What are common nouns?
Students learn that a noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. A common noun is a general name for a person, place, thing, or idea, such as “toy,” “car,” or “rabbit.” On the other hand, a proper noun is the specific name of a person, place, thing, or idea, such as “New Jersey,” “Jenna Roberts,” or “The Mona Lisa.”
It’s important for students to understand the difference between common and proper nouns. For example, proper nouns are always capitalized, while common nouns are not. Proper nouns are used to identify specific people, places, or things, while common nouns refer to general categories.
We’ve included a variety of printable common and proper noun worksheets below to help your child or student understand more about common and proper nouns.
Common nouns are one of the two main types of nouns. They refer to general categories of people, places, things, or ideas, and are important grammar concepts. Common nouns are typically not capitalized unless they begin a sentence or are part of a proper noun.
There are many different categories of common nouns! These can include animals, food and drink, occupations, clothing, vehicles and more. Here are some categories of common nouns:
- 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.
- Education: The textbook for this class is really expensive.
- 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.
What are proper nouns?
Proper nouns refer to specific, unique entities, such as people, places, organizations, and events, and they are always capitalized. Proper nouns can refer to individuals or groups, and are important for accurately and specifically identifying specific people, places, organizations, and events. 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.
