Nouns
Proper and Common Nouns
Definition:
A Noun is the name of a person, place, animal, thing, or idea.
Common Noun:
A common noun is a general name for a place, person or thing in a group. Unlike proper nouns, it is not capitalized. Some examples of common nouns are cat, boy, country, mother, table, etc.
Proper Nouns:
Proper nouns indicate a name for specific things, people, places. Proper nouns are capitalized depending on how it is used in a sentence.
Example:
Let’s take a look at how each name, place, animal or thing can have a common noun and a proper noun.
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Place and Thing Common Noun state planet Proper Noun Maharashtra Saturn -
Person and Animal Common Noun boy dog Proper Noun Rohit Billu
Common Noun Pertaining to Professions:
A profession refers to the work related to a person. These are common nouns as it refers to the group of people who work a particular profession.
Examples:
- A painter paints the walls of your house.
- A postman delivers letters.
- A milkman delivers milk to your door.
- A doctor treats patients.
- A tailor stitches clothes.
Common Mistakes:
- Do not use common nouns in place of proper nouns when speaking about something specific.
- Articles are usually not used before a Proper Noun.
Example:
A girl is smart and intelligent.
Rekha is smart and intelligent.
Example:
The Kolkata
Kolkata
Exceptions:
There are a few exceptions which are listed below:
- When a common noun appears in a sentence as the first word, it is written in capitals. For example, the word cities, which is a common noun, is capitalized in the sentence below as it is the first word in the sentence:
- The other reason for using capitals in a common noun is if it is part of a title.
Example:
Cities are more polluted compared to the villages.
Example:
‘Umbrella’ is a common noun. However, in an essay titled ‘My Umbrella’, it is written in capitals.