Nouns: People, Places, Animals, and Things

Nouns for People and Places

Nouns that name people

Some nouns name people. Not one person by name. They name the kind of person somebody is.

  • what they do: teacher, farmer, doctor, baker
  • who they are to you: sister, uncle, friend, neighbor
  • what age they are: baby, child, grown-up

Every one of those words names a person, so every one of them is a noun.

Nouns that name places

A place is anywhere you can go or be.

  • big places: city, farm, beach, forest
  • buildings: school, store, library, hospital
  • rooms: kitchen, bedroom, gym

A room counts. If you can be inside it, it is a place.

A pair worth knowing

Some people words and place words look almost the same.

PersonPlace
farmerfarm
bakerbakery
teacherschool
librarianlibrary

The ending often gives it away. A word ending in “er” is usually the person who does the work.

A mistake to watch for

The word “home” names a place even though it is not a building. Ask yourself whether you could be there. If you could, it is a place.

Your turn

Say person or place.

  1. “doctor”
  2. “kitchen”
  3. “beach”
  4. “uncle”
  5. “baker”

Check your answers

  1. Person.
  2. Place.
  3. Place.
  4. Person.
  5. Person.

Remember

  • People nouns name what somebody does or who they are to you.
  • Place nouns name anywhere you can go or be.
  • Rooms count as places.