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What’s the difference between a verb and a noun?

Verbs are words that show an action ( sing , run , eat ). Verbs can also show a state of being ( exist ), or a thing that happens ( develop , connect ). If a word communicates something that someone or something can do, it’s a verb.

Nouns are words that refer to a person ( Noah Webster ), place ( Springfield ), or thing ( book ), or also to an animal ( dog ), a quality ( softness ), an idea ( justice ), or an action ( singing ). If a word refers to something you can point to or label, it’s a noun.

Nouns and verbs both have different forms and sometimes a word can look like one, but be the other. To distinguish between them, you have to consider what the word is doing in the sentence.

Here’s the word singing functioning as both kinds of words:

verb: They were singing. noun: Singing is something they like to do.

Note that in the first example, the action of singing happened; a person was singing. In the second example, the action of singing did not happen; instead, the action of singing is being identified as a thing that someone likes to do.

More information on verbs . More information on nouns .

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Meaning of homework in English

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  • The kids are busy with their homework.
  • My science teacher always sets a lot of homework.
  • "Have you got any homework tonight ?" "No."
  • I got A minus for my English homework.
  • For homework I want you to write a paper on an endangered species .
  • academic year
  • access course
  • Advanced Placement
  • asynchronous
  • foundation course
  • grade retention
  • immersion course
  • on a course
  • open admissions
  • the national curriculum
  • work placement

homework | Intermediate English

Homework | business english, examples of homework, translations of homework.

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to do something in order to be allowed more time

It’s not really my thing (How to say you don’t like something)

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homework is verb or noun

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  • Intermediate    Noun
  • do your homework
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[ hohm -wurk ]

  • schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork ).
  • a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.
  • paid work done at home , as piecework.

to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.

/ ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk /

  • school work done out of lessons, esp at home
  • any preparatory study
  • work done at home for pay

Word History and Origins

Origin of homework 1

Idioms and Phrases

Example sentences.

Now, they log on to Zoom from their bedrooms, surrounded by unfinished homework assignments and tattered stuffed animals, waiting to be assigned calls, texts and emails by the trained therapists who oversee the program.

Yow started her homework and saw Frese had gone 35-22 with two winning seasons at Ball State, which hadn’t had a winning record in its previous nine seasons.

Do some homework before investing in a diamond, and that lifelong commitment.

Another poster included an image of their losses over what appeared to be online math homework.

As we countdown to Inauguration Day, I've been doing my homework—and looking to the past for inspiration.

“I can help my children with their homework and sometimes we text in English at my job,” Santos says.

Scheunemann, meanwhile, had no idea who Spencer was, and did some homework.

She jumped at the chance to watch RT, or jumped at the chance to skip calculus homework.

And we encourage parent-student “contracts,” for class attendance, homework submission and even extra-curriculum activities.

Adicéam did his homework, spending 50 days collecting pieces, many with unexpected stories behind them.

Much of this homework is done by a very bad light and the boy's eyes suffer much.

For homework we have prepared alphabets where the letters are printed in type-writing order.

His parents were always getting angry with him for losing his clothes, or his toys, or his homework.

Only at the time when he was going to Beauregard School, with his homework.

And once a week or twice a week she was sending her homework or something to him.

Related Words

  • arrangement
  • construction
  • establishment
  • preparedness
  • qualification

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

  • acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
  • receive/provide somebody with training
  • develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
  • give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
  • hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
  • moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
  • sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
  • go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
  • be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
  • study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
  • finish/drop out of/quit school
  • graduate from high school/college
  • be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
  • skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
  • cheat on an exam/a test
  • get/be given a detention (for doing something)
  • be expelled from/be suspended from school
  • do your homework/a project on something
  • work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
  • finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
  • hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
  • study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
  • take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
  • grade homework/a test
  • do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
  • pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
  • apply to/get into/go to/start college
  • leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
  • study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
  • major/minor in biology/philosophy
  • earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

Definitions on the go

Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

homework is verb or noun17500.005417600.003617700.00171780017900.000218000.001518100.001618200.001618300.000518400.001718500.002418600.004818700.005318800.007918900.0219000.05219100.09819200.2919300.5319400.9119501.319601.719702.619803.819905.320006.220106.6

How is the noun homework pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the noun homework come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader.

homework is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: home n. 1 , work n.

