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Common And Proper Nouns – Quiz 1
Common And Proper Nouns Quiz 1 (30 MCQs)
This multiple-choice question set evaluates the understanding of common and proper nouns, including their identification, counting, and distinguishing between them. It covers capitalization rules for proper nouns, specific naming conventions, and correct usage in sentences. The test also includes identifying parts of speech and specific place names.
Quiz Instructions
Select an option to see the correct answer instantly.
1.
Which of the following words is not a common noun? ~ Pay attention to the words!
A) Zoo.
B) GameStop.
C) Pool.
D) Park.
Show Answer
Explanations:
GameStop is a proper noun because it refers to a specific company, whereas the other options (zoo, pool, park) are common nouns that can refer to any instance of the thing, not just one particular one.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Zoo - Common noun.
Option B:
GameStop - Proper noun (specific company).
Option C:
Pool - Common noun.
Option D:
Park - Common noun.
2.
What are the common nouns in this sentence? Students at Westlake eat lunch in the cafeteria.
A) Students, Westlake, Central.
B) Lunch, students, eat.
C) Cafeteria, lunch, Westlake.
D) Lunch, cafeteria, students.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Common nouns refer to general things, people, places, and ideas. In the sentence "Students at Westlake eat lunch in the cafeteria," the common nouns are "lunch" (a meal) and "cafeteria" (a place for eating). "Students" is a proper noun as it refers to specific students.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. "Central" is not in the sentence.
Option B:
Incorrect. "Eat" is a verb, not a common noun.
Option C:
Correct. "Cafeteria" and "lunch" are common nouns; "Westlake" is a proper noun.
Option D:
Incorrect. "Students" is a proper noun in this context, not a common noun.
3.
Mrs. Westover, Mr. Kamman, Ms. Pilotin are all what?
A) Common Nouns.
B) Proper Nouns.
C) Funny.
D) Teachers.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns are names of specific people, places, or things. Mrs. Westover, Mr. Kamman, and Ms. Pilotin are all names of specific individuals, hence they are proper nouns.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Common Nouns refer to general classes of people, animals, places, etc., not specific ones.
Option B:
Correct. Names of specific individuals like Mrs. Westover, Mr. Kamman, and Ms. Pilotin are proper nouns.
Option C:
Not relevant to the context provided.
Option D:
While they could be teachers, this is not specified in the question and does not address the grammatical classification of their names.
4.
What noun is supposed to be capitalized because it is proper?
A) Markers.
B) Lake michigan.
C) Jump.
D) Crayons.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns are capitalized to indicate a specific, named entity. "Lake Michigan" is the name of a specific lake and thus should be capitalized.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Markers - Common noun.
Option B:
Lake michigan - Proper noun, correctly capitalized as it refers to a specific body of water.
Option C:
Jump - Common verb or noun.
Option D:
Crayons - Common noun.
5.
What word is a proper noun:The pig is named Curly.
A) Named.
B) Curly.
C) Pig.
D) The.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns name specific people, places, things, or ideas. In the sentence "The pig is named Curly," the word "Curly" names a specific pig and thus is a proper noun.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Named - Verb, not a noun.
Option B:
Curly - Specific name, proper noun.
Option C:
Pig - Common noun, not specific.
Option D:
The - Article, not a noun.
6.
What are the common nouns in this sentence? Students at Port Isabel Junior High eat lunch in the cafeteria.
A) Lunch, cafeteria, students.
B) Students, Port Isabel Junior High.
C) Lunch, students, eat.
D) Cafeteria, lunch, Port Isabel Junior High.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Common nouns are general objects, people, places, or things that can be referred to by more than one individual example. In the sentence "Students at Port Isabel Junior High eat lunch in the cafeteria," the common nouns are "students," "lunch," and "cafeteria."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. "Lunch" and "students" are common nouns, while "cafeteria" is a proper noun.
Option B:
Incorrect. "Port Isabel Junior High" is a proper noun, not a common noun.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Eat" is a verb, not a noun.
Option D:
Incorrect. "Cafeteria" is a proper noun, while "lunch" and "students" are common nouns.
7.
A proper noun names .....
A) The verb of a sentence.
B) The subject of a sentence.
C) A non-specific person, place, or thing.
