I'm Back

I am back, by popular request. I have decided on a slightly modified format. I shall be removing "Today's Maths Lesson," renaming "Today's Grammar Lesson" to "This Week's Grammar Lesson" and adding "Word of the Week." I am in no way trying to detract from Bodie's last (and rather hilarious) submission. Please also read and comment on that. This Week's Grammar Lesson -- Nouns Each week I shall post another lesson. I shall start with the simple and work to the more difficult topics. I shall be disappointed if I catch anyone on 'The Couch' making a mistake that I have addressed. Definition Nouns are naming words. They name people, places, things, and ideas. Examples My friend Buddy has a Ph.D. in physics. The squirrel stole nuts from the chipmonk. My dog watches television in the evenings. The purpose of this exam is to scare the life out of you. The weight of gold is measured in karats. Definition In English, nouns are classified as either common or proper. Common nouns are general nouns: magnet, gargoyle, angel, orchid, subway, persimmon, petticoat. Common nouns do not begin with capital letters unless they start sentences. Proper nouns are nouns that refer to specific people, places, or things: Dmitri, Sisley, Scarlett O'Hara, Little Orphan Annie, Rutherford B. Hayes, Marlon Brando, Ichabod Crane, Zaire, Denmark, Alcatraz. Proper nouns always begin with capital letters. Word of the Week The word of the week will provide a challenge for those of you who choose to accept it. The challenge is to use as many words of the week in any sentence. There are two rules: the sentence must make perfect grammatical sense, and the sentence must be one for which you can provide a plausible situation in which it would be used. This week's word is quite an amusing one (in my opinion). DOXY n. A prostitute; also, surprisingly, a belief or religious doctrine.