Common Noun and Proper Noun Exercises with Answers

Nouns form one of the most important parts of English grammar, and among them, common nouns and proper nouns are the most fundamental classifications. Learning to distinguish between these two types of nouns helps students identify names, places, objects, and ideas accurately in sentences. To strengthen this understanding, practising a variety of exercises is essential, as it allows learners to apply grammatical concepts in different contexts.

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• Common Noun and Proper Noun Exercises with Answers

Common Noun and Proper Noun Exercises with Answers

Before attempting these exercises, it is important to recall that a common noun refers to a general name of a person, place, animal, or thing, whereas a proper noun refers to a specific name and always begins with a capital letter. The following exercises are designed to test clarity, accuracy, and application of these concepts through sentence-based and classification tasks.

Exercise 1: Identify the Common and Proper Nouns

Read the following sentences carefully and identify the common nouns and proper nouns used in each sentence.

1. Rahul bought a bicycle from the shop.

2. The Eiffel Tower is located in Paris.

3. My sister studies at Delhi University.

4. The teacher praised Rohan for his honesty.

5. The Amazon River flows through Brazil.

6. I borrowed a novel written by Charles Dickens.

7. The children played cricket in Eden Gardens.

8. Dr Sharma works at Apollo Hospital.

9. The dog followed its owner home.

10. Microsoft released a new software update.

11. The farmer grows wheat in his field.

12. Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.

13. The train reached Howrah Station late.

14. My father works for the State Bank of India.

15. The mountain range is visible from Shimla.

16. We visited the Red Fort during our trip.

17. The artist painted a portrait of Mona Lisa.

18. The boy admires Sachin Tendulkar.

19. The newspaper publishes daily news.

20. The ship sailed across the Pacific Ocean.

Answers 

1. Bicycle, shop – Common nouns; Rahul – Proper noun

2. Eiffel Tower, Paris – Proper nouns

3. Sister – Common noun; Delhi University – Proper noun

4. Teacher, honesty – Common nouns; Rohan – Proper noun

5. Amazon River, Brazil – Proper nouns

6. Novel – Common noun; Charles Dickens – Proper noun

7. Children, cricket – Common nouns; Eden Gardens – Proper noun

8. Dr Sharma, Apollo Hospital – Proper nouns

9. Dog, owner – Common nouns

10. Software – Common noun; Microsoft – Proper noun

11. Farmer, wheat, field – Common nouns

12. Plays – Common noun; Shakespeare – Proper noun

13. Train – Common noun; Howrah Station – Proper noun

14. Father – Common noun; State Bank of India – Proper noun

15. Mountain range – Common noun; Shimla – Proper noun

16. Red Fort – Proper noun; trip – Common noun

17. Artist, portrait – Common nouns; Mona Lisa – Proper noun

18. Boy – Common noun; Sachin Tendulkar – Proper noun

19. Newspaper, news – Common nouns

20. Ship – Common noun; Pacific Ocean – Proper noun

Exercise 2: Categorise the Nouns

Classify the following nouns into common nouns and proper nouns.

(London, city, author, Kalidas, river, Nile, school, Mount Everest, teacher, Sunita Williams, continent, Asia, animal, elephant, company, Infosys, stadium, Wankhede, festival, Diwali)

Answers

Common Nouns:
city, author, river, school, teacher, continent, animal, elephant, company, stadium, festival

Proper Nouns:
London, Kalidas, Nile, Mount Everest, Sunita Williams, Asia, Infosys, Wankhede, Diwali

Exercise 3: Underline and Correct the Nouns

In the following sentences, identify the incorrect usage of common or proper nouns and rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. the taj mahal is one of the wonders of the world.

2. My cousin lives in mumbai.

3. We read a poem by rabindranath tagore.

4. The ganges is a holy river.

5. I study in kendriya vidyalaya.

6. She met professor sharma yesterday.

7. The indian ocean is very deep.

8. He bought shoes from bata.

9. We watched a match at eden gardens.

10. The prime minister addressed the nation.

11. I borrowed the book from city library.

12. The himalayas are covered with snow.

13. She likes chocolates from cadbury.

14. We celebrated christmas with family.

15. The president visited rashtrapati bhavan.

16. I read an article in the hindu.

17. The scientist works at isro.

18. We crossed the yamuna bridge.

19. He studies french literature.

20. The ship reached port blair.

Answers 

1. The Taj Mahal is one of the wonders of the world.

2. My cousin lives in Mumbai.

3. We read a poem by Rabindranath Tagore.

4. The Ganges is a holy river.

5. I study in Kendriya Vidyalaya.

6. She met Professor Sharma yesterday.

7. The Indian Ocean is very deep.

8. He bought shoes from Bata.

9. We watched a match at Eden Gardens.

10. The Prime Minister addressed the nation.

11. I borrowed the book from City Library.

12. The Himalayas are covered with snow.

13. She likes chocolates from Cadbury.

14. We celebrated Christmas with family.

15. The President visited Rashtrapati Bhavan.

16. I read an article in The Hindu.

17. The scientist works at ISRO.

18. We crossed the Yamuna Bridge.

19. He studies French literature.

20. The ship reached Port Blair.

Exercise 4: Fill in the Blanks with Common or Proper Nouns

Complete the sentences by using suitable common or proper nouns.

1. ______ is the capital of Japan.

2. The ______ teaches us English.

3. My uncle works at ______.

4. The ______ wrote a famous novel.

5. We saw lions at the ______.

6. The ______ flows through Egypt.

7. She received an award from ______.

8. The ______ is our national animal.

9. I read about the event in ______.

10. ______ discovered gravity.

11. The students visited ______ Museum.

12. My brother studies at ______ College.

13. The ______ won the cricket match.

14. The ______ grows crops in the village.

15. We travelled to ______ during holidays.

Answers 

1. Tokyo

2. Teacher

3. TCS

4. Author

5. Zoo

6. Nile

7. Government

8. Tiger

9. Newspaper

10. Newton

11. National

12. Loyola

13. Team

14. Farmer

15. Jaipur

Exercise 5: Rewrite the Sentences Using Proper Nouns

Rewrite the following sentences by replacing the common nouns with appropriate proper nouns.

1. The boy won the tennis match.

2. The writer wrote a famous play.

3. The city is known for its monuments.

4. The river is very long.

5. The school is well known.

6. The scientist invented the telephone.

7. The mountain is the highest peak.

8. The company launched a new phone.

9. The leader addressed the nation.

10. The newspaper published the article.

11. The actor won an award.

12. The stadium hosted the final match.

13. The painter created a masterpiece.

14. The hospital treated many patients.

15. The author wrote detective stories.

16. The teacher inspired the students.

17. The island is a tourist attraction.

18. The airline operates international flights.

19. The temple attracts many visitors.

20. The university offers many courses.

Answers

1. Sachin won the tennis match.

2. Shakespeare wrote a famous play.

3. Delhi is known for its monuments.

4. The Amazon is very long.

5. St Joseph’s School is well known.

6. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.

7. Mount Everest is the highest peak.

8. Samsung launched a new phone.

9. The Prime Minister addressed the nation.

10. The Times of India published the article.

11. Amitabh Bachchan won an award.

12. Wankhede Stadium hosted the final match.

13. Leonardo da Vinci created a masterpiece.

14. AIIMS treated many patients.

15. Agatha Christie wrote detective stories.

16. Dr Radhakrishnan inspired the students.

17. Andaman is a tourist attraction.

18. Air India operates international flights.

19. Tirupati Temple attracts many visitors.

20. Delhi University offers many courses.