Identify common and proper nouns

key notes :

Common Nouns

1. Definition: Common nouns are general names for people, places, things, or animals. They do not name a specific person, place, or thing.
2. Examples:
   • People: teacher, doctor, friend
   • Places: school, park, city
   • Things: book, chair, apple
   • Animals: dog, cat, bird
3. Characteristics: They are not capitalized unless they are at the beginning of a sentence.

Proper Nouns

1. Definition: Proper nouns name specific people, places, or things. They are unique and distinct.
2. Examples:
   • People: Sarah, Mr. Smith, Aunt Jane
   • Places: New York, Disneyland, London
   • Things: iPhone, Coca-Cola, The Eiffel Tower
3. Characteristics: Proper nouns always start with a capital letter.

Identifying Nouns

1. Activity: To identify if a noun is common or proper, ask if it refers to a general category or a specific item.
   • Common Noun: “city” (general); “cat” (general)
   • Proper Noun: “New York” (specific); “Whiskers” (specific cat’s name)
2. Practice: Use sentence examples to distinguish between common and proper nouns.
   • Example: “The dog plays in the park.” (common nouns: dog, park)
   • Example: “Tom goes to the park with Max.” (proper noun: Tom, Max)