Common Noun Proper Noun

Common & Proper Nouns

Think of the title of your favorite show, movie, game, or book. These titles are all examples of proper nouns. Whether it's Harry Potter, or Minecraft, Star Wars, or Wild Kratts, these are specific names of things. Remember that a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. Every noun can be divided into two categories: common nouns or proper nouns. Let's take a look at some definitions and examples of common and proper nouns.

Common Nouns

Common nouns name general people, places, or things. The words: 'show,' 'movie,' 'game,' and 'book' are common nouns, since there are lots of them. When you use the word 'movie,' you could be talking about several different movies. In this way, common nouns are more general. Some examples include:

• People: president or singer
• Place: country or museum
• Thing: dog or car

Common nouns do not need capital letters unless they are part of a title or the start of a sentence.

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns name specific people, places, or things. Proper nouns require capital letters. While common nouns are general, proper nouns are specific and name one particular person, place, or thing, like the book Harry Potter or the movie Star Wars. Here are some examples of proper nouns:

• People: Barack Obama or Taylor Swift
• Place: The United States of America or The Smithsonian Museum
• Thing: Lassie or Porsche

Proper nouns name unique things. Are you unique? Of course, you are! So, although you may never have given it any thought, even your name is a proper noun - that is why it is capitalized. Other popular proper nouns include: specific states, countries, continents, street names, days of the week, months of the year, holidays, businesses, stores, and schools. All of these proper nouns must be capitalized.

Common vs. Proper Nouns

Look at these comparisons of common and proper nouns:

• Do you want to go to a restaurant? (Common noun)
• Sure, let's go to Pizza Hut. (Proper noun)

Both of these nouns are talking about restaurants, but one is general (common) while the other is specific (proper).

• I love to read books. (Common noun)
• My favorite is Green Eggs and Ham. (Proper noun)

Both of these nouns refer to books; however, one is a general reference, while the other is specific.

Here's a hint: It's easy to recognize proper nouns, like the ones in our examples, by looking for the capital letters.