Proper Nouns
What are proper nouns.
Table of Contents
Examples of Proper Nouns and Common Nouns
Find the proper noun test, formal definition of "proper noun" and "common noun", examples of proper nouns in sentences, video lesson, why proper nouns are important.
Can You Identify Proper Nouns ?
Formal definition.
- Those idiots have been annoying Jason .
- I would like to visit an old castle . Can we visit Warwick Castle ?
- All water tastes the same. There's a reason why Evian is "naive" backwards.
- Walt Disney got the inspiration for Mickey Mouse from a tame mouse at his desk at Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City .
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .
(Issue 1) Don't capitalize a word just because it's an important word in your sentence.
(Issue 2) Use capital letters for just the principal words in a title.
- Tower of London
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Catcher in the Rye
- The Last of the Mohicans
- Leonardo da Vinci / Ludwig van Beethoven
(Issue 3) Do not write the seasons (e.g., "summer") and the points of the compass (e.g., "north") with uppercase letters.
(Issue 4) Write the Sun and the Moon with capital letters.
(issue 5) write terms like director and finance department with capital letters if they refer to specific people or departments..
- Proper nouns get capital letters. Don't give a common noun a capital letter just because it's an important word in your sentence.
- When writing titles, use capital letters just for the first word and the principal words (i.e., not words like "the," "an," "and," "or," "in," and "with").
- The seasons and the points of the compass are not written with capital letters.
- If you write the Moon/Sun but a moon/sun, you'll probably have used capital letters correctly.
- With terms like Director and Finance Department, use capital letters when they refer to specific people or offices.
This page was written by Craig Shrives .
You might also like...
Help us improve....
Was something wrong with this page?
Use #gm to find us quicker .
Create a QR code for this, or any, page.
mailing list
grammar forum
teachers' zone
find the nouns in 8 classic texts
download 1-page PDFs about nouns
watch a slide show on nouns
confirmatory test
This test is printable and sendable
expand to full page
show as slides
download as .doc
print as handout
send as homework
display QR code
Choose Your Test
- Search Blogs By Category
- College Admissions
- AP and IB Exams
- GPA and Coursework
What Is a Proper Noun? 6 Easy Examples
General Education
If you’re wondering about proper nouns, and how to identify them, look no further. You are, in fact, a proper noun yourself! Proper nouns identify specific people, places, and things . Using proper nouns correctly clarifies your writing, and ensures that readers know exactly what you’re talking about. We all use proper nouns already, so making sure you have the ability to identify them and include them in your writing will make your writing and reading comprehension skills stronger.
What Is a Noun?
A noun is a person, place, thing, animal, or idea . Basically, anything that needs to be identified can be done so with a noun. Nouns are one of the main parts of speech, and can be enhanced by adjectives. Some examples of common nouns are things like table, dog, city, love, movie, ocean, book. A proper noun is a noun that references a specific person, place, thing, animal or idea . Everything around you is a noun, and so learning to identify common and proper nouns is important for your writing. Let’s explore the difference!
What Is a Proper Noun? How Is It Different?
What is a proper noun? Here's a simple proper noun definition: Proper nouns are nouns that identify a specific, usually one-of-a-kind noun . Proper nouns are always capitalized, no matter where they fall in a sentence. This helps you tell the difference between them. Every noun can be classified as common or proper. Additionally, most proper nouns do not have the word “the” in front of them in a sentence, the way common nouns do. “The” is a pointing word, and with a proper noun, the word has already been made specific, and there is no need to point.
For example I can say, “Please walk the dog.” or “Please walk Buddy.” Note that “Please walk Buddy” doesn’t have a “the” in the sentence since I’ve already identified the specific dog that needs walking. One exception is when you’re referring to a kingdom or a republic. So you would say the United Kingdom, even though the United Kingdom is a proper noun and the name of a specific country.
Let’s look at our common noun examples of nouns above. A common noun is city. A proper noun is New York City. You could say this dog is a good boy, or Buddy is a good boy. Book is a common noun, while The Great Gatsby is a proper noun. The difference is that nouns like city, book, and dog could be referring to multiple different things, places, or animals . Saying “book” is perfectly fine in a sentence, but you will want to specify further if you plan on talking about that book in depth. In that case, saying “book” will be confusing. On the other hand, it is perfectly acceptable to say ‘“I packed a book for vacation.”
