Proper noun

Proper Noun

A proper noun is a specific type of noun in the English language that denotes a particular person, place, organization, or sometimes a thing. Unlike common nouns, which refer to a general class of entities, proper nouns are used to identify a unique entity and are always capitalized in English.

Characteristics

Proper nouns have several distinguishing features:

• Capitalization: Proper nouns are always capitalized, regardless of their position in a sentence. For example, "London" and "Albert Einstein" are proper nouns.

• Specificity: They refer to specific entities. For instance, "Mount Everest" refers to a particular mountain, whereas "mountain" is a common noun.

• Uniqueness: Proper nouns often denote unique entities. For example, "The White House" refers to a specific building in Washington, D.C.

Examples

Proper nouns can be categorized into several types:

• Names of People: These include first names, last names, and titles. Examples are "Marie Curie", "William Shakespeare", and "Queen Elizabeth II".

• Geographical Names: These include names of countries, cities, rivers, and mountains. Examples are "Brazil", "Nile River", and "Himalayas".

• Organizations and Brands: These include names of companies, institutions, and brands. Examples are "Microsoft", "Harvard University", and "Coca-Cola".

• Historical Events and Documents: These include names of significant events and documents. Examples are "World War II" and "Magna Carta".

Usage in Sentences

Proper nouns are used in sentences to provide specific information about the subject or object. For example:

• "Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity."
• "The capital of France is Paris."
• "Google is a leading technology company."

Differences from Common Nouns

While both proper nouns and common nouns are used to name entities, they differ in their scope and usage:

• Common Nouns: Refer to a general class or category of entities, such as "city", "river", or "scientist".
• Proper Nouns: Refer to specific entities within those categories, such as "New York City", "Amazon River", or "Isaac Newton".

Also see

• Noun
• Common noun
• Capitalization
• Grammar