Nearby entries

  • homeward-bounder, n. 1837–
  • homeward-bound pennant, n. 1853–
  • homewardly, adv. 1797–
  • homewards, adv. & adj. Old English–
  • homeware, n. 1782–
  • home waters, n. 1838–
  • home wear, n. 1836–
  • home-whining, n. a1657
  • home wind, n. 1732–
  • home-woe, n. 1838–
  • homework, n. 1653–
  • homework club, n. 1900–
  • homework diary, n. 1973–
  • homeworker, n. 1843–
  • homeworking, n. 1844–
  • home-working, adj. 1850–
  • home worship, n. 1849–
  • homewort, n. Old English–
  • home-wreck, n. 1845–
  • home-wrecker, n. 1878–
  • home-wrecking, n. 1878–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for homework, n..

homework, n. was revised in September 2011.

homework, n. was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

  • further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
  • new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into homework, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the New English Dictionary (1933)

  • Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

  • View homework in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for homework, n., browse entry.

  • 1.1 Etymology
  • 1.2 Pronunciation
  • 1.3.1 Usage notes
  • 1.3.2 Hypernyms
  • 1.3.3 Coordinate terms
  • 1.3.4 Derived terms
  • 1.3.5 Translations
  • 1.4 See also
  • 1.5 References
  • 1.6 Anagrams

From home +‎ work .

Pronunciation

  • ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk/
  • ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/
Audio ( ): ( )

homework ( usually uncountable , plural homeworks )

  • 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby , “Finland's education ambassador spreads the word”, in The Guardian ‎ [1] , archived from the original on 2022-10-15 : Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
  • 2023 January 12, Kevin Roose, “Don't Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It.”, in The New York Times ‎ [2] , archived from the original on 2023-01-17 : And I'm sympathetic to teachers who feel that they have enough to worry about, without adding A.I.-generated homework to the mix.
  • 2024 May 15, 'Industry Insider', “Labour's plan for the railway”, in RAIL , number 1009 , page 68 : Under the proposals, an assurance is given that GBR (in the words of the plan) will not be marking its own homework .
  • 2012 April 10, John Hudson, “North Korea Has a Clumsy Way of Soothing Concerns About Its Rocket Launch”, in The Atlantic ‎ [3] , archived from the original on 2022-01-22 : Since the whole world is watching this launch, they probably should've done some homework on their talking points.
  • 2017 May 9, “Mindful sex is better sex, says B.C. researcher promoting new workbook”, in CBC News ‎ [4] , archived from the original on 2022-11-22 : Four years after her first sexual health book came out, Dr. Lori Brotto is giving her readers a little bit of homework for the bedroom.
  • 2022 July 18, Donald Mcrae , quoting Michael Yormark, “Roc Nation's Michael Yormark on Romelu Lukaku: 'You have to play to his strengths... I don't think that happened'”, in The Guardian ‎ [5] , archived from the original on 2022-12-26 : I didn't even know who he was until I did my homework and realised he was a premier footballer for Bayern.
  • 2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack , “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian ‎ [6] : Nigeria had done their homework and were well organised. Halimatu Ayinde was exceptional in her marking of James, who had scored twice and provided three assists as she ran the show against China.
  • 1989 , Eileen Boris, Cynthia R. Daniels, Homework: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Paid Labor at Home , University of Illinois Press , →ISBN , page 241 : Hatch perceived homework to be one tool—along with various workfare schemes and private sector training programs—that would take women off welfare and make poor women "independent."
  • 1933 , James T. Farrell , Gas-House McGinty , page 186 : My wife and I want a kid, and we do plenty of homework , but goddamn it, Dutch, I just can't connect.
  • ( BDSM ) Tasks assigned by a dominant for a submissive to perform when they are physically away from their dominant or otherwise free.

Usage notes

  • ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) The term homework generally implies that the work is mandatory and worth marks; exercises that are optional are usually referred to as practice problems , review problems , extra practice , exercises , etc.
  • ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) Work of a larger scale than homework (which involves a series of relatively simple exercises) is usually referred to as an assignment or project .

