Nouns (Common & Proper) — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which word is a proper noun?
A) park
B) dog
C) Denver
D) tree
Denver is the name of one specific city, which makes it a proper noun. The other choices name any park, dog, or tree, so they are common nouns.
2. Which word is a common noun?
A) Bella
B) Texas
C) garden
D) Mr. Kim
Garden names any garden, not a special one, so it is a common noun. Bella, Texas, and Mr. Kim all name specific people or places, so those are proper nouns.
3. Which sentence uses a proper noun correctly?
A) I like my Dog.
B) I live in ohio.
C) My friend is Mia.
D) the Cat is big.
My friend is Mia is correct because Mia is a proper noun and gets a capital letter, while words like dog, ohio, and cat are not capitalized correctly in the other sentences.
4. Which group has only common nouns?
A) cat, Sam, ball
B) desk, book, cup
C) Lily, Ohio, Rex
D) Main, Elm, Oak
Desk, book, and cup all name everyday things without being specific, so each one is a common noun. The other groups mix in names like Sam, Lily, Ohio, Rex, Main, Elm, and Oak, which are proper nouns.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A common noun names any person, place, or thing.
A common noun does not pick out one special person, place, or thing — it names any one of them, like dog, park, or book.
2. Florida is a proper noun.
Florida is the name of one particular state, so it is a proper noun and starts with a capital F.
3. The word pencil is a common noun.
Pencil names any pencil you might pick up, not a specific one with a name, so it is a common noun.
4. Proper nouns need a capital letter at the start.
Because proper nouns name something special and one of a kind, the very first letter is always capital to show that importance.
5. Mrs. Grant is a proper noun.
Mrs. Grant names one specific teacher or person, so it is a proper noun, and both Mrs. and Grant begin with capital letters.