Here's a breakdown:
* Person: John, Mary, President Biden, Queen Elizabeth II
* Place: Paris, Mount Everest, Lake Michigan, California
* Thing: iPhone, Starbucks, Titanic, Taj Mahal
Key characteristics of proper nouns:
* Specific: They refer to a unique individual, location, or item.
* Capitalized: They are always capitalized in written English.
* Not generally pluralized: While some proper nouns can be pluralized (e.g., the Smiths, the United States), it's not common.
Examples:
* Common noun: city, mountain, ocean, coffee shop
* Proper noun: London, Kilimanjaro, Pacific Ocean, Starbucks
Let me know if you'd like more examples or want to explore specific types of proper nouns!