Coordinate terms

Derived terms.

  • bit of homework
  • do one's homework
  • homework club
  • homework diary
  • piece of homework
  • the dog ate my homework

Translations

      (wājib),   (wājib manziliyy) (wājib) (tnayin ašxatankʻ),   (das) (öygə eş)   (xátnjaje zadánnje),   (xátnjaja práca)   (domášna rábota)   (imca)       (gung fo )   (zuòyè),   (jiātíng zuòyè),   (gōngkè)       ,     ,     ,           ,           (sašinao davaleba)       (ergasía gia to spíti) ,   (gŕhakārya)           ,         (しゅくだい, shukudai) (üi tapsyrmasy)   (sukje) (üy tapşırması) (wīak bān)         (domašna rabota),   (domašna zadača) , (geriin daalgavar)   or ,   or   (mašq), (kâr dar xâne), (taklif-e madrese), (kâr-e xânagi) (Dari)     ,       , , ,           (domášneje zadánije),     (domášnjaja rabóta),     (domáška) (colloquial)     ,     ,   ,           (Argentina, Spain, Uruguay),     (Latin America)     ,     ,     (vazifa-yi xonagi), (kor-i xonagi)   (gaan-bâan)   ,   (domášnje zavdánnja),   (domášnja robóta)   (sabaq) (tapshuruq) ,   ,     (heymarbet)
    (yánjiū), (zhǔnbèi gōngzuò)       ,             (podgotovítelʹnaja rabóta),     (isslédovanije)        

homework is verb or noun

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Other forms: homeworks

Any assignment you're expected to complete after school and bring back to class the next day is called homework . Many students make up excuses for not having their homework done. The "My dog ate my homework " excuse doesn't work so well in the digital age.

High school students typically have a lot of homework most days, and often that's true for younger students as well. In college, an increasing amount of school work is done outside of class, as homework (even if you do it in the library, a cafe, or a dorm). Homework originally referred to any work done at home, including cooking and cleaning. The first example of the "school work" meaning dates from the late 1880s.

  • noun preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) synonyms: prep , preparation see more see less type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

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TIP Sheet THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.

1. NOUN

  • A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

man... Butte College... house... happiness

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article ( the , a , an ), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding 's . Nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a noun can be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or object of a preposition.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher , and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Nouns" for further information.

2. PRONOUN

  • A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

She... we... they... it

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Pronouns" for further information.

3. VERB

  • A verb expresses action or being.

jump... is... write... become

The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more helping verbs. (" She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take different forms to express tense.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared . Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Verbs" for more information.

4. ADJECTIVE

  • An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

pretty... old... blue... smart

An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)

See the TIP Sheet on "Adjectives" for more information.

5. ADVERB

  • An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

gently... extremely... carefully... well

An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.

See the TIP Sheet on "Adverbs" for more information.

6. PREPOSITION

  • A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.

by... with.... about... until

(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb. The following list includes the most common prepositions:

See the TIP Sheet on "Prepositions" for more information.

7. CONJUNCTION

  • A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.

and... but... or... while... because

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because, although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Conjunctions" for more information.

8. INTERJECTION

  • An interjection is a word used to express emotion.

Oh!... Wow!... Oops!

An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my !

See the TIP Sheet on "Interjections" for more information.

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Is "homework" countable?

I was wondering if "homework" is countable? I remember it is an uncountable noun when I learned English in middle school.

Suppose now I would like to ask my teacher to hand back my graded "homeworks" of last three times. How shall I ask him?

  • uncountable-nouns
  • countable-nouns

Laurel's user avatar

4 Answers 4

"Homework" is uncountable since it is treated as a general meaning not a particular item, like "work", "money" etc.

In your case, use "assignment" instead.

May I have my last three graded assignments back please?

