Common and Proper Nouns Explained (Exercise and Examples)

In English grammar, a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. There are two types of nouns: common nouns and proper nouns.

Common and Proper Nouns

A common noun is a noun that refers to a general, non-specific person, place, thing, or idea. For example, “dog,” “city,” and “book” are all common nouns because they refer to any dog, any city, and any book.

A proper noun, on the other hand, is a specific name given to a particular person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized. For example, “Lassie,” “New York City,” and “Harry Potter” are all proper nouns because they refer to a specific dog, a specific city, and a specific character in a book, respectively.

Remember: Proper nouns are always capitalized, and common nouns are only capitalized at the beginning of sentences.

See the difference between common nouns and proper nouns, in the following examples:

“I went to the city.” (common noun)

“I went to New York City.” (proper noun)

“My dog is barking.” (common noun)

“My dog’s name is Lassie.” (proper noun)

“I read a book.” (common noun)

“I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” (proper noun)

Check Also:
100 Most Common English Nouns A-Z List (PDF)📋
500+ English Verbs List (V1 V2 V3 Verb Forms)
Very Useful Basic English Sentences (PDF)

Common and Proper Nouns Worksheet