Common & Proper Nouns

Nouns are naming words. They tell us the name of a person, an animal, a thing, or a place.

What You'll Learn

• How to spot nouns that name people, animals, things, and places
• The difference between common nouns and proper nouns

When to Use

1. Naming a person: "The girl is happy."
2. Naming an animal: "I see a cat."
3. Naming a thing: "She has a bag."

How to Form

What is a noun?

A noun is a word that names something. Look around you. Everything you can see or touch has a name. That name is a noun.

Remember: If you can point to it or draw it, it is probably a noun!

Key Rules

1. A common noun is a general name. It does not start with a capital letter. Examples: boy, dog, school.
2. A proper noun is a special name for one person, animal, thing, or place. It always starts with a capital letter. Examples: Ali, Bella, MRT, Singapore.
3. Nouns are everywhere: Every sentence has at least one noun. Look for the naming word.

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Words that come before nouns:

a, an, the, my, your, this, that

If you see these words, the next word is often a noun.

• "a ball"
• "the cat"
• "my mother"

Tip: Try the "I can see a ___" test. If the word fits in the blank, it is a noun!

Practice Tips

1. Point and name: Look around your classroom. Point to things and say the noun. "That is a chair. That is a fan."
2. Sort the words: Write nouns into four groups -- person, animal, thing, place. This helps you remember what nouns are.

Quick Reference