1.3 Nouns vs. Verbs

Nouns vs. Verbs

So far, we have looked at nouns and verbs separately. We have used these tests:

Noun:              The _________ named ________

Fill in either blank, and the word is a noun.

Verb:               She ___________.  OR  They ___________.

Nouns vs. Verbs Activity 1

Determine if the following are nouns, verbs, or neither. Do not name the part of speech if the word is not a noun or verb.

1.   is

6. goat

11. flew

16. gorilla

3. just

8. grabs

13. bread

18. not

4. banana

9. great

14.  moreover

19. commuter

5. hook shot

10. yet

15.  teapot

20. goes

Words That Are Both Nouns and Verbs

Most verbs and nouns are interchangeable. Sometimes they are verbs, and sometimes they are nouns. It depends on the sentence.  Just use common sense.

Noun                                                               Verb

Example:       The cook was talented.                                   They cook well.

                        The beat made people want to dance.            They beat the drums hard.

                        The radio was broken.                                    Let’s radio Fred tonight.

                        The light brightened up the room.                  We will light a candle for Jane.

Adding Words for Verbs

Sometimes you must add information to the right of the verb:

Noun: the horse                      Verb: They horse around at school.

Noun: the boat                      Verb: They boat to school every day.

Nouns vs. Verbs Activity 2

Determine if the following are nouns, verbs, or neither. Hint: to see if a noun is a verb, try to say it by adding -ed. Example: The sun (noun). The rattlesnake sunned on the rock.

1.      crackers

6. snorkel

11. dream

16. Thor

1.   laugh

7. radio

12. bus

17. hammer

2.   sometimes

8. if

13. car

18. should

4. hook

9. watch

14. forehead

19. trash

5. elephant

10. trail

15. roof

20. clam

Nouns vs. Verbs Activity 3

Read the following and work the exercise:

Norway Grades 4+

Norway Grades 7+

What is a Noun? Optional Activity

Choose a subject from this list. Write an essay of 200-500 words. Follow the directions exactly. You can do this by yourself, in a small group, or as a class. 

All essays that follow the directions will receive a Certificate of Completion,. Excellent essays have a chance to be published on this website and be eligible for the contest’s cash prize. For further information see “Reading or submitting an essay” under Read Me First.

Teachers and Parents

Teachers and parents can also participate! Use the instructions in Read Me First to guide your students through the process.

Want a chance to have your students’ writing published on this website – and possibly win an additional $500 for your classroom?

Develop an exercise for the lesson. It should differ from the one presented. The more creative and effective your exercise is, the better your chance to win the prize.

The exercise must use the grammar concept as this website explains it.