns.

Concrete Nouns

Concrete nouns are things you can see or touch. For example:

An Interesting Point about Concrete Nouns

Creative writers like to capture abstract ideas using concrete nouns. Here is an example of loss (an abstract noun) being conveyed with concrete nouns:

It's not needed anymore, the lead that hangs inside the door, and your bowl still scrapes the slated floor, when tapped by foot instead paw.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are words that denote groups. For example:

A Key Point about Collective Nouns

Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural. It depends on the sense of your sentence. For example:

The team is scheduled to arrive at 4 o'clock.

The team are wearing different novelty hats.

Read more about treating collective nouns as singular and plural.

Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are nouns made up of more than one word. For example:

Two Key Points about Compound Nouns.

(1) Some compound nouns are two words (e.g., "peace pipe"), some are hyphenated (e.g., "play-off"), and some have become single words (e.g., "eyeopener"). And, many of them are currently transitioning through those stages. Therefore, spelling compound nouns can be a nightmare.
(2) Some compound nouns form their plural by adding an "s" to the principal word, not necessarily to the end (e.g., "brothers-in-law").

Countable and Non-countable Nouns

A countable noun is a noun with both a singular and a plural form (e.g., "dog/dogs," "pie/pies"). A non-countable noun is a noun without a plural form (e.g., "oxygen, patience"). For example:

These are countable: With no plural forms, these are non-countable:

Key Points about Countable and Non-countable Nouns

(1) Use "fewer" with plural nouns. Use "less" with singular nouns, but use "less" with numbers when they quantify dates or measurements.

(2) Use "number of" with plural nouns. Use "amount of" with singular nouns. Use "quantity of" with either, especially if your concept is measurable and you want to allude to accuracy in counting.

It can get quite technical, especially with point 2.

Gender-specific Nouns

Gender-specific nouns are nouns that are definitely male or female. For example:

Three Points about Gender-specific Nouns

Here are three points related to gender:

(1) If you're unsure whether to use "chairman" or "chairwomen," use "chair." (Many consider that "chairperson" and even "chairwoman" sound a bit contrived.)

(2) "A blonde" is a woman. "A blond" is a man.

(3) Some people do not identify as male or female. Therefore, word choice can be important.

Read more about word choice for the non-binary genders.

Gerunds

Gerunds are nouns that end "-ing" and that represent actions. Gerunds have verb-like properties. For example (gerunds shown in bold):

happily building a tower

quickly drawing the scene

suddenly attacking the enemy

In the examples above, the gerunds are modified with adverbs and have direct objects. These are verb-like traits. This is what differentiates gerunds from verbal nouns. Let's dissect one more example:
Gradually boiling the haggis is best. (Here, the gerund "boiling" is modified by the adverb "gradually" and its direct object is "the haggis." Just like normal nouns, verbal nouns are modified with adjectives, and they can't take direct objects.

A Key Point about Gerunds

Gerunds are great for creating shorter, smoother sentences. For example:

The quick development of the device is necessary for an improvement in safety.

Developing the device quickly is necessary for improving safety.
(There are two gerunds in this 9-word version, which flows better and sounds more natural.)

Verbal Nouns

Verbal nouns are nouns derived from verbs. (Verbal nouns have no verb-like properties.) For example (verbal nouns shown in bold): In the examples above, the verbal nouns are shown with adjectives to differentiate them from gerunds (which are often confused with verbal nouns). Gerunds are modified with adverbs not adjectives. Let's dissect one more example:

The ceremonial cutting of the cake has started.
preposition ("of") to link it to "the cake." In contrast, in the sentence "Cutting the cake carefully is key," the word "cutting," despite being spelled the same, is a gerund. It is showing verb-like qualities. More specifically, it is modified with an adverb ("carefully") and has a direct object ("the chord").)

Key Points about Verbal Nouns

Verbal nouns are usually preceded by "a or an" or "the" and followed by a preposition (e.g., "of," "in," "for"). This makes them pretty inefficient from a word count perspective. Also, a sentence with verbal nouns can often sound stuffy. However, verbal nouns can give an air of formality or provide emphasis. So, we should all care about verbal nouns for two reasons:

(1) Replacing verbal nouns with verbs and gerunds will reduce your word count and improve sentence flow.

(2) Sentences featuring pure verbal nouns could portray you as stuffy (bad) or authoritative (good). Employ them skilfully to tune to your needs.

Read more about the different types of noun.

The Function of Nouns

Nouns as Subjects, Objects, and Complements

A noun can function as a subject, an object, or a complement within a sentence. For example:

There is more on the function of nouns in the "noun phrase" section below.

Attributive Nouns

A noun can also be used like an adjective to modify another noun. For example: In these examples, the examples "oxygen," "diamond," and "car" are functioning like adjectives. When nouns are used like this, they're called "attributive nouns."

Noun Phrases

It is rare to find a noun functioning by itself (i.e., without any modifiers) in a sentence.

Man proposes, but God disposes. (German canon Thomas a Kempis)

In real life, it is far more common for a noun to be accompanied by modifiers. Here's the first list of nouns again. This time, each noun (highlighted) has at least one modifier. A noun with any sort of modifier (even it's just "a" or "the") is called a noun phrase. Like any noun, a noun phrase can function as a subject, an object, or a complement within a sentence. In each example below, the noun phrase is underlined and the head noun is shaded.

Singing in the bath relaxes me.

She was the devil in disguise.
(Here, the noun phrase is a subject complement following the linking verb "was.")
As most nouns feature in noun phrases, let's look quickly at the definition for "phrase."
Definition of "Phrase"

A phrase has at least two words and functions as one part of speech.

