0 Principal Functions of English Nouns

When we speak of the functions of nouns, we simply mean the different functions

that nouns can serve while appearing in sentences.

In this post we will be exploring ten different functions that nouns can perform when
they occur in sentences.

1.   Subject of the Sentence

Sentences- formed with the subject being the basic part of the sentence.

Nouns can serve as subjects when they answer the question:

 “Who or what is doing the action?”

 or “Who or what is being the state of being?” (in a sentence.)

For Example:

 1)  John kicked the ball.
 2)  The sky seemed hazy.

In 1), kicked is the verb. John tells who or what kicked the ball. Therefore, John, which

is the do-er of the action, is the subject, of the sentence.

In sentence 2), seemed, a verb of being, is the verb. Sky tells who or what was

being hazy. Sky is the subject of the sentence. The subject usually comes before the
verb.