Common and Proper Nouns: Grammar Practice | Printable Skills ... - Free Printable

Let's solve the worksheet step by step and explain each answer.

---

Part 1: Is the underlined word a common noun or a proper noun? Write *common* or *proper*.

1. The girl likes to learn.
- Underlined word: *girl*
- "Girl" is a general term for a female child — it refers to any girl, not a specific one.
✔ Answer: common

2. She goes to two schools.
- Underlined word: *schools*
- "Schools" is a general term for educational institutions — not a specific school.
✔ Answer: common

3. She lives in the United States.
- Underlined word: *United States*
- "United States" is the name of a specific country — it’s a particular place.
✔ Answer: proper

---

Part 2: Underline the common nouns. Circle the proper nouns.

1. Amina has a brother and a sister.
- Common nouns: *brother*, *sister* (general family roles)
- Proper noun: *Amina* (specific person's name)
✔ Underline: brother, sister
✔ Circle: Amina

2. Their names are Adama and Awa.
- Common noun: *names* (general term for what people are called)
- Proper nouns: *Adama*, *Awa* (specific personal names)
✔ Underline: names
✔ Circle: Adama, Awa

3. Their parents were born in Senegal.
- Common noun: *parents* (general term for mother and father)
- Proper noun: *Senegal* (name of a specific country)
✔ Underline: parents
✔ Circle: Senegal

4. Amina goes to school on Saturday.
- Common nouns: *school*, *Saturday* (Note: "Saturday" is a day of the week — days are proper nouns)
- Proper noun: *Amina*
- Wait: "Saturday" is a proper noun because days of the week are capitalized and specific.
✔ Underline: school
✔ Circle: Amina, Saturday

5. She is learning a language called Wolof.
- Common noun: *language* (general term)
- Proper noun: *Wolof* (a specific language name — like French, Spanish, etc.)
✔ Underline: language
✔ Circle: Wolof

6. Awa read a book about the history of Senegal.
- Common nouns: *book*, *history*
- Proper nouns: *Awa*, *Senegal*
✔ Underline: book, history
✔ Circle: Awa, Senegal

---

Part 3: Underline the common nouns. Circle the proper nouns. Then write them on the chart in the correct category.

1. Last August, David went to camp.
- Common nouns: *August*, *camp*
- Proper noun: *David*
- Note: "August" is a month — months are proper nouns.
✔ Underline: camp
✔ Circle: August, David
(But wait — "August" is a proper noun, so we circle it.)

So:
- Common noun: *camp*
- Proper nouns: *August*, *David*

2. Many children go to a picnic on the Fourth of July.
- Common nouns: *children*, *picnic*
- Proper nouns: *Fourth of July* (this is a specific holiday — proper noun)
✔ Underline: children, picnic
✔ Circle: Fourth of July

Now fill in the chart:

#### Common Nouns:
- camp
- children
- picnic

#### Proper Nouns:
- August
- David
- Fourth of July

(Note: "Fourth of July" is treated as a proper noun phrase.)

---

✔ Final Answers:

---

#### Part 1:
1. common
2. common
3. proper

---

#### Part 2:
1. Underline: brother, sister; Circle: Amina
2. Underline: names; Circle: Adama, Awa
3. Underline: parents; Circle: Senegal
4. Underline: school; Circle: Amina, Saturday
5. Underline: language; Circle: Wolof
6. Underline: book, history; Circle: Awa, Senegal

---

#### Part 3:
Sentence 1:
- Underline: camp
- Circle: August, David

Sentence 2:
- Underline: children, picnic
- Circle: Fourth of July

Chart:

| Common Nouns | Proper Nouns |
|--------------|--------------|
| camp | August |
| children | David |
| picnic | Fourth of July |

---

🔍 Explanation Summary:

- Common nouns are general names for people, places, animals, or things (e.g., *girl*, *school*, *book*).
- Proper nouns are specific names and always begin with a capital letter (e.g., *Amina*, *Senegal*, *Wolof*, *Fourth of July*).
- Days of the week, months, holidays, languages, and personal names are all proper nouns.
- General terms like *school*, *book*, *language*, *children*, *camp* are common nouns, even if they appear in sentences with proper nouns.

This helps students distinguish between general categories and specific names.