The difference between common nouns and proper nouns

Created byKaren Franklin

What is a common noun?• A common noun names a person,

place, thing, or animal.• It is never capitalized unless it’s at

the beginning of a sentence.

personstudent

placestore

thingcookie

animalcat

The cat chased a lizard on the porch.

What is a proper noun?• A proper noun use to be a common noun and

it has two distinctive features:1. It will name a specific item (usually a one-of-a-

kind).2. It will always begin with a capital letter no

matter where it is located in a sentence.

personNyle

placeDollar Tree

thingOreo

animal

Lucy

I saw Nyle in the Dollar Tree buying treats for his cat, Lucy.

Other common and proper nouns

holiday monthNovember

geographic name

PRODUCTSsoda

Dr. Pepper

clothingUnder Armour

cell phoneSamsung Galaxy

tacoTaco Bell

Thanksgiving Grand Canyon National Park