Common Nouns
What is a common noun?
A common noun is a non-specific person, place, or thing.
What is a proper noun?
A proper noun is a specific person, place, or thing.
What is a collective noun?
Collective nouns are names for a collection or a number of people or things.
True or False: Common nouns are capitalized.
False
What is an appositive?
An appositive is a word or phrase put next to a noun to describe it.
Identify the common noun(s):
The buffalo was attacked by a pride of lions.
buffalo
Identify the proper noun(s):
Americans in New York had good train service.
American, New York
Identify the collective noun(s):
The band of musicians delivered a brilliant performance.
band of musicians
True of False: We should capitalize the first word and all important words in a title.
Identify the appositive(s):
During the dinner conversation, Clifford, the messiest eater at the table, spewed mashed potatoes like an erupting volcano.
the messiest eater at the table
Identify the common noun(s):
The boys are playing in the garden.
garden
Identify the proper noun(s):
Raul has borrowed a book from me, I bought it in the Gandhi library last year.
Raul and Gandhi
Identify the collective noun(s):
The pride of lions were chasing the herd of deers.
pride of lions, herd of deers.
True or False: We should capitalize days of the week but not months of the year.
False
Identify the appositive(s):
Bucky, Diane's eleven-year-old beagle, chews holes in the living room carpeting as if he were still a puppy.
Diane's eleven-year-old beagle
Identify the common noun(s):
This bakery sells the best pastries in town.
bakery, pastries, town
Capitalize the proper noun(s):
A group of workers from china was led by mr. charles crocker.
China, Mr. Charles Crocker
Identify the collective noun(s):
My family got stung by a hive of bees.
Family, hive of bees
T/F: We should capitalize the first letter of an abbreviated proper noun.
True
Identify the appositive(s):
Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.
a hot-tempered tennis player
Identify the common noun(s):
Sophie played the part of the queen in the play.
queen, play
The eastern and western tracks were joined in promontory, utah, on may 10,1869.
Promontory, Utah, May
Identify the collective noun(s):
For teacher's day, all the teachers received a bouquet of flowers.
teachers, bouquet of flowers.
A period.
Identify the appositive(s):
Genette's bedroom desk, the biggest disaster area in the house, is a collection of overdue library books, dirty plates, computer components, old mail, cat hair, and empty potato chip bags.
the biggest disaster area in the house