Nouns: Common and Proper — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word on the line.
1. In 'Sara likes apples,' the proper noun is Sara.
In 'Sara likes apples,' the word 'Sara' is the proper noun because it is the specific name of one person. 'Apples' is a common noun.
2. The word 'river' is a common noun.
The word 'river' names any river in general. Because it does not name one specific river, it is a common noun.
3. The word 'January' is a proper noun.
'January' is the specific name of one month of the year. Months are proper nouns and are always capitalized.
4. In 'We visited the Lincoln Zoo,' the proper noun is Lincoln Zoo.
'Lincoln Zoo' is the specific name of one particular zoo, making it a proper noun. 'Zoo' alone would be a common noun.
5. The common noun for 'Mrs. Jones' is teacher.
The common noun matching the proper noun 'Mrs. Jones' is 'teacher.' 'Teacher' names any teacher; 'Mrs. Jones' names one specific teacher.
6. The word 'hospital' is a common noun.
The word 'hospital' names any hospital in general. Because it is not a specific hospital's name, it is a common noun.
7. Names of months like March are proper nouns.
Names of months like March are proper nouns because each month has a specific name that always begins with a capital letter.
8. In 'Tom has a red ball,' the proper noun is Tom.
In 'Tom has a red ball,' the word 'Tom' is the proper noun because it is the specific name of one person. 'Ball' is a common noun.
9. The word 'ocean' names a type of place.
The word 'ocean' names a type of place — a large body of salt water. It is a common noun in the 'place' category.
Part B: Match the Nouns
Draw a line from each common noun to its proper noun example.
1.
state
→ Texas
Lake Michigan
cat
→ Whiskers
February
month
→ February
Whiskers
lake
→ Lake Michigan
Texas
Each common noun is matched to its proper noun example: state → Texas (a specific state), cat → Whiskers (a specific cat's name), month → February (a specific month), lake → Lake Michigan (a specific named lake).