Proper and Common Nouns

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What is a proper noun?

A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing and is always capitalized, like 'London' or 'Sarah'.

What is a common noun?

A common noun names a general item or category, like 'city' or 'girl', and is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence.

Is 'President' a proper or common noun?

It is a common noun unless it is part of a specific title like 'President Biden', then it is a proper noun.

Why is 'Mount Everest' considered a proper noun?

Because it names a specific mountain.

What is the difference between a common noun and a proper noun?

Proper nouns name specific entities and are capitalized, while common nouns name general items and are not.

Give an example of a common noun in a sentence.

In the sentence 'The dog barked loudly,' the word 'dog' is a common noun.

Give an example of a proper noun in a sentence.

In the sentence 'Alice is reading a book,' the word 'Alice' is a proper noun.

Is 'ocean' a common noun or a proper noun?

It is a common noun as it does not specify a particular ocean.

Is 'Pacific Ocean' a proper or common noun?

It is a proper noun because it refers to a specific ocean.

Do proper nouns need a capital letter?

Yes, proper nouns always start with a capital letter.

Is 'school' a common or proper noun?

It is a common noun.

Should 'February' be capitalized? Why or why not?

Yes, 'February' should be capitalized because it is a proper noun.

Is 'teacher' a proper noun?

No, 'teacher' is a common noun.

What are two examples of proper nouns?

Examples include 'Disneyland' and 'Emily'.

How can you tell if a noun is common or proper?

If it names a specific person, place, or thing and is capitalized, it's a proper noun. Otherwise, it's a common noun.





Test Your Knowledge

Select the correct option


1. What is a proper noun?

A common noun representing general items or categories.

A noun that is never capitalized in a sentence.

Any noun that ends with a consonant.

A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing and is always capitalized, like 'London' or 'Sarah'.

2. What is a common noun?

A common noun names a general item or category, like 'city' or 'girl', and is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence.

A noun which is always capitalized.

A noun that names a specific person or place.

A verb used to describe a common action.

3. Is 'President' a proper or common noun?

It is a common noun unless it is part of a specific title like 'President Biden', then it is a proper noun.

Always a proper noun.

Always a common noun.

Not a noun at all.

4. Why is 'Mount Everest' considered a proper noun?

Because it names a specific mountain.

Because it is a common type of mountain.

Because only geological features are proper nouns.

Because 'Mount' is always capitalized.

5. What is the difference between a common noun and a proper noun?

Proper nouns name specific entities and are capitalized, while common nouns name general items and are not.

Common nouns are specific, and proper nouns are general.

Both are the same except for their spelling.

Proper nouns are only used in scientific texts.

6. Give an example of a common noun in a sentence.

In the sentence 'The dog barked loudly,' the word 'dog' is a common noun.

In the sentence 'Paris is beautiful,' 'Paris' is a common noun.

In the sentence 'She likes her bike,' 'she' is a common noun.

In the sentence 'Mars is visible tonight,' 'Mars' is a common noun.

7. Give an example of a proper noun in a sentence.

In the sentence 'Alice is reading a book,' the word 'Alice' is a proper noun.

In the sentence 'The book is on the table,' 'book' is a proper noun.

In the sentence 'The cat is sleeping,' 'cat' is a proper noun.

In the sentence 'Fruit is healthy,' 'fruit' is a proper noun.

8. Is 'ocean' a common noun or a proper noun?

It is a common noun as it does not specify a particular ocean.

It is a proper noun as all natural features are proper nouns.

It is neither; it is a verb.

It is a proper noun because 'ocean' is always capitalized.

9. Is 'Pacific Ocean' a proper or common noun?

It is a proper noun because it refers to a specific ocean.

It is a common noun because it describes a type of ocean.

It is a proper noun only if it starts a sentence.

It is not a noun.

10. Do proper nouns need a capital letter?

Yes, proper nouns always start with a capital letter.

No, only when they start a sentence.

Only if they are longer than two syllables.

Only on special occasions.

11. Is 'school' a common or proper noun?

It is a common noun.

It is a proper noun.

It depends on the context.

It is not a noun.

12. Should 'February' be capitalized? Why or why not?

Yes, 'February' should be capitalized because it is a proper noun.

No, because it's the name of a month, which is a common noun.

Only when used in formal texts.

Only during a leap year.

13. Is 'teacher' a proper noun?

No, 'teacher' is a common noun.

Yes, it is a proper noun.

It can be both, depending on usage.

It is not a noun but an adjective.

14. What are two examples of proper nouns?

Examples include 'Disneyland' and 'Emily'.

'Volume' and 'Capacity'.

'Table' and 'Chair'.

'Happy' and 'Sad'.

15. How can you tell if a noun is common or proper?

If it names a specific person, place, or thing and is capitalized, it's a proper noun. Otherwise, it's a common noun.

By the length of the word, longer words are proper nouns.

If it starts a sentence, it's a proper noun.

Common nouns end with a vowel.