The Second Person
The Second Person :
Nouns and Persons
Person is the distinction of nouns in their relation to the speaker.
Note : Every noun must represent either the speaker who is supposed to utter the sentence, the person spoken to or some person or thing spoken of. These three relations of a noun are called Persons.
Nouns have three persons - FIRST, SECOND and THIRD.
The First Person is THE SPEAKER.
The Second Person is THE ONE SPOKEN TO.
The Third Person is THE ONE SPOKEN OF.
Examples :
First person : I, Paul, beseech you.
Second person : Children, obey your parents.
Third person : The children obey their parents.
Note : The distinction of person pertains chiefly to pronouns. Nouns are very rarely in the first person.
Exercises : Indicate all the nouns in the following sentences and state in regard to each (1) whether it is proper or common (2) its gender (3) its number and (4) its person.
I, the captain of this company, gave the order.
John, take the slate into the next room.
Parents are kind to their children.
Parents, be kind to your children.
Name (or write) five sentences containing nouns of the second person, five of the third person.
The Second Person :
Elementary English Grammar Index
Related Links : The Second Person