Common and Proper Nouns — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The name "sarah" is wrong because proper nouns need a capital letter.
Proper nouns like Sarah must begin with a capital letter.
2. We write "Tuesday" with a capital T because it is a proper noun.
Tuesday is a proper noun because it is the specific name of a day of the week.
3. "Lake" is common, but "Lake Michigan" is proper.
Lake Michigan is a proper noun because it is the name of one specific lake.
4. The word "dog" does not need a capital letter because it is a common noun.
Dog is a common noun because it names any dog, not a specific one.
5. Your first and last name are both proper nouns.
Your first and last name are both proper nouns because they name one specific person.
6. The title of a book is written with capital letters on important words.
Important words in book titles are written with capital letters.
7. "Street" is common, but "Elm Street" is a proper noun.
Elm Street is a proper noun because it is the name of one specific street.
8. The word "planet" is common, but "Earth " is a proper noun.
Earth is a proper noun because it is the specific name of our planet.
9. When you write the name of a city, always use a capital letter first.
City names are proper nouns, so they must begin with a capital letter.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
I live on oak street.
→ Incorrect — "oak street" needs capital letters.
Correct — proper noun is capitalized.
My cat is named Whiskers.
→ Correct — proper noun is capitalized.
Incorrect — "texas" needs a capital T.
We visited texas last summer.
→ Incorrect — "texas" needs a capital T.
Incorrect — "oak street" needs capital letters.
Today is Friday.
→ Correct — day of the week is capitalized.
Correct — day of the week is capitalized.
Proper nouns must be capitalized. 'oak street' should be 'Oak Street' and 'texas' should be 'Texas.' Whiskers and Friday are already correctly capitalized.