Not all common nouns have proper noun counterparts, such as abstract nouns like love. Using proper nouns isn’t always necessary, but can help readers and listeners identify something more closely, or know that they should pay attention to a certain noun over others. Again, the difference between common and proper nouns depends on the specificity of the noun . There are lots of options for nouns and it’s up to you to decide when to use proper or common nouns. Proper nouns are used for specific things, so simply capitalizing a common noun won’t make it a proper noun.
Proper Noun Examples
Below is a list of some proper noun examples, as well as note whether they represent a person, place, or thing.
Now let's use some of them in a sentence so you can see how they differ from common nouns.
In the example above, the common and proper nouns are different but the sentence is the same . In this case, you can see that the sentence doesn’t change in meaning when you change the noun. In the following sentences, some are the same regardless of whether or not a proper or common noun is used, and the meaning is the same. In others, the sentences are slightly different to show how a proper noun can change the meaning of the sentence . Take time to consider this when looking at the rest of the examples, and note which ones are common and which are proper nouns.
Proper Noun Quiz
Identify all of the proper noun examples in this paragraph:
The Great Gatsby is one of the most famous works of American literature. In this career-defining novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a wealthy man named Jay Gatsby throws elaborate parties to attempt to get the attention, and win back the affection of his past love, Daisy. Daisy is one of the social elites of East Egg, a fictional town in Long Island, New York, and hails from an old family. Gatsby, on the other hand, is newly wealthy and not from a reputable family. Though this book is filled with flashy cars and wild parties, through narrator Nick Carraway’s perspective. we see the pain of loss and the death of the American dream.
Quiz Answers
All proper nouns are in red.
The Great Gatsby is one of the most famous works of American literature. In this career-defining novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald , a wealthy man named Jay Gatsby throws elaborate parties to attempt to get the attention, and win back the affection of his past love, Daisy . Daisy is one of the social elites of East Egg , a fictional town in Long Island, New York , and hails from an old family. Gatsby , on the other hand, is newly wealthy and not from a reputable family. Though this book is filled with flashy cars and wild parties, through narrator Nick Carraway ’s perspective we see the pain of loss and the death of the American dream.
Proper nouns are incredibly important in the English language, which makes identifying and using them correctly all the more important. If you’re unsure about whether something is a proper noun or not, ask yourself if that person, place, or thing is one of a kind. Remember, proper noun examples are always capitalized, which should make picking them out in sentences even easier. There’s always room to improve on grammar knowledge, so pay attention to how you’re using those nouns and don’t be afraid to play with sentences to get the hang of things.
What's Next?
Looking for information about writing? Check out our guides on literary elements , sonnets , and similes vs metaphors .
Wondering about the role grammar plays on the SATs? Read up on The 12 SAT Grammar Rules You Must Know and The Complete Prep Guide for SAT Writing .
Trending Now
How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League
How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA
How to Write an Amazing College Essay
What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?
ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?
When should you take the SAT or ACT?
Get Your Free
Find Your Target SAT Score
Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests
How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer
Score 800 on SAT Math
Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing
How to Improve Your Low SAT Score
Score 600 on SAT Math
Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing
Find Your Target ACT Score
Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests
How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer
Get a 36 on ACT English
Get a 36 on ACT Math
Get a 36 on ACT Reading
Get a 36 on ACT Science
How to Improve Your Low ACT Score
Get a 24 on ACT English
Get a 24 on ACT Math
Get a 24 on ACT Reading
Get a 24 on ACT Science
Stay Informed
Get the latest articles and test prep tips!
Carrie holds a Bachelors in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, and is currently pursuing an MFA. She worked in book publishing for several years, and believes that books can open up new worlds. She loves reading, the outdoors, and learning about new things.
Ask a Question Below
Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!
Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.
