Nouns: Common & Proper — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the correct answer for each question.
1. Which pair shows a common noun and its proper noun?
A) dog / cat
B) city / Paris
C) run / jump
D) big / small
city / Paris is correct: 'city' is the common noun and 'Paris' is the specific proper noun example.
2. Which noun needs a capital letter?
A) book
B) dog
C) park
D) tuesday
'tuesday' needs a capital letter because days of the week are proper nouns — it should be 'Tuesday'.
3. What makes a noun 'proper'?
A) It names any thing.
B) It names a specific person, place, or thing.
C) It is a short word.
D) It describes something.
A noun is 'proper' when it names a specific person, place, or thing — not just any one in general.
4. Which word is NOT a noun?
A) cat
B) school
C) jump
D) moon
'jump' is a verb (action word), not a noun. Cat, school, and moon all name things.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word on the line.
1. The sentence 'She lives in paris' has an error — Paris should be capitalized.
'paris' should be 'Paris' — it is a proper noun (specific city name) and must be capitalized.
2. A proper noun is more specific than a common noun.
A proper noun is more specific — 'Paris' is more specific than 'city'; 'Rex' is more specific than 'dog'.
3. The common noun for 'Amazon' (the river) is river.
The common noun is 'river'. 'Amazon' is the proper noun for one specific river.
4. Nouns that name specific people, places, or things always start with capital letters.
Proper nouns always start with capital letters. This helps readers know they name something specific.
5. In the phrase 'my friend Emma,' the proper noun is Emma.
'Emma' is the proper noun — it is the specific name of the friend.