Common and Proper Nouns

A noun is a name word—person, place, or thing. A noun may be common or proper. A common noun does not name a specific person, place, or thing. A proper noun does name a specific person, place, or thing and requires a capital letter.

Common noun—cat          Proper noun—Spookie

Here, we list common nouns, followed by examples of proper nouns:

country—Mexico
lake—Lake Erie
day—Monday
month—July
girl—Laura Ingalls
school—Arroyo High School
ocean—Atlantic Ocean
family—Hahn Family

Examples

We practice identifying common and proper nouns. From the following sentences, write each noun and tell whether it is common or proper.

  1. Molly works in the city at a restaurant called Taco Treat.
  2. My father crossed the street and caught a bus to Chicago.
  3. Mrs. Camancho flew to New York and visited Niagara Falls.
  4. Camped alongside the Kern River, the Cheung Family counted stars and identified constellations at night.
  5. On Monday, Jeff took his mother to Methodist Hospital on Huntington Drive.
  6. Without a doubt, Peter Pan was Maxwell's favorite character.
  7. Next August, the three friends will meet at a cabin in West Virginia.
  8. My cousin who lives in Frazier Park has two horses, two dogs, two cats, and two chickens.
  9. Fridays are busy days at the E-Z Car Wash.
  10. Where is the London Bridge?

Answers

We name the common and proper nouns.

  1. Molly, proper; city, common; restaurant, common; Taco Treat, proper
  2. father, common; street, common; bus, common; Chicago, proper
  3. Mrs. Camancho, proper; New York, proper; Niagra Falls, proper
  4. Kern River, proper; Cheung Family, proper; stars, common; constellations, common; night, common
  5. Monday, proper; Jeff, proper; mother, common; Methodist Hospital, proper; Huntington Drive, proper
  6. doubt, common; Peter Pan, proper; story, common
  7. August, proper; friends, common; cabin, common; West Virginia, proper
  8. cousin, common; Frazier Park, proper; horses, common; dogs, common; cats, common; chickens, common
  9. Fridays, proper; days, common; E-Z Car Wash, proper
  10. London Bridge, proper