Common Nouns:
* General names for people, places, things, or ideas.
* Not capitalized unless they are the first word of a sentence.
* Examples: dog, city, book, happiness
Proper Nouns:
* Specific names for people, places, things, or ideas.
* Always capitalized.
* Examples: Fido (a dog), New York City, The Lord of the Rings (a book), Thanksgiving (a holiday)
Here's a helpful way to think about it:
* Common nouns are like categories. (e.g., "dog" refers to any dog.)
* Proper nouns are the specific items within those categories. (e.g., "Fido" is a specific dog.)
Let me know if you'd like more examples or have any other questions!