Second Grade English: Common vs. Proper Nouns
Every sentence in the English language needs names to describe the world around us. A noun is one of the most fundamental parts of speech, acting as a naming word for any person, place, thing, animal, or idea. In this chapter, you will discover the two primary families of naming words: common nouns, which name general items, and proper nouns, which name specific, one-of-a-kind individuals, locations, and titles. You will also master the golden rule of capitalization that sets proper nouns apart in every piece of writing.
What Is a Noun?
Before exploring the difference between common and proper nouns, let us review the four great realms of nouns.
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| THE FOUR REALMS OF NOUNS |
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| 1. PEOPLE: girl, doctor, astronaut, brother, firefighter |
| 2. PLACES: park, school, kitchen, forest, beach, city |
| 3. THINGS: book, pencil, bicycle, sandwich, acorn, trumpet |
| 4. ANIMALS: rabbit, dolphin, hawk, kitten, bear, turtle |
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The Naming Power of Language
Without nouns, you could not tell anyone who you are, where you want to go, or what you want to eat. Nouns serve as the anchors of your thoughts, allowing listeners to picture the exact subjects of your stories.
Common Nouns: Naming General Items
A common noun names any general person, place, thing, or animal. It does not name a specific individual; instead, it refers to a whole category or kind.
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| THE COMMON NOUN UMBRELLA |
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| |
| [ C O M M O N N O U N ] |
| |
| Refers to ANY member of a group: |
| - a boy (any boy in the world) |
| - a city (any city on the globe) |
| - a dog (any canine that barks) |
| - a holiday (any festive day of the year) |
| |
| RULE: Common nouns ALWAYS begin with lowercase letters, |
| unless they happen to start a new sentence! |
| |
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Common Noun Examples in Sentences
"The teacher wrote on the board." (Both teacher and board are general common nouns). "A small bird perched on the wooden fence." (Both bird and fence are general common nouns).
Proper Nouns: Naming Specific Individuals
A proper noun names a very specific, unique person, place, day, month, or title. A proper noun gives a special name that belongs to only one particular individual or location.
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| THE PROPER NOUN SPOTLIGHT |
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| |
| [ P R O P E R N O U N ] |
| |
| Refers to ONE SPECIFIC, UNIQUE subject: |
| - Leo (a specific boy's personal name) |
| - Chicago (a specific city in Illinois) |
| - Barnaby (a specific dog's pet name) |
| - Thanksgiving (a specific holiday in November) |
| |
| GOLDEN RULE: Proper nouns ALWAYS begin with a CAPITAL letter, |
| no matter where they sit in a sentence! |
| |
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The Common vs. Proper Matching Grid
Notice how every common noun can be paired with an exact, specific proper noun counterpart.
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| COMMON VS. PROPER MATCHING GRID |
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| General Category (Common) | Specific Special Name (Proper) |
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| boy | Carlos, Benjamin, Liam |
| girl | Maya, Sophia, Emma |
| teacher | Mrs. Davis, Mr. Patel |
| school | Oak Elementary School |
| city | Seattle, Boston, Denver |
| state | California, Texas, Florida |
| country | Canada, Mexico, Japan |
| day of the week | Monday, Friday, Sunday |
| month of the year | January, July, October |
| holiday | Halloween, Fourth of July |
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Special Categories of Proper Nouns
Proper nouns include names of pets (Rover, Whiskers), titles of books and movies (Charlotte's Web), names of streets (Maple Avenue), and names of rivers and oceans (Mississippi River, Atlantic Ocean). When writing titles, capitalize all the important words!
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Read the following list of nouns and classify each as either Common or Proper: river, Ohio River, teacher, Mr. Henderson, month, December, dog, Bruno.
Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentence with correct capitalization for all proper nouns: "last friday, maya and her brother traveled to yellowstone national park."
Exercise Solutions
Solution to Exercise 1: The classifications are: river is Common; Ohio River is Proper; teacher is Common; Mr. Henderson is Proper; month is Common; December is Proper; dog is Common; Bruno is Proper.
Solution to Exercise 2: The corrected sentence is: "Last Friday, Maya and her brother traveled to Yellowstone National Park." Notice that Last is capitalized because it begins the sentence, Friday is capitalized as a proper day, Maya is capitalized as a proper name, and Yellowstone National Park is capitalized as a specific proper landmark.