Function of nouns in sentences

1. Noun as the Subject of a Sentence

• The children have gone to bed.

➢ The subject is a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun referring to a person, thing, or entity performing the action.

2. Noun as Direct or Indirect Object

Example

• I saw the thief.

The thief – direct object

• The policeman asked the thief a lot of questions.

The thief – indirect object

➢ Direct object: A noun, noun phrase, or pronoun directly affected by the verb.

➢ Indirect object: A noun or pronoun indirectly affected by the verb, typically receiving the action or benefiting from it.

3. Noun as the Object of a Preposition

Example

He is listening to music.

music – object of the preposition to

Any noun following a preposition acts as its object.

4. Noun as the Complement of the Subject

Example

He is my closest friend.

➢ The subject complement (or complement of the clause) is a noun, noun phrase, or adjective, or adjective describing the subject. It follows the verb be or linking verbs like become, seem, or feel, etc.

5. Noun as the Complement of the Object

Example

They elected him president of the club.

→ The object complement is a noun, noun phrase, or adjective describing the object.

6. Noun as an Adverbial

Example

He spoke in a different tone.

7. Noun as an Appositive to Another Noun

Example

He told us about his father, a general, who died in the war.

Nouns in English can be classified into:

• Singular nouns & Plural nouns.
• Countable nouns & Uncountable nouns.