What is the difference between proper noun and Common noun?

A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, or thing and is always capitalized. Examples of proper nouns include names of people (e.g. John, Mary), names of places (e.g. Paris, New York), and names of organizations (e.g. Google, Microsoft).

A common noun, on the other hand, is a general name for a person, place, or thing and is not capitalized unless it is at the beginning of a sentence. Examples of common nouns include words like dog, city, and company. Common nouns are not specific and can refer to any member of a group or class.

Proper Noun

- Refers to a specific person, place, or thing.
- Is capitalized.
- Examples:
- London
- George Washington
- Apple

Common Noun

- Refers to a general person, place, or thing.
- Is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence or is part of a proper noun.
- Examples:
- city
- president
- computer

Key Differences:

- Specificity: Proper nouns are specific, while common nouns are general.
- Capitalization: Proper nouns are capitalized, while common nouns are not (unless as stated above).
- Usage: Proper nouns are used to identify specific entities, while common nouns are used to refer to general categories.

Examples:

- The President (proper noun) of the United States (proper noun) lives in the White House (proper noun).
- The doctor (common noun) told me to take a pill (common noun) for my headache (common noun).