Nouns:
* Directly name a person, place, thing, or idea.
* Examples: *dog, table, happiness, London*
* Can be singular or plural.
* Examples: *cat, cats; book, books*
* Can be common or proper.
* Examples: *dog (common), Fido (proper); city (common), Paris (proper)*
Pronouns:
* Replace nouns to avoid repetition.
* Examples: *He, she, it, they, we, you, I*
* Refer to a noun that has already been mentioned (the antecedent).
* Example: *The dog barked. It was hungry.* (The pronoun "it" refers to the noun "dog")
* Can be personal, possessive, reflexive, relative, interrogative, demonstrative, or indefinite.
Here's a table summarizing the key differences:
| Feature | Nouns | Pronouns |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Directly name a person, place, thing, or idea | Replace nouns |
| Reference | Directly refer to the thing being named | Refer to a previously mentioned noun (antecedent) |
| Examples | Dog, table, happiness, London | He, she, it, they, we, you, I |
In short, nouns are the names of things, while pronouns are words that stand in for nouns.