COMMON

AND
PROPER
NOUN
PROPER NOUNS
You always write a proper noun with a capital
letter, since the noun represents the name of a
specific person, place, or thing.
The names of days of the week, months,
historical documents, institutions, organizations,
religions, their holy texts and their adherents are
proper nouns.
A proper noun is the opposite of a common
noun.
 EXAMPLES
1. The Maroons were transported
from Jamaica and forced to build the
fortifications in Halifax.
2. Many people dread Monday mornings.
3. Beltane is celebrated on the first of May.
4. Abraham appears in the Talmud and in
the Koran.
5. Last year, I had a Baptist, a Buddhist, and
a Gardner Ian Witch as roommates.
Exercise
Use capital letters for Proper Nouns in the following sentences.
1. paris is the capital of france.
2. william shakespeare is a famous english author.
3. ‘war and peace' was written by leo tolstoy.
4. The universities of oxford and cambridge offer degree
courses at the highest level.
5. john's two dogs are named rover and boxer.
6. david will travel to france to do a degree course on the
french revolution.
7. suez canal joins the red sea and the mediterranean sea.
8. republic of liberia is on the west coast of africa.
9. mick jagger is the lead singer of rolling stones
10. mount kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in africa.
COMMON NOUNS
A common noun is a noun referring to
a person, place, or thing in a general
sense -- usually, you should write it with a
capital letter only when it begins a
sentence.
A common noun is the opposite of a
proper noun.
1. According to the sign, the nearest town is
60 miles away.
2. All the gardens in the neighbourhood were
invaded by beetlesthis summer.
3. I don't understand why some people insist
on having six different kinds of mustard in
their cupboards.
4. The road crew was startled by the sight of
three large moosecrossing the road.
5. Many child-care workers are underpaid.
Sometimes you will make proper nouns out of
common nouns, as in the following examples:
1. The tenants in the Garnet Apartments are
appealing the large and sudden increase in
their rent.
2. The meals in the
Bouncing Bean Restaurant are less expensive
than meals in ordinary restaurants.
3. Many witches refer to the Renaissance as the
Burning Times.
4. The Diary of Anne Frank is often a child's first
introduction to the history of the Holocaust.
 EXERCISE
Identify the Common Nouns in the following sentences.
1. We arrived early at the station.
2. There are different species of fish.
3. The man was trying to steal his car.
4. They have gone to the zoo.
5. The baby is crying.
6. My mother is in the kitchen.
7. He threw some nuts to the monkeys.
8. The children are playing in the field.
9. That temple was built before I was born.
10. He has bought a new car.