A noun is a term that names a person, place, thing, or notion. Examples for each are mailman, office, ball, and hope, respectively. Nouns can be categorized as common or proper, count or mass, singular or plural.

A noun that denotes a specific person, place, thing, or notion is called a proper noun. Proper nouns in English are always capitalized. Examples of proper nouns are Marie, Paris, and December.

Nouns that do not denote a specific person, place, or thing are called common nouns and they are never capitalized. Examples include friend, ocean, and building. A noun that is formed using two or more words is called a compound noun. Airplane, South America, Walt Disney, and basketball are examples of compound nouns.

Examples:

• In May, Alexandra will graduate from college and move back to New York.
• When the spacecraft launched, the crowd went wild.
• The tourists spent the day roaming around the bustling city.
• Sixteen ounces equals one pound.
• Which do you think is more important: love or money?