It follows therefore that a noun phrase functions as a noun in a sentence. We can test this because we know that a noun can be replaced by a pronoun (e.g., "he," "she," "it," "them"). Looking at the examples above, we can replace each noun phrase with a pronoun. Here are some real-life examples of noun phrases as subjects, objects, and complements:

has a nice smile , but he's got . (Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko on Mikhail Gorbachev)
He has one, but he's got them.)
I never learned from a man who agreed with me. (Science-fiction writer Robert Heinlein)
(The noun phrase "a man who agreed with me" is the object of the preposition "from." Here's the "pronoun test": I never learned from him.)
Every man of courage is a man of his word. (French dramatist Pierre Corneille)
(The noun phrase "Every man of courage" is the subject of the verb "is." The noun phrase "a man of his word" is a subject complement following the linking verb "is." Here's the "pronoun test": He is one.)
It can get quite complicated. It's not unusual for nouns and noun phrases to be embedded within noun phrases. Looking at the last example, "courage" and "word" are both nouns, but they are not the head nouns of the phrases. They are both objects of the preposition "of," sitting in prepositional phrases that modify the head nouns.
The last thing to say about noun phrases is that they can be headed by pronouns as well as nouns, and they can be quite long.

Anybody who wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office. (Journalist David Broder)
He is not to be trusted with the office.)
Read more about noun phrases.
Noun Clauses

Let's look quickly at the definition for "clause".

Definition of "Clause"

A clause has a subject and a verb and functions as one part of speech.

It follows therefore that a noun clause functions as a noun in a sentence, and that means we can apply the "pronoun test."

Lots of noun clauses start with "that," "how," or a "wh"-word (e.g., "what," "who," "which," "when," "where," "why). Here are some easy examples. In each example, the noun clause is underlined, the subject is shaded, and the verb of the noun clause is bold.

(Often, the opening word (i.e., "how," "that" or the "wh"-word) is the subject of the noun clause.)
Like all nouns, a noun clause can function as a subject, an object, or a complement within a sentence. In the four examples above, the noun clauses are all objects ( direct objects). Here are some more easy examples of noun clauses as subjects, objects, and complements.
(Here, the noun clause is a subject.) (Here, the noun clause is a subject complement.) (Here, the noun clause is an indirect object. That's pretty rare.)
Here are some real-life examples:
(Here, the noun clause is the subject of the sentence. Starting a sentence with a noun clause starting "That" is acceptable, but it grates on lots of people's ears. Many writers prefer ""The fact that...".) (Here, the noun clause is the direct object of the verb "knows.") (Here, the noun clause is the object of a preposition ("for").) (Here, the noun clause is the object of a preposition ("between").) (Here, the noun clause is a subject complement.)

A More Sophisticated Definition for "Noun"

Right, we started with defining a noun as a "naming word," and now we're talking about nouns being clauses functioning as subjects, objects, or complements. As grammarians like to talk about the functions of phrases and clauses, let's summarize this page with a good test for spotting nouns:

A Great Test for Nouns
(regardless of whether they're single words, phrases, or clauses)

A noun is any word or group of words that could be replaced with a pronoun.

Let's dissect one more example.

A cynic is a man who looks around for a coffin when he smells flowers. (Journalist H L Mencken)

The underlined text in the example above is functioning as a noun (a subject complement). As it includes subjects ("who" and "he") and verbs ("looks" and "smells"), you might think it meets the criteria to qualify as a noun clause. It's not though. It's a noun phrase. Those subjects and the verbs feature in the adjective clause "who looks around for a coffin when he smells flowers." ("When he smells flowers" is an adverbial clause embedded in the adjective clause.) Hey, if you can follow what's going on in this example, you're well down the path between sentence butcher and sentence surgeon. Read more about noun clauses. Here is a 12-minute video summarizing this lesson on nouns.
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.

Understanding how nouns function is important if you teach English or are learning a foreign language. If you're doing neither of those, here are three common issues related to nouns:

(Issue 1) Only use a capital letter with a proper noun.

Don't give a common noun (e.g., "dog," "brochure," "mountain") a capital letter just because it's an important word in your sentence. Only proper nouns (e.g., "Dexter," "The Summer Brochure," "Ben Nevis") get capital letters.

Read the Instructions carefully. ("Instructions" is a common noun. It doesn't get a capital letter.)

(Issue 2) Treat a collective noun as singular, but go plural if the context dictates.

It is normal to treat a collective noun as singular. However, if the context highlights the individuals in the group, treat your collective noun as plural.

The group arrives before the audience.

The group were out of time.
(This time, the verb is "were" not "was" because "group" is treated as plural. This might be preferable if the context puts the focus on the group's individuals.)
To avoid making a decision on whether to go singular or plural, add a term like "members of" to force the plural.
The members of the group were out of time. (The word "members" becomes the head noun of the new noun phrase.)

(Issue 3) When a noun phrase is the subject of a verb, ensure subject-verb agreement with the head noun.

The Spitfire's 9-yard belt of bullets give us the term "the full nine yards."

Do not be tricked into agreeing the verb with the nearest noun (here, "bullets"). When a noun phrase is the subject of a verb, the head noun governs the verb. Read more about subject-verb agreement.
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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nouns are words that represent people, places, or things (including objects, animals, and ideas). Everything we talk about is represented by a word that names it. That 'naming' word is called a noun.

# data[].attributes.body
A word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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# data[].attributes.body
Name of Person,Place or Thing.