A noun is a word that gives a name to a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. A common noun is different from a proper noun. Whereas the proper noun names a specific person, a common noun names a person that is not specific.
Here are some examples of common nouns that name a person:
parent, teacher, soldier, gardener, farmer, engineer, doctor, neighbor, friend, sister, brother, aunt, uncle
A common noun names a person – but does not name a specific person. A common noun that names a person is never capitalized.
It’s your turn. Find the common noun in this sentence that names a person – but does not get capitalized. Mary is my best friend. Did you figure it out? Good for you!