Animate and inanimate nouns Worksheet Practice Exercises with Answers

Lesson 4: Animate and Inanimate Nouns

Question 1. Is "postcard" an animate or inanimate noun, and why?
Answer: "Postcard" is an inanimate noun because it refers to something that is not alive. Inanimate nouns represent things that lack life and cannot carry out actions that only living beings can do, such as seeing or writing.
In simple words: A postcard is not alive, so it cannot see or do things that only living things can do.

Exam Tip: Remember that inanimate nouns refer to objects or things without life - always ask yourself if the noun is alive or not.

Question 2. What makes the sentence "The dog wrote a best-selling novel" sound strange?
Answer: The sentence sounds strange because while "dog" is an animate noun, it is a nonhuman animate noun. Writing a best-selling novel is an action that only human animate nouns can perform. Dogs cannot write novels, so using a nonhuman animate noun in this context creates an unusual sentence.
In simple words: Dogs are alive, but only humans can write books. So the sentence doesn't sound right.

Exam Tip: Distinguish between human animate nouns (teacher, doctor) and nonhuman animate nouns (dog, cat) - only humans can perform certain actions like writing.

Quick Tip 4.1

Animate nouns refer to things that are alive; inanimate nouns refer to things that are not alive.

Test Yourself 4.1

Decide if each noun is animate or inanimate.

Question 1. word
Answer: inanimate
In simple words: A word is not alive - it's just letters put together.

Exam Tip: Objects and concepts that cannot move or think on their own are always inanimate.

Question 2. lizard
Answer: animate
In simple words: A lizard is a living creature, so it is animate.

Exam Tip: All animals and creatures that are alive fall into the animate category.

Question 3. glasses
Answer: inanimate
In simple words: Glasses are objects made by people - they are not alive.

Exam Tip: Man-made items and tools are always inanimate nouns.

Question 4. calendar
Answer: inanimate
In simple words: A calendar is an object used to track days - it has no life.

Exam Tip: Objects created for a purpose, like calendars, are inanimate.

Question 5. baby
Answer: animate
In simple words: A baby is a young human being who is alive.

Exam Tip: All living humans, from babies to adults, are animate nouns.

Test Yourself 4.2

Decide if each noun is animate or inanimate. If a noun is animate, decide if it is human or nonhuman.

Question 1. dinner
Answer: inanimate
In simple words: Dinner is a meal - it is not alive.

Exam Tip: Food and meals, even though we consume them, are inanimate because they are not living things.

Question 2. pet
Answer: nonhuman animate
In simple words: A pet is an animal that is alive but not human.

Exam Tip: Pets are animals, so they are nonhuman animate nouns - living but not people.

Question 3. friend
Answer: human animate
In simple words: A friend is a person who is alive and human.

Exam Tip: People and humans of any kind are always human animate nouns.

Question 4. child
Answer: human animate
In simple words: A child is a young human being who is alive.

Exam Tip: All human beings, including children, infants, and adults, are human animate nouns.

Question 5. spider
Answer: nonhuman animate
In simple words: A spider is a creature that is alive but not human.

Exam Tip: Insects and creatures are nonhuman animate - they live but are not people.