English grammar · lesson 1 of 30 · free

Common and proper nouns — English grammar for kids

A noun is a naming word. “City” can mean any city — it is a common noun. “Jaipur” is the name of one particular city — it is a proper noun, and it always starts with a capital letter.

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The grammar rule

Special name, capital letter — “a proper noun names one particular person, place or day; a common noun names any of a kind”

  1. A common noun is a general word for any person, place, animal or thing: girl, river, mango, festival.
  2. A proper noun is the special name of one person, place, river, day, month or festival: Riya, Ganga, Monday, Diwali.
  3. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not (unless they begin a sentence).

Use it for: Writing names with capital letters, sorting nouns in grammar exercises, and every composition you write.

Worked example: Fill the gap with a common noun: Diwali is a ___. → festival

  1. Diwali is a proper noun — the name of one particular festival.
  2. The common noun tells what kind of thing it is: Diwali is a festival.

Check: Holi, Eid and Pongal are festivals too — “festival” is the general word for all of them ✓

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🖨️ Common and Proper Noun Worksheet

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