Common Nouns worksheet with exercises and an illustration of a child watering plants.
Educational worksheet: Nouns: Common Or Proper? Worksheets | 99Worksheets. Download and print for classroom or home learning activities.
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Step-by-step solution for: Nouns: Common Or Proper? Worksheets | 99Worksheets
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Nouns: Common Or Proper? Worksheets | 99Worksheets
Let's solve the task step by step.
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First, recall the definition given:
> A common noun is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or kind.
This means we are looking for general names of people, places, things, or animals — not specific proper nouns (like names of people or places that start with capital letters and are unique).
Examples of common nouns: *tree, doctor, hospital, lake, cousin, aquarium, sister, cupcakes, mountains, trees, king, queen, palace, driver, car, garage, plants, backyard, grandmother, newspaper*.
Now let’s go through each sentence and identify the common nouns.
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- orchard – a place where fruit trees grow → common noun
- trees – plural of tree → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *orchard, trees*
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- doctor – a person who treats patients → common noun
- hospital – a building where sick people are treated → common noun
- 5 – number, not a noun → skip
✔ Common nouns: *doctor, hospital*
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- deer – animal → common noun
- fawn – young deer → common noun
- lake – body of water → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *deer, fawn, lake*
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- Heidi – proper noun (name of a person) → ✘ not a common noun
- cousin – family member → common noun
- aquarium – place where fish are kept → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *cousin, aquarium*
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- sister – family member → common noun
- cupcakes – food items → common noun
- me – pronoun → not a noun
✔ Common nouns: *sister, cupcakes*
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- Harper – proper noun (name of a person) → ✘
- mountains – plural of mountain → common noun
- trees – plural of tree → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *mountains, trees*
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- king – title/role → common noun
- queen – title/role → common noun
- palace – building → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *king, queen, palace*
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- driver – person who drives → common noun
- car – vehicle → common noun
- garage – building for cars → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *driver, car, garage*
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- Griffin – proper noun (name of a person) → ✘
- plants – living things → common noun
- backyard – area behind a house → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *plants, backyard*
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- grandmother – family member → common noun
- newspaper – printed publication → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *grandmother, newspaper*
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1. orchard, trees
2. doctor, hospital
3. deer, fawn, lake
4. cousin, aquarium
5. sister, cupcakes
6. mountains, trees
7. king, queen, palace
8. driver, car, garage
9. plants, backyard
10. grandmother, newspaper
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- We circled common nouns, which are general names (not specific or capitalized).
- We avoided proper nouns like *Heidi*, *Harper*, *Griffin*.
- Words like *doctor*, *king*, *queen*, *sister*, *grandmother* are common nouns because they refer to types of people, not specific individuals (unless named).
- Places like *hospital*, *lake*, *aquarium*, etc., are also common nouns unless they're specific (e.g., "Mayo Clinic" would be proper).
Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a worksheet answer!
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Task: Circle the common nouns in each sentence.
First, recall the definition given:
> A common noun is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or kind.
This means we are looking for general names of people, places, things, or animals — not specific proper nouns (like names of people or places that start with capital letters and are unique).
Examples of common nouns: *tree, doctor, hospital, lake, cousin, aquarium, sister, cupcakes, mountains, trees, king, queen, palace, driver, car, garage, plants, backyard, grandmother, newspaper*.
Now let’s go through each sentence and identify the common nouns.
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1) The orchard has many trees.
- orchard – a place where fruit trees grow → common noun
- trees – plural of tree → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *orchard, trees*
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2) The doctor works in the hospital until 5.
- doctor – a person who treats patients → common noun
- hospital – a building where sick people are treated → common noun
- 5 – number, not a noun → skip
✔ Common nouns: *doctor, hospital*
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3) The deer and the fawn are at the lake.
- deer – animal → common noun
- fawn – young deer → common noun
- lake – body of water → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *deer, fawn, lake*
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4) Heidi and her cousin are going to the aquarium.
- Heidi – proper noun (name of a person) → ✘ not a common noun
- cousin – family member → common noun
- aquarium – place where fish are kept → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *cousin, aquarium*
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5) My sister baked cupcakes for me.
- sister – family member → common noun
- cupcakes – food items → common noun
- me – pronoun → not a noun
✔ Common nouns: *sister, cupcakes*
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6) Harper painted mountains and trees.
- Harper – proper noun (name of a person) → ✘
- mountains – plural of mountain → common noun
- trees – plural of tree → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *mountains, trees*
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7) The king and the queen live in the palace.
- king – title/role → common noun
- queen – title/role → common noun
- palace – building → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *king, queen, palace*
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8) The driver parked the car in the garage.
- driver – person who drives → common noun
- car – vehicle → common noun
- garage – building for cars → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *driver, car, garage*
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9) Griffin is watering the plants in his backyard.
- Griffin – proper noun (name of a person) → ✘
- plants – living things → common noun
- backyard – area behind a house → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *plants, backyard*
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10) My grandmother is reading the newspaper.
- grandmother – family member → common noun
- newspaper – printed publication → common noun
✔ Common nouns: *grandmother, newspaper*
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✔ Final Answer: Common Nouns in Each Sentence
1. orchard, trees
2. doctor, hospital
3. deer, fawn, lake
4. cousin, aquarium
5. sister, cupcakes
6. mountains, trees
7. king, queen, palace
8. driver, car, garage
9. plants, backyard
10. grandmother, newspaper
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🔍 Explanation Summary:
- We circled common nouns, which are general names (not specific or capitalized).
- We avoided proper nouns like *Heidi*, *Harper*, *Griffin*.
- Words like *doctor*, *king*, *queen*, *sister*, *grandmother* are common nouns because they refer to types of people, not specific individuals (unless named).
- Places like *hospital*, *lake*, *aquarium*, etc., are also common nouns unless they're specific (e.g., "Mayo Clinic" would be proper).
Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a worksheet answer!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of proper noun worksheets.