Identifying Common and Proper Nouns Quiz

Level: Elementary / Pre-Intermediate

In this identifying common and proper nouns quiz you are given various sentences and you have to make decisions about the type of noun that you see.

Common nouns are general nouns and are not capitalised, whereas proper nouns identify specific or named people, places and things and are always capitalised.

You can learn more about common and proper nouns before you take the quiz if you are unsure of the difference.

Common and Proper Nouns Quiz

Multiple Choice

Instructions

In each question, one choice is correct. Pick the right one.

1. "My brother is coming to see me tomorrow". Brother is a:
Common Noun
Proper Noun
Correct!
Wrong!

Common nouns are used to refer to general or unspecified entities.

2. "I'm planning a trip to Paris next summer". Paris is a:
Common Noun
Proper Noun
Correct!
Wrong!

Proper nouns are specific names of people, places, things, or entities. They are always capitalised, regardless of their position in a sentence.

3. "My favourite actor is Tom Hanks; his movies are always fantastic". Which is a common noun in this sentence?
favourite
actor
Tom Hanks
his
Correct!
Wrong!

The common nouns in this sentence are 'actor' and 'movies'. 'Tom Hanks' is a proper noun.

4. "Dogs are often referred to as man's best friend". Dogs is a proper noun because it is capitalised.
True
False
Correct!
Wrong!

'Dogs' is a general noun. It is capitalised because it starts the sentence, not because it is a proper noun.

5. "My cousin, John, is coming to visit us this weekend". Which of these is a proper noun?
cousin
John
weekend
Correct!
Wrong!

Proper nouns are specific names of people, places, things, or entities. They are always capitalised, regardless of their position in a sentence.

6. "I visited the Louvre museum in France and saw the famous painting, the Mona Lisa". This sentence is written correctly.
True
False
Correct!
Wrong!

It should be 'Louvre Museum'.

7. "The Irishman is my favourite movie on Netflix". This sentence has:
Two proper nouns and two common nouns
Two proper nouns and one common noun
One proper noun and two common nouns
Correct!
Wrong!

The two proper nouns are 'The Irishman' and 'Netflix'. The common noun is 'movie'.

8. The words 'north', 'south', 'east' and 'west' can be common or proper nouns, depending on how they are being used in a sentence.
True
False
Correct!
Wrong!

The cardinal directions (north, east, south, west) are common nouns in most cases. But they become proper when used with a cultural or political meaning or in the name of a specific location. For example, 'Head south ten miles before turning left' is a common noun. But 'The North and Midwest regions of the United States are suffering a heat wave this year' are proper nouns.

9. Which sentence has nouns that are all proper?
I met King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
I met the king at the palace.
I met King Charles at the palace.
I met the king at Buckingham Palace.
Correct!
Wrong!

'King Charles' and 'Buckingham Palace' are both proper nouns. All the other sentences have at least one common noun.

10. "Football is a popular sport in England". This sentence has:
Two proper nouns
Two proper nouns and one common noun
One proper noun and one common noun
One proper noun and two common nouns
Correct!
Wrong!

The one proper noun is 'England' and the two common nouns are 'Football' and 'sport'.



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