Sweden

In this lesson, we will include a sample lesson from our new course “Perfect Usage: English Nouns”. It is not available yet, but you can see a small part of one of the lessons here πŸ˜ƒ

To get this course when it becomes available, as well as all the other courses, get our Full Access Membership.


Start the Lesson

1 Explanation

A common noun is a noun that names a general thing, not a specific thing.

(Common means “shared by more than one”.)

Cat is a common noun.

Cats are curious.

Examples:

Boy, girl, city, country, company, planet, location, war.

Proper Nouns

A proper noun is a noun that indicates the specific name of someone or something. It begins with a capital letter.

(Proper means “belonging to one”.)

Mabel (this cat’s name) is a proper noun.

Mabel likes sitting in the sun.

Examples:

Robin, Alice, London, Sweden, Google, Earth, Eiffel Tower, World War I.

Why Is This Important to Know?

You should note when a proper noun is used, so that you can capitalize it correctly. Otherwise, your writing may seem unprofessional or incorrect.

For example: (proper nouns are bold, common nouns are italic)

  • CORRECT: We read the article about Abraham Lincoln.
  • INCORRECT: We read the Article about Abraham Lincoln.
  • INCORRECT: We read the Article about abraham lincoln.
  • INCORRECT: We read the article about abraham lincoln.

So it is helpful to notice proper nouns, and properly capitalize them! 😊


2 Comparing Examples

Compare the Following Examples:

(Pause or click your mouse on each image for a moment, and read the explanation.)

boyscout

boy

common noun
boyscout

Robin

proper noun
a student

girl

common noun
a student

Alice

proper noun

city

common noun

London

proper noun

country

common noun

Sweden

proper noun

planet

common noun

Earth

proper noun

war

common noun

World War I

proper noun

3 Practice

Test Your Understanding

Choose the correct answer, and then click the blue arrow to continue. Continue this way until you answer all questions correctly.


4 Play

End of Sample Lesson

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