Common and Proper NounsBROUGHT TO YOU BY POWERPOINTPROS.COM

Nouns

Recall that nouns name people, places, things, ideas, and animals. All nouns can be categorized into 2 groups: Common Nouns, and Proper Nouns.

Common Nouns

Common Nouns are nouns that are not specific. They are not capitalized unless they are at the beginning of a sentence or part of a title.

Proper Nouns

Proper Nouns, on the other hand, are nouns are specific. They name specific people, places, things, ideas, and animals. They are always capitalized.

Common vs. Proper

Common Nounsbuilding

documentpersonstate

schoolbookcity

Proper NounsEmpire State Building

United States ConstitutionJohn Quincy Adams

TexasLincoln UniversityCharlotte’s Web

Chicago

Notice that the common nouns

are all general terms, whereas the proper nouns are

all very specific.

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

manCommon Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

George WashingtonProper Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

streetCommon Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

Straight StreetProper Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

SeattleProper Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

cityCommon Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

Statue of LibertyProper Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

statueCommon Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

IllinoisProper Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

stateCommon Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

lakeCommon Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

Lake MichiganProper Noun

Common or Proper?

Practice: Decide if each noun is common or proper.

companyCommon Noun

Congratulations!

You now know the difference between common and proper nouns!