Identifying Nouns Practice Questions

Use these Identifying Nouns practice questions to review common nouns, proper nouns, plural nouns, concrete nouns, and words that are sometimes mistaken for nouns. After answering each question, open the explanation to see why the correct word is a noun.

Noun Topics Covered

  • Identifying nouns in sentences
  • Recognizing common nouns
  • Recognizing proper nouns
  • Identifying plural nouns
  • Distinguishing nouns from verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, and prepositions
  • Understanding how nouns function in a sentence

Identifying Nouns Practice Questions

1. Many of these people have been ignored.

  1. Many
  2. These
  3. People
  4. Ignored
Show Answer

Answer: C. People

People is a plural noun. A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.

Many is not a noun in this sentence. These helps identify which people are being discussed, and ignored is part of the verb phrase have been ignored.

2. Most of the calls to this company are placed on lengthy holds.

  1. Most
  2. Placed
  3. Lengthy
  4. Holds
Show Answer

Answer: D. Holds

Holds is a plural noun in this sentence. It refers to waiting periods on phone calls.

Placed is a verb, and lengthy is an adjective that describes holds.

3. The U.S. Declaration of Independence was written in 1776.

  1. U.S.
  2. Declaration
  3. Written
  4. In
Show Answer

Answer: B. Declaration

Declaration is a noun. In this sentence, it is part of the proper noun Declaration of Independence.

U.S. describes which declaration is being discussed, written is part of the verb phrase was written, and in is a preposition.

4. Tom and Dave were in the same platoon during the Gulf War.

  1. War
  2. And
  3. Were
  4. During
Show Answer

Answer: A. War

War is a noun. In this sentence, it is part of the proper noun Gulf War.

And is a conjunction, were is a verb, and during is a preposition.

5. This is a mighty fine job of woodworking, if I do say so myself.

  1. Job
  2. Mighty
  3. Fine
  4. Say
Show Answer

Answer: A. Job

Job is a noun. It names a thing or result being described in the sentence.

Mighty is an adverb modifying fine, fine is an adjective describing job, and say is a verb.

6. My mother tried to live in South Georgia for two years but couldn’t stand the heat.

  1. Live
  2. Heat
  3. Tried
  4. But
Show Answer

Answer: B. Heat

Heat is a noun. It names the condition or thing that the person could not stand.

Live and tried are verbs, and but is a conjunction.

7. Rosemary, come and meet our new dog!

  1. Come
  2. Meet
  3. Our
  4. Dog
Show Answer

Answer: D. Dog

Dog is a noun. It names an animal.

Come and meet are verbs, and our is a possessive pronoun form that describes whose dog it is.

8. Keeping warm in the winter is both more difficult and more important for elderly persons.

  1. Keeping
  2. Difficult
  3. Persons
  4. Elderly
Show Answer

Answer: C. Persons

Persons is a plural noun. It refers to people.

Keeping is a gerund formed from a verb. It can function like a noun, but this question is targeting the clear plural noun in the sentence. Difficult and elderly are adjectives.

9. Susan was exceedingly proud of her beautiful new home.

  1. Exceedingly
  2. Home
  3. Proud
  4. Beautiful
Show Answer

Answer: B. Home

Home is a noun. It names a place or thing.

Exceedingly is an adverb, while proud and beautiful are adjectives.

10. Napoleon and Hitler were both great military strategists; megalomania, leading to poor judgment, was their downfall.

  1. Downfall
  2. Their
  3. Leading
  4. Military
Show Answer

Answer: A. Downfall

Downfall is a noun. It names the result or failure being described.

Their is a possessive pronoun form, leading is a participle, and military is an adjective describing strategists.

How to Use These Noun Practice Questions

Start by reading the full sentence before looking at the answer choices. A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea, but some words can be tricky because they may look like nouns in one sentence and act as another part of speech in another sentence.

After each question, open the explanation and check how the correct word is being used. If you miss a question, review whether the word is naming something or whether it is acting as a verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, conjunction, or preposition.

 

Last Updated: July 10, 2026