IPX's user avatar

  • Both 'work' and 'money' are countified and have well-documented plural forms. 'Homeworks' has not got the same pedigree, though some dictionaries license it with caveats. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Jun 22, 2019 at 18:44

While I've seen the word homeworks used, I've never seen anything legitimate to indicate that it's correct. In any case, you can use the term homework assignments to refer to multiple homework items. That's a fairly common term, at least in American English.

ajk's user avatar

  • Thanks! But I don't ask my teacher for assignments, but my homework that I have worked out and handed to my teacher, and the homework is from last three times. How shall I ask him? –  Tim Commented May 22, 2011 at 1:39
  • 1 @Tim: In American English, assignments is used for what you describe. In British English, homeworks is at least marginally acceptable — we used it at at least one school I went to, although I do remember it feeling awkward/slangy to me at first. –  PLL Commented May 22, 2011 at 8:10
  • What I’ve seen to indicate it is correct is its frequent use by native speakers –  Casey Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 22:37

Traditionally, it is not countable, and most dictionaries list it as such.

However, the Merriam-Webster thesaurus (although not the Merriam-Webster dictionary) does have an entry for homeworks . Moreover, the plural form is used by at least some groups of educated native speakers.

One's best bet is to try to find out if one's audience belongs to a group that tends to use homeworks . If yes, then go ahead and use that word yourself. If not, rephrase as homework assignments or something similar.

Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

Notice that the Merriam-Webster thesaurus has the following entry :

homeworks noun plural of homework Synonyms of homeworks as in schoolwork Synonyms & Near Synonyms for homeworks schoolwork assignments, lessons, reading lectures drills, exercises, practices (also practises ) études, studies

(Interestingly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary entry does not give a plural form for homework .)

Examples of usage by educated native speakers

Such examples are not hard to find at all. For instance, American professors of linguistics, physics, and mathematics, at least, use the word homeworks quite frequently.

All of the examples below are from native speakers, as best as I can tell.

Here are five examples from linguistics professors:

Final grades will be calculated as follows: 30% for homeworks, 20% for the midterm, … Penny Eckert and Ivan A. Sag , Linguistics 1: Introduction to Linguistics (Syllabus), 2011, here . Late assignments are not accepted, but your two lowest-scoring homeworks will be dropped. Adam Jardine , Introduction to Linguistic Theory (Honors) (Syllabus), 2018, here . Homeworks are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated. Emily M. Bender, Linguistics 461: Introduction to Syntax (Syllabus), here . If turned in ​complete​, the homeworks will be graded 8 (well below average), 9 (average), or 10 (well above average​); but 0 if not done. Anthony C. Woodbury, Linguistics 306: Introduction to the study of language (Syllabus), here . Homeworks: 25% (lowest score dropped) Dani Byrd and Toby Mintz , Ling 275: Language & Mind (Syllabus), 2006, here .

Here are five examples from physics professors:

Some homeworks are 'secret' assessment exercises: General GRE, Praxis and Major Field Tests Richard Robinett, Penn State Physics Undergraduate Program Better Practices, 2010, p. 12 here . Homeworks are like sports practice Tom Moore , Teaching General Relativity with Tensors, 2006, here . These concepts can be introduced to students through labs, homeworks, and discussion questions. Brianna Billingsley and Cory Christenson, Incorporating Non-Western Contributions Into the Intro Physics Curriculum, 2019, here . With their flexible design, PhET sims are used in many ways—as demos, homeworks, or inexpensive, accessible lab alternatives—and getting started is easy with our database of over 500 activities. Katherine K. Perkins, Teaching Physics with PhET Simulations: Engaging Students and Increasing Learning (Abstract) 2012, p. 58 here . In this talk, we will outline the reforms—including consensus learning goals, “clicker” questions, tutorials, modified homeworks, and more—and present evidence of the effectiveness of these reforms relative to traditional courses. Katherine K. Perkins, Steven Pollock, Stephanie Chasteen, Steve Goldhaber, Rachel Pepper, Michael Dubson, and Paul Beale, Colorado's Transformed Upper-Division E&M and QM courses: Description and Results (Abstract) 2010, p. 119 here .

