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.

1. Place and Thing
   Common Noun	state	planet
   Proper Noun	Maharashtra	Saturn

2. 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:

1. A painter paints the walls of your house.
2. A postman delivers letters.
3. A milkman delivers milk to your door.
4. A doctor treats patients.
5. A tailor stitches clothes.

Common Mistakes:

1. Do not use common nouns in place of proper nouns when speaking about something specific.



Example:

A girl is smart and intelligent.

Rekha is smart and intelligent.

2. Articles are usually not used before a Proper Noun.



Example:

The Kolkata

Kolkata

Exceptions:

There are a few exceptions which are listed below:

1. 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:



Example:

Cities are more polluted compared to the villages.

2. The other reason for using capitals in a common noun is if it is part of a title.



Example:

‘Umbrella’ is a common noun. However, in an essay titled ‘My Umbrella’, it is written in capitals.