A common noun names a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. Common nouns are written in lower-case letters. A proper noun names a specific person or place. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.
Here are some examples of common nouns and related proper nouns:
dog – Rover
sister – Martha
brother – Sam
teacher – Mr. Smith
coach – Miss Reynolds
theater – Pick Wick Theater
school – Lincoln Elementary School
city – Chicago
state – Oregon
country – France
Sometimes, common nouns and proper nouns can be confusing, because the words are exactly the same. Look at these examples:
That girl’s mom is a teacher. I know that Mom will pick me up after school.
My dad is playing softball tonight. I like to go along and cheer for Dad when he makes a great play.
When you talk about any mom or dad, those words are common nouns. When you talk specifically to Mom or Dad, or talk about your Mom or Dad, calling them by name, then you must capitalize the words.
Names for mom and dad and grandpa and grandma can be the same word as both a common noun and a proper noun. When you speak about or to that specific person, capitalize that proper noun.
▶Now you try it. In which of these sentences should a word be capitalized? Bobby’s mom drove us to the game. I asked mom for permission to go. Did you capitalize a word in the second sentence? Good for you!