Characteristics of Common Nouns:
* General: They refer to a class or category of things rather than a specific one.
* Not capitalized: Unless they are the first word of a sentence.
* Countable or uncountable: They can be singular or plural, and some can be counted, while others cannot.
Examples of Common Nouns:
* Person: student, teacher, doctor, friend
* Place: city, park, school, house
* Thing: book, car, table, computer, happiness
Contrast with Proper Nouns:
Proper nouns are the names of specific people, places, or things. They are always capitalized.
Examples of Proper Nouns:
* Person: John, Mary, Barack Obama
* Place: London, Paris, Mount Everest
* Thing: iPhone, Harry Potter, Titanic
In summary: Common nouns are general terms for people, places, and things, while proper nouns are specific names.