A common noun is a type of noun that refers to a general person, place, thing, or idea. Examples of common nouns include “teacher,” “school,” “book,” and “happiness.” A proper noun, on the other hand, is a specific name given to a person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized, regardless of where they appear in a sentence. Examples of proper nouns include “Mr. Smith,” “Paris,” and “Google.”

It is important for students in class 4 (fourth grade) to understand the difference between common nouns and proper nouns because this is an important aspect of grammar and language usage. By learning to identify and use common and proper nouns correctly, students can improve their writing skills and communicate more effectively in English.

Common Noun examples

Here are some examples of common nouns:

  • person: girl, boy, woman, man
  • place: city, country, continent, ocean
  • thing: car, computer, chair, pencil
  • idea: love, happiness, justice, peace

Note that common nouns are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence or in a title. For example:

  • The boy played with his toy car. (boy is a common noun)
  • I went to the city to visit my friend. (city is a common noun)
  • She loves reading books. (books is a common noun)
  • We must work towards world peace. (peace is a common noun)

Proper Noun Examples

Here are some examples of proper nouns:

  • person: Mr. Smith, Mary, Queen Elizabeth II
  • place: New York, France, Mount Everest
  • thing: Google, the Great Wall of China, the Mona Lisa

Note that proper nouns are always capitalized, regardless of where they appear in a sentence. For example:

  • Mr. Smith is a teacher at the school. (Mr. Smith is a proper noun)
  • Mary lives in Paris. (Paris is a proper noun)
  • We visited the Great Wall of China. (Great Wall of China is a proper noun)
  • The Mona Lisa is a famous painting. (Mona Lisa is a proper noun)

Sample Test Questions

  1. Choose the correct noun type: “teacher” (common noun / proper noun)
  2. Choose the correct noun type: “New York” (common noun / proper noun)
  3. Choose the correct noun type: “happiness” (common noun / proper noun)
  4. Choose the correct noun type: “Mr. Smith” (common noun / proper noun)
  5. Choose the correct noun type: “book” (common noun / proper noun)
  6. Choose the correct noun type: “Paris” (common noun / proper noun)
  7. Choose the correct noun type: “girl” (common noun / proper noun)
  8. Choose the correct noun type: “Canada” (common noun / proper noun)
  9. Choose the correct noun type: “Mount Everest” (common noun / proper noun)
  10. Choose the correct noun type: “love” (common noun / proper noun)

Answer

  1. Choose the correct noun type: “teacher” (common noun)
  2. Choose the correct noun type: “New York” (proper noun)
  3. Choose the correct noun type: “happiness” (common noun)
  4. Choose the correct noun type: “Mr. Smith” (proper noun)
  5. Choose the correct noun type: “book” (common noun)
  6. Choose the correct noun type: “Paris” (proper noun)
  7. Choose the correct noun type: “girl” (common noun)
  8. Choose the correct noun type: “Canada” (proper noun)
  9. Choose the correct noun type: “Mount Everest” (proper noun)
  10. Choose the correct noun type: “love” (common noun)

Common Noun Proper Noun Worksheet