= Partner SiteCommon and Proper Nouns Worksheets, Definitions, and Examples
Welcome to our common and proper noun worksheets! Students typically start learning about common and proper nouns in the early elementary grades, around first or second grade. We’ve included some great resources below to help.
Common nouns sentence search
Search through sentences to underline the common nouns that name general people, places, or things in each sentence.
Common and proper nouns activity
Categorize nouns as common or proper, read provided common nouns, and write a matching proper noun for each.
Common and proper nouns matching activity
Draw lines to match common nouns with their related proper noun examples, connecting general and specific naming words.
Proper nouns sentence search activitiy
Read through sentences and underline the proper nouns that name specific people, places, or organizations requiring capitalization.
Sort the common and proper nouns worksheet
Sort words from the word bank into categories of common nouns and proper nouns based on capitalization rules.
Write the proper noun (from common)
Transform common nouns into proper nouns by reading the general words and writing specific names that match each category.
Understanding Common and Proper Nouns
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. Understanding the difference between common and proper nouns is an important grammar concept for students.
Common nouns are general names for people, places, things, or ideas, such as “toy,” “car,” or “rabbit.” Common nouns are typically not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
Proper nouns are the specific names of people, places, things, or ideas, such as “New Jersey,” “Jenna Roberts,” or “The Mona Lisa.” Proper nouns are always capitalized and are used to identify specific, unique entities.
Common Noun Categories and Examples
Common nouns can be organized into many different categories. Here are some examples:
- Animals: My favorite pet is a dog.
- Food and drink: I had a delicious pizza for dinner last night.
- Occupations: My dad is a doctor and my mom is a teacher.
- Clothing: I need to buy a new pair of shoes for work.
- Vehicles: The train was delayed by 30 minutes this morning.
- Colors: She looks great in a red dress.
- Shapes: The street signs are in the shape of a triangle.
- Materials: This table is made of wood.
- Plants: I planted some flowers in my garden this weekend.
- Household items: We need a new lamp for the living room.
- Sports: My favorite sport is football.
- Music: I’m learning how to play the piano.
- Technology: I need to upgrade my computer soon.
- Geography: The Amazon River is the longest river in the world.
- Emotions: He expressed his anger by shouting at the other driver.
- Family: My sister is coming to visit me this weekend.
- Time: I have a meeting at 2 pm today.
- Money: How much is a euro compared to a dollar?
- Weather: It’s really cold today, the snow is starting to pile up.
Proper Noun Categories and Examples
Proper nouns refer to specific, unique entities and are always capitalized. Here are some example categories:
- People: John Smith is a famous actor.
- Places: I’ve always wanted to visit Paris, France.
- Brands: I really like Nike sneakers.
- Events: The Olympic Games are held every four years.
- Works of art: The Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
- Positions: President Joe Biden gave a speech yesterday.
- Organizations: I’m a member of the Red Cross charity.
- Books: I recently read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
- Films: The Godfather is considered one of the greatest films of all time.
- Songs: My favorite song is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
