1. Common and Proper Nouns
Grade 6 Grammar
Common and Proper Nouns

2. Lesson Objectives Identify common and proper nouns
Capitalize nouns correctly
Write a paragraph, using common and proper nouns.

3. Focus Holiday, city, and person
Name a particular holiday, city and person.
Write the student examples on the board. Ask them which are called “common” and why? They refer to ANY person, place or thing

4. Capitalization
Each important word that is part of a proper noun (not words like of) must begin with a capital letter.
Examples:
united states of america
lake of the woods
red river of the north

5. Common Nouns
When you talk or write about persons, places, things in general, you use a common noun.
Scientists work hard. They come from many countries.
When you talk or write about a particular person, place or thing, you use a proper noun.
Marie Curie was a scientist. She came from Poland.

6. What Do You Notice? Common and Proper Nouns Common Nouns Proper Nouns
street
North Drive
river
Hudson River
city
Vancouver
building
White House
state
Maryland
law
Bill of Rights
continent
Asia
author
Emily Dickinson
ocean
Arctic Ocean
holiday
Fourth of July
mountain
Mt. McKinley
month
November
lake
Great Salt Lake
day
Monday
Notice every proper noun begins with a capital letter. When a proper noun is made up of more than one word, only the important words begin with a capital letter. Do NOT capitalize words such as the, of, or for

7. When to Capitalize
Notice every proper noun begins with a capital letter.
When a proper noun is made up of more than one word, only the important words begin with a capital letter.
Do NOT capitalize words such as:
the, of, or for

8. Practice Which words are proper nouns and should be capitalized?
Which words are common nouns?
august 5. italy
creek 6. students
book 7. san diego
face 8. game

9. Summing Up A common noun names any person place or thing.
A proper noun manes a particular person, place, or thing.
Begin each important word in a proper noun with a capital letter.
Name Game
Call out a noun. Challenge: name as many proper nouns as you can in 30 seconds. Time. Count them and record the score. Follow with each category.
Note: each word you called out names a person, place, or thing. Those are called common nouns.
Each specific place is a proper noun.

10. Practice Write each pair of nouns. Capitalize the proper nouns.
united states-country
president-thomas jefferson
statue of liberty- monument
author- louisa may alcott
avenue of the americas-avenue
building-empire sate building

11. More Practice
List the common nouns and the proper nouns in each of the following sentences on your own piece of paper.
Maria Tallchief is a famous ballerina.
This dancer has performed in New York and Paris.
Tallchief has received the Indian Achievement Award.
Marian Anderson is best known for singing opera.
Anderson was the first black singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera.
This singer received honors from several countries.
Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic Ocean.
This pilot was the first woman to cross the ocean alone.
Her last flight was over the Pacific Ocean.

12. Writing Application With Grammar
Write a paragraph about a person who travels.
This person may be someone you know or someone you have never met.
Use common and proper nouns in your paragraph.
Be sure that you capitalize correctly.
This is due Friday, March 28th. We will share them in class.

13. Independent Practice

16. Homework Complete these three pages + the paragraph writing.
Do not make the travel poster on page 36.
Everything is due Friday, October 3rd .