And here are five examples from mathematics professors:

Homeworks 1-3 David Blecher, here . There will be two midterm exams, weekly homeworks, and a final exam. Scott Sutherland, MAT 141: Honors Calculus 1 (syllabus), 2012, here . MIT 3.016 Homeworks W. Craig Carter, Mathematics for Materials Science and Engineers, MIT 3.016 (syllabus), 2011, (here) . Click on the link 'Problem Sets and Solutions'; you will reach this page , which is where the word homeworks appears (in the page heading). Homeworks (41/42 Track); Homeworks (51 Track) Andrew Schultz, SSEA 2006: Mathematics Track, 2006, here . All homeworks, except the first one, are due on Thursday at 3:30pm Mike Clancy and David Wagner, CS 70, Spring 2005: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science, 2005, here .

In searching for examples, I also saw examples of similar usage by professors of comparative literature , philosophy, computer science, chemistry, and sociology.

linguisticturn's user avatar

  • Even Wiktionary fails to concede the plural form as a possibility, but this is doubtless an ongoing countification (and 10 years is a substantial time for the evolution to progress). –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 16:42
  • American professors of physics and mathematics, at least, use the word homeworks... I wonder if I should take seriously pronouncements on quantum physics by English professors... –  Greybeard Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 18:18
  • @EdwinAshworth I just looked at Wiktionary , and it says 'usually uncountable, plural homeworks '. The edit that added that note was on 5 October 2015‎. So indeed, things change in ten years! –  linguisticturn Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:18
  • Whoops, I had SimpleWiktionary , which I didn't know existed. Obviously homeworks is harder. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:53
  • @Greybeard Apologies if your comment was meant as a joke, but if it wasn't (and for the benefit of those who don't take it as a joke), the answer is, no you shouldn't. And indeed, conversely, if physics or math professors were to start making 'pronouncements' about whether a particular word is acceptable English, you shouldn't take that seriously, either. But that's not what's going on in my answer. My answer simply points out that there is a U.S.-wide, loosely connected group of educated native speakers who rather frequently and unselfconsciously use homeworks in day-to-day life. –  linguisticturn Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 18:38

Ask for "items" or "pieces" of homework.

Marcin's user avatar

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged nouns uncountable-nouns countable-nouns or ask your own question .

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homework is verb or noun

Is homework a noun or a verb?

User Avatar

Homework is a noun. Ex:

I am doing my homework .

Go do your homework .

You have homework tonight.

It is a noun because it is a thing YEY.

The word homework is a noun ; a word for a form of study or preparation; a word for a thing.

Example: I hate this stupid homework. ( homework is the noun and stupid is the adjective that describes the homework)

No, the word 'homework' is a noun , a word for a thing.

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.

I do have some homework but it is almost finished. (the pronoun 'it' takes the place of the noun 'homework' in the second part of the sentence)

Add your answer:

imp

What is a objective noun?

An 'object noun' is a noun that functions as the object of a verb or a preposition.Examples:The dog ate my homework. (the noun 'homework is the direct object of the verb 'ate')I gave the teacher flowers. (the noun 'teacher' is the indirect object of the verb 'gave'; the direct object is the noun 'flowers')The teacher gave me an A for effort. (the noun 'effort' is the object of the preposition 'for')

Is finish a possessive adjective?

No, the word 'finish' is a noun (finish, finishes) and a verb (finish, finishes, finishing, finished).Examples:The finish on her table is in perfect condition. (noun)I can finish my homework after work. (verb)A possessive adjective is a pronoun that is placed before a noun to describe that noun as belonging to someone or something.The possessive adjectives are: my, your, our, his, her, their, its.Examples:The finish on her table is in perfect condition. (noun)I can finish my homework after work. (verb)

What is the plural form of the word homework?

The collective noun for the noun 'homework' is a slew of homework.

Is does followed by singular verb?

No.Does is a singular verb, it is the third person singular form of do. Use does with third person singular pronouns - he she it - or singular noun subjects eg:He does his homework every night.The boy does his homework every night.

What is the abstract noun for please?

The abstract noun form for the verb to please is the gerund, pleasing.A related abstract noun form is pleasure.

imp

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homework vs. a homework

When is it acceptable to use "a homework?". As an ESL practitioner, I had to look it up, and found a source which says "a homework" is only acceptable among native speakers. So, should non-native speakers just stick to "homework" as uncountable?

