A noun is a naming word. But, there are 05 kinds of nouns. “Common Noun & Proper Noun” and “Common Noun & Collective Noun” often cause some confusion. So, understanding the distinction between ” Common Noun and Proper Noun ” is essential for proper grammar learning and effective communication in the English language.
Common Nouns Versus Proper Nouns
| Common Noun | Proper Noun |
| Definition: A common noun refers to a general, non-specific person, place, thing, or idea. | Definition: A proper noun refers to a specific, unique person, place, thing, or idea. It is used to identify a particular entity. |
| Examples: person: teacher, student place: city, park thing: table, book idea: love, happiness “I saw a dog in the park.” In the above sentence with bold letters, “dog” is a common noun because it refers to any general dog, not a specific one. | Examples: person: Mary, John place: Paris, Mount Everest thing: The Mona Lisa, The Great Wall of China idea: The Renaissance “I saw Buddy in the park.” In the above sentence with bold letters, “Buddy” is a proper noun because it refers to a specific dog named Buddy. |
| Capitalization: Common nouns are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence. | Capitalization: Proper nouns are always capitalized. This helps distinguish them from common nouns. |
Note: Dear, students, you may not understand all about 05 kinds of Noun. But, no worry it happens. When I was learning, I too had a lot of difficulties understanding all 05 kinds of nouns. But, in due course of time, I understand all.