- Knowledge Base
- Nouns and pronouns
- What Is a Proper Noun? | Definition & Examples
What Is a Proper Noun? | Definition & Examples
Published on 19 August 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 2 December 2022.
A proper noun is a noun that serves as the name for a specific place, person, or thing. To distinguish them from common nouns, proper nouns are always capitalised in English.
Proper nouns include personal names, place names, names of companies and organisations, and the titles of books, films, songs, and other media.
The Scribbr Knowledge Base is a useful educational resource.
Mr. Smith’s class is reading Much Ado About Nothing .
Make your writing flawless in 1 upload
Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.
Table of contents
Proper nouns vs common nouns, articles with proper nouns, nouns that can be either proper or common, proper adjectives, frequently asked questions about proper nouns.
Proper nouns are defined by contrast with common nouns – that is, if a noun isn’t proper, it’s common, and vice versa.
- Proper nouns name specific people, things, and places. They are always capitalised.
- Common nouns are more general – they name generic types of people, things, and places. They are normally only capitalised at the start of a sentence.
Reza is a teaching assistant at Belmont High School .
The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing
The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.
Upload my document
Unlike common nouns, proper nouns usually stand on their own, not preceded by any articles or determiners. For example, to refer to someone called Sunita, you usually wouldn’t say ‘the Sunita’, ‘a Sunita’, or ‘that Sunita’ but simply ‘Sunita’.
There are exceptions to this rule, though. The names of some countries and other kinds of organisation are preceded by a definite article (‘the’) – these are names partially made up of nouns that are usually common, such as ‘republic’ or ‘association’. The article itself isn’t capitalised.
Additionally, some proper nouns are always pluralised, and they tend to be preceded by a definite article (which isn’t capitalised).
It’s also possible to treat proper nouns more like common nouns – f or example, to refer collectively to several people or things with the same name, or to distinguish between them. In these cases, articles, determiners, adjectives, and pluralisation are used in the same way as for common nouns.
No, I don’t mean that Jocelyn , I mean blonde Jocelyn .
I knew a Marieke once.
Many common nouns designating roles become proper when they’re used as (part of) the name of a specific person with that role. For example, words for family roles are capitalised only when they’re used in the same way as names (without any articles or determiners).
Nouns that act as titles (e.g., political, religious, or professional titles) are only capitalised when they are used as part of the name of a specific person holding that title.
The pope who launched the Crusades was Pope Urban II.
The cardinal directions (compass directions: north, east, south, and west) are treated as common nouns. But they’re capitalised when they’re used as part of the name of a specific place or region, or when they’re used in a political or cultural sense .
My family lives in South Shields.
Adjectives that are derived from proper nouns (and therefore capitalised) are sometimes referred to as proper adjectives . These are often words designating a specific nationality, language, or ethnic group (e.g., ‘Dutch’) or words derived from a person’s name (e.g., ‘Machiavellian’).
I really struggle with German grammar.
A proper adjective is an adjective that was derived from a proper noun and is therefore capitalised .
Proper adjectives include words for nationalities, languages, and ethnicities (e.g., ‘Japanese’, ‘Inuit’, ‘French’) and words derived from people’s names (e.g., ‘Bayesian’, ‘Orwellian’).
The names of seasons (e.g., ‘spring’) are treated as common nouns in English and therefore not capitalised . People often assume they are proper nouns, but this is an error.
The names of days and months, however, are capitalised since they’re treated as proper nouns in English (e.g., ‘Wednesday’, ‘January’).
Common nouns are words for types of things, people, and places, such as ‘dog’, ‘professor’, and ‘city’. They are not capitalised and are typically used in combination with articles and other determiners.
Proper nouns are words for specific things, people, and places, such as ‘Max’, ‘Dr Prakash’, and ‘London’. They are always capitalised and usually aren’t combined with articles and other determiners.
Sources for this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
Caulfield, J. (2022, December 02). What Is a Proper Noun? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 18 November 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/nouns/proper-noun/
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Is this article helpful?
Jack Caulfield
Other students also liked, what is a pronoun | definition, types & examples, first-person pronouns | list & explanation, its or it’s | difference & example sentences.
VIDEO