Proper nouns
Brijbox English · Learn the idea
Rule: Use a capital for a particular name, wherever it appears in a sentence.
Pattern: A particular name gets a capital: city → Melbourne; day → Monday.
A common noun names a kind of person, place or thing: girl, city, day.
A proper noun gives a particular name: Maya, Melbourne, Monday. Proper nouns begin with capital letters.
A capital letter at the start of a sentence does not automatically make a word a proper noun.
Look at these examples
The girl is called Maya.
Girl is a common noun. Maya is her particular name: a proper noun.
We visit Melbourne on Monday.
Melbourne names a city. Monday names a day. Both begin with capitals.
Dogs bark.
Dogs has a capital because it starts the sentence. It is still a common noun.
Watch out
A sentence also starts with a capital. That does not make its first word a proper noun.
Your turn
Say or write your answers. An adult can read the questions aloud.
1. We live in Australia.
Which word is a proper noun? We / live / Australia
2. The boy is called Leo.
Which word gives a particular name? Leo / boy / called
3. We swim on tuesday.
Which word needs a capital letter? swim / tuesday / on
4. Cats sleep.
Why does Cats start with a capital? It is a particular name. / Every noun needs a capital. / It starts the sentence.
Sentence workshop
Try each task before looking at the grown-up guide. Say your answer or write on paper.
Make the names particular.
The child visits a city on a day.
Replace child, city and day with invented or familiar particular names. Say or write the new sentence.
Explain: Which words need capitals because they are names?
Repair the capitals.
On friday, leo visits the Library.
Library is not part of a particular name here. Fix the capitals and read the sentence.
Explain: Which capitals mark names, and which marks the sentence beginning?
Make your own sentences
Write a sentence about a person visiting a place on a named day. Give the person and place particular names. Check each name and the name of the day for a capital.
Grown-up guide
Do not ask the child to type their own name or address. Invented names are welcome. Notice whether they distinguish sentence capitals from names.
Practice answers
1. Australia. Australia is the name of a country. We has a capital because it starts this sentence.
2. Leo. Leo is a proper noun. Boy is a common noun.
3. tuesday. Write Tuesday with a capital T. Names of days are proper nouns.
4. It starts the sentence. Cats is a common noun. Its capital marks the beginning of the sentence.
Sentence workshop examples
Maya visits Melbourne on Monday. Maya, Melbourne and Monday are particular names. Each begins with a capital.
On Friday, Leo visits the library. Friday and Leo are proper nouns. On starts the sentence. Library is a common noun here, so it needs no capital.
Check the child’s own writing
- Did I use a particular name for the person and place?
- Do those names and the day begin with capitals?
One possible example: Amir visits Sydney on Friday.
Try another day
Find a proper noun in the middle of a sentence in your book.
These are starter lessons. Use the child’s explanation and independent sentences to choose what to revisit. Finishing a page is not a mastery result.