  • countability

Eddie Kal's user avatar

  • 4 In the US "homework" is considered to be a "mass" noun and articles are not used. (May be different in the UK or India.) A "homework assignment" is an individual piece of homework and does take an article. –  Hot Licks Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 3:56
  • 1 Native speakers don't say a homework . –  GoDucks Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 4:16
  • Possible duplicate of Is "homework" countable? –  user24743 Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 5:17

2 Answers 2

Whereas it's foreseeable that some native English speaker could get away with saying, "I have a homework due in second period," to mean that they have a singular homework assignment due then, it isn't standard fare. Native speakers don't say it this way. In 22 years of schooling, from kindergarten through my PhD, I've never heard anyone say it like that. Perhaps the reference is saying that a native speaker could get away with it, while a ESL student could not, which is probably true. Rest assured that "homework" remains an uncountable noun.

Benjamin Harman's user avatar

  • 1 I am old enough to remember when in Britain it wasn't called homework , it was called prep (preparation). In the British public-school (meaning private) system, historically children did not go home . The posh classes sent their little darlings to Dickensian boarding schools which were more like fierce prisons. But words like prep , and matron lingered on into the day-systems of the 1950s. Now prep was not a mass noun. In our first year we got two preps a night e.g. Mon-Maths & French; Tues Latin & Biology etc. –  WS2 Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 9:50
  • @WS2 : Sounds absolutely lovely. 'Please, sir, I want some more.' –  Benjamin Harman Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 10:34

In general, you should try to avoid saying "a homework." (As a native speaker, it sounds very strange)

The best reason I can think of why it sounds strange is because the word is indefinite in size. Saying "a" homework contradicts its nature of being indefinite by assigning a size to something that is arbitrary. For example, you can say that I have seven "assignments", but I cannot say that I have seven "homeworks".

(Depending on what your native language is, this may or may not feel natural)

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homework is verb or noun

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Homework - singular or plural?

  • Thread starter Mr_Croft
  • Start date Nov 19, 2007
  • Nov 19, 2007

cuchuflete

Senior Member

I haven't ( have not) done it. It is singular. My homework is singular. It names the collective tasks I have to do. Bienvenido mr_Croft! Note: Some dictionaries describe this noun as "uncountable". There are many threads here about uncountable nouns. You may find them by using the forum Search feature, or by looking up the word "uncountable" in the WordReference English dictionary. It will display threads with that word in the title: Forum discussions with the word(s) 'uncountable' in the title: Countable and uncountable, depending on context! Countable, uncountable: asparagus Countable, uncountable: homework Uncountable nouns - an exercise is the word "cheese" uncountable? Countable, uncountable: mail, e-mail Countable, uncountable: broccoli, orange Countable, uncountable: advice, bread, cabbage, hair, onions Countable, uncountable: chocolate, chocolates Countable, uncountable: food Countable, uncountable: news Two uncountable nouns become plural? Countable, uncountable: peanuts, people Should the verb be singular or plural after two uncountable nouns? Countable and uncountable, depending on context! uncountable luck Biker, Sponsor: UNCOUNTABLE??? is or are with a list of uncountable Countable, uncountable: help Countable, uncountable: snow Two types of uncountable nouns. the use of articles with uncountable nouns Countable, uncountable: patience "Advice" - uncountable??? Tip (countable or uncountable)  

panjandrum

The last time we talked about this, everyone but me said that homework is not countable. Countable, uncountable: homework But in this particular example, even I would say: I haven't done my homework. Have you done your homework? I haven't done it yet. - - - even if I have homework to do in several different subjects.  

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COMMENTS

  1. Homework Definition & Meaning

    How to use homework in a sentence. piecework done at home for pay; an assignment given to a student to be completed outside the regular class period… See the full definition ... homework noun. home· work ˈhōm-ˌwərk . Synonyms of homework. 1: piecework done at home for pay. 2

  2. homework noun

    The homework assignments are worth 10% of the final grade. I have some homework to do on the Civil War. I want you to hand in this homework on Friday. The science teacher always gives a lot of homework. They get a lot of homework in English. They get masses of homework at secondary school. We had to write out one of the exercises for homework.

