In grammar, a noun of address (also called vocative) is a word or phrase that is used to address someone directly. Nouns of address are typically set off from the rest of the sentence by commas, and they do not affect the grammatical structure of the sentence. For example:
- “Hello, John.”
- “Excuse me, sir.”
- “Ladies and gentlemen, please listen up.”
Nouns of address can be any type of noun, including proper nouns (names), common nouns (general words for people or things), and pronouns (words that take the place of nouns). For example:
- “Mr. President, I have a question.”
- “Hey guys, what’s up?”
- “Excuse me, ma’am, do you know where the bathroom is?”
Nouns of address are a common feature of everyday speech, and they can be used to add emphasis, to get someone’s attention, or to simply be polite.
Here are some additional rules about nouns of address:
- They can be placed anywhere in the sentence, but they are most commonly placed at the beginning or end of the sentence.
- They can be used with any type of verb, including imperative verbs (commands), interrogative verbs (questions), and declarative verbs (statements).
- They can be used with any type of pronoun, including personal pronouns, relative pronouns, and demonstrative pronouns.