Instructions
Proper nouns are the specific names of people, places, things, or ideas. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter! Follow the steps below to practice identifying and using proper nouns correctly.
- Read all instructions carefully before starting each section.
- Complete the tasks, paying close attention to capitalization.
- Attempt the Challenge Quest for extra practice.
Section 1: Proper Noun Identification
Task: Read the list of words below. Underline every word that is a Proper Noun and should be capitalized.
- school
- Japan
- cookie
- street
- Mrs. Rodriguez
- mountain
- Friday
- October
- car
- The Great Wall
- video game
- Minecraft
Section 2: Sorting Common and Proper Nouns
Task: For each Common Noun listed, provide a specific Proper Noun example. Remember to capitalize your Proper Nouns!
| Common Noun (General) | Proper Noun (Specific) |
|---|---|
| Example: pet | Example: Sparky |
| teacher | |
| month | |
| soda | |
| planet | |
| holiday | |
| city |
Section 3: Capitalization Correction
Task: The sentences below contain common nouns that are mistakenly lowercased and proper nouns that are not capitalized. Rewrite the sentences correctly, using capital letters only where necessary.
- my sister visited europe and saw the eiffel tower in june.
- the movie we watched was called the big adventure, and it was released on saturday.
- my favorite fast food restaurant is taco bell, and i go there every tuesday.
- the president lives in washington, d.c.
Section 4: The Proper Noun Quest (Challenge)
Task: Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) describing a field trip you would like to take. You must include at least one Proper Noun from each of the following categories:
- A specific Person (e.g., Guide, Historical Figure)
- A specific Place (e.g., Museum, Park)
- A specific Day or Month (e.g., Tuesday, May)
- A specific Thing (e.g., Book title, Ship name, specific Monument)
Answer Key
Section 1: Proper Noun Identification
Proper Nouns are bolded below:
- school
- Japan
- cookie
- street
- Mrs. Rodriguez
- mountain
- Friday
- October
- car
- The Great Wall
- video game
- Minecraft
Section 2: Sorting Common and Proper Nouns
(Answers will vary, but must demonstrate correct capitalization.)
| Common Noun (General) | Proper Noun (Specific) |
|---|---|
| teacher | Ms. Chen / Mr. Davidson |
| month | January / July |
| soda | Coca-Cola / Sprite |
| planet | Mars / Saturn |
| holiday | Thanksgiving / Halloween |
| city | Paris / New York |
Section 3: Capitalization Correction
- My sister visited Europe and saw the Eiffel Tower in June.
- The movie we watched was called The Big Adventure, and it was released on Saturday.
- My favorite fast food restaurant is Taco Bell, and I go there every Tuesday.
- The President lives in Washington, D.C.
Section 4: The Proper Noun Quest (Challenge)
(Answers will vary. Check that the student included at least one specific Proper Noun from the four required categories and capitalized them correctly.)