Common vs. Proper Nouns: A Simple Breakdown
Common Nouns:
* General, everyday names for people, places, things, or ideas.
* Not capitalized unless they start a sentence.
* Examples: dog, city, book, love, sadness
Proper Nouns:
* Specific names for particular people, places, things, or ideas.
* Always capitalized.
* Examples: Rover, New York City, "The Lord of the Rings", World War II
Here's a helpful analogy:
Imagine a category called "Fruit". That's a common noun. Now imagine a specific fruit like "Apple". That's a proper noun.
Key Differences:
| Feature | Common Noun | Proper Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Generality | General | Specific |
| Capitalization | Not capitalized (unless at the start of a sentence) | Always capitalized |
| Examples | Dog, car, mountain, happiness | Rover, Toyota, Mount Everest, Buddhism |
In a nutshell: Common nouns are the everyday words, while proper nouns are the unique names that stand out.