  3. "Homework is" or "homework are"? : r/grammar

    Like most uncountable nouns, it functions like a singular noun grammatically. Homework is a noncount noun, so the singular ("homework is ") would be correct. I would use the word "assignments"—or the phrase "homework assignments" if specificity is needed—when referring to multiple pieces of homework (e.g., "the (homework ...

  4. What's the difference between a verb and a noun?

    Verbs are words that show an action (sing, run, eat). Verbs can also show a state of being (exist), or a thing that happens (develop, connect). If a word communicates something that someone or something can do, it's a verb. Nouns are words that refer to a person (Noah Webster), place (Springfield), or thing (book), or also to an animal (dog ...

  5. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK definition: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  6. HOMEWORK

    HOMEWORK meaning: 1. work that teachers give their students to do at home: 2. work that teachers give their students…. Learn more.

  7. HOMEWORK Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork).. See examples of HOMEWORK used in a sentence.

  8. homework noun

    Definition of homework noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  9. homework, n. meanings, etymology and more

    The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader. homework is formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: home n.1, work n. See etymology.

  10. HOMEWORK definition in American English

    homework in American English. (ˈhoumˌwɜːrk) noun. 1. schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork) 2. paid work done at home, as piecework. 3. thorough preparatory study of a subject.

  11. homework

    • Homework is an uncountable noun and is not used in the plural. You say: The teacher gave us a lot of homework. Don't say: The teacher gave us a lot of homeworks. • Homework is always followed by a singular verb. The homework was really difficult.

  12. homework

    homework (usually uncountable, plural homeworks) Exercises assigned by a teacher to a student which review concepts studied in class. You must do your homework before you can watch television. 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby, "Finland's education ambassador spreads the word", in The Guardian ‎ [1], archived from the original on 2022-10-15: Even ...

  13. HOMEWORK definition and meaning

    3 meanings: 1. school work done out of lessons, esp at home 2. any preparatory study 3. work done at home for pay.... Click for more definitions.

  14. Homework

    homework: 1 n preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) Synonyms: prep , preparation Type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher

  15. The Eight Parts of Speech

    The Eight Parts of Speech. There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when ...

  16. nouns

    Traditionally, it is not countable, and most dictionaries list it as such. However, the Merriam-Webster thesaurus (although not the Merriam-Webster dictionary) does have an entry for homeworks. Moreover, the plural form is used by at least some groups of educated native speakers. One's best bet is to try to find out if one's audience belongs to ...

  17. Is homework a noun or a verb?

    An 'object noun' is a noun that functions as the object of a verb or a preposition.Examples:The dog ate my homework. (the noun 'homework is the direct object of the verb 'ate')I gave the teacher ...

  18. Homework Definition & Meaning

    Homework definition: Work, such as schoolwork or piecework, that is done at home.

  19. singular vs plural

    You have correctly identified the subject of the sentence as "homework", which is a singular collective noun. So, you should use the singular form of the verb: "What classes is the homework for." It may sound strange, because the word order is inverted and the verb comes after a plural noun, but the subject-verb agreement is all that matters.

  20. The 8 Parts of Speech: Examples and Rules

    Just like y is sometimes a vowel and sometimes a consonant, there are words that are sometimes one part of speech and other times another. Here are a few examples: "I went to work " (noun). "I work in the garden" (verb). "She paints very well " (adverb). "They are finally well now, after weeks of illness" (adjective).

  21. Parts of Speech Worksheets

    On these worksheets, students learn to identify the part of speech of a word according to how it is used in a given sentence. Then, they are given opportunity to practice writing sentences using the specified part of speech. All eight parts of speech are covered in this section: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, Interjections ...

  22. countability

    2. In general, you should try to avoid saying "a homework." (As a native speaker, it sounds very strange) The best reason I can think of why it sounds strange is because the word is indefinite in size. Saying "a" homework contradicts its nature of being indefinite by assigning a size to something that is arbitrary.

  23. Homework

    It is singular. My homework is singular. It names. the collective tasks I have to do. Bienvenido mr_Croft! Note: Some dictionaries describe this noun as "uncountable". There are many threads here about uncountable nouns. You may find them by using the forum Search feature, or by looking up the word "uncountable" in the WordReference English ...