Common Nouns:
* Definition: Common nouns are words that refer to general categories of people, places, things, or ideas. They are not specific to a particular individual, location, or item.
* Examples:
* People: doctor, teacher, child, woman
* Places: city, park, river, country
* Things: book, chair, phone, car
* Ideas: love, happiness, freedom, justice
Proper Nouns:
* Definition: Proper nouns are specific names of people, places, organizations, or things. They are always capitalized.
* Examples:
* People: Dr. Smith, Ms. Jones, John Doe, Queen Elizabeth II
* Places: New York City, Mount Everest, Amazon River, Europe
* Organizations: United Nations, Google, NASA, The Red Cross
* Things: The Mona Lisa, the Empire State Building, the Constitution
Key Differences:
* Specificity: Common nouns are general, while proper nouns are specific.
* Capitalization: Proper nouns are capitalized, while common nouns are not.
* Number: Common nouns can be singular or plural, while proper nouns usually remain singular.
Here's an easy way to think about it:
* If you can put "a," "an," or "the" in front of a word, it's likely a common noun.
* If you can't put "a," "an," or "the" in front of a word, it's likely a proper noun.