Grammar: Nouns and Verbs

Common and Proper Nouns#

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are everywhere! In fact, almost every sentence has at least one noun. There are two main types of nouns: common nouns and proper nouns.

What Is a Common Noun?#

A common noun is a general name for a person, place, or thing. It dös NOT name a specific person, place, or thing — it is just the category or type.

• Person: boy, girl, teacher, doctor, friend, baby
• Place: school, city, park, store, country, library
• Thing: book, dog, apple, chair, tree, car
• Idea: love, happiness, freedom, courage

Common nouns do NOT start with a capital letter (unless they begin a sentence).

What Is a Proper Noun?#

A proper noun is the SPECIFIC name of a particular person, place, or thing. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter.

• Specific person: Maria, Mr. Smith, Queen Elizabeth, Grandma Rosa
• Specific place: London, Oak Street, Pacific Ocean, Disneyland
• Specific thing: Monday, January, English, Cheerios

Comparing Common and Proper Nouns#

How to Find Nouns in a Sentence#

To find nouns in a sentence, ask: "Can I put 'the' or 'a' in front of this word?" If yes, it is probably a noun.

• the dog ✓ — dog is a noun
• the run ✗ — run is usually a verb (action), not a noun

Nouns are the building blocks of language. Understanding common and proper nouns helps you write with more accuracy and care — and remember to always capitalize those proper nouns!