D) A specific person, place, or thing.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns name specific people, places, things, and ideas. They are unique identifiers that refer to particular entities in a specific context.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Verbs describe actions or states of being; they do not name specific persons, places, or things.
Option B:
The subject can be either a common noun (general) or a proper noun (specific), but the question specifically asks about what proper nouns name.
Option C:
Common nouns refer to general categories of people, places, and things; they are not specific.
Option D:
Correct. Proper nouns identify particular individuals, locations, or entities with specificity.
8.
Which of the following is not an example of proper noun?
A) Toyota.
B) Hanabishi.
C) Samsung.
D) Electric fan.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns are names of specific people, places, or things and always begin with a capital letter. "Electric fan" is a common noun referring to a general type of appliance, not a specific name for one. Therefore, it is the correct answer.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Toyota - Proper noun (name of a car manufacturer)
Option B:
Hanabishi - Proper noun (likely referring to a brand or place name)
Option C:
Samsung - Proper noun (name of an electronics company)
Option D:
Electric fan - Common noun (general term for the appliance)
9.
Cristy Angeles is the mayor of our city. How many proper noun is in this sentence?
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Cristy Angeles is the mayor of our city." contains one proper noun: Cristy Angeles. Proper nouns are specific names for people, places, or things and are capitalized in English. In this case, "Cristy" and "Angeles" together form a proper noun referring to an individual.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect as there is only one proper noun.
Option B:
Incorrect as the number of proper nouns is not six.
Option C:
Correct, as there is exactly one proper noun in the sentence.
Option D:
Incorrect as there are no zero proper nouns.
10.
What are the common nouns in this sentence? The rabbit was always late and Alice followed him into his hole.
A) What, him, was.
B) Rabbit, hole.
C) Alice, rabbit, hole.
D) Late, into, his.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Common nouns refer to general things, people, places, and ideas. In the sentence "The rabbit was always late and Alice followed him into his hole," the common nouns are "rabbit" and "hole." These words represent a type of animal and a place, respectively.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. "What," "him," and "was" are not common nouns.
Option B:
Correct. "Rabbit" and "hole" are common nouns representing a type of animal and a place, respectively.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Alice" is a proper noun (name), while "rabbit" and "hole" are common nouns.
Option D:
Incorrect. "Late," "into," and "his" are not common nouns; they function as adjectives, prepositions, or possessive pronouns.
11.
Choose the correct capitalization of the following:
A) Jose p. rizal.
B) Jose P. rizal.
C) Jose p. Rizal.
D) Jose P. Rizal.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The correct capitalization is
Option D: Jose P. Rizal.
In proper nouns, the first letter of each part of a name (such as middle initials) should be capitalized. Additionally, the last name "Rizal" is always capitalized.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect: The middle initial 'P' is not capitalized.
Option B:
Incorrect: Only the first letter of the first name and the last name are capitalized, but not the middle initial.
Option C:
Incorrect: The middle initial 'P' is lowercase, while the first letter of the last name is correctly capitalized.
Option D:
Correct: All parts of the name are properly capitalized as per proper noun rules.
12.
What are the common nouns in this sentence? Winn-Dixie stood by the window of the library wagging his tail.
A) Stood, wagging, tail.
B) Winn-Dixie, wagging, his.
C) Winn-Dixie, window, library, tail.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The common nouns in the sentence are "Winn-Dixie," "window," "library," and "tail." These words refer to general things, places, or people, not specific ones (which would be proper nouns).
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Stood, wagging, tail. - Incorrect: "Stood" is a verb, "wagging" is a gerund, and "tail" can also be an adjective or noun in different contexts.
Option B:
Winn-Dixie, wagging, his. - Incorrect: "Wagging" is a gerund, and "his" is a possessive pronoun.
Option C:
Winn-Dixie, window, library, tail. - Correct: These are the common nouns in the sentence.
Option D:
None of above. - Incorrect: Option C is correct.
13.
Identify the common noun in this sentence:Dr. Weber stopped at the pharmacy.
A) The.
B) Dr. Weber.
C) Pharmacy.
D) At.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Pharmacy is a common noun because it refers to a general place where medicines are sold, not a specific name (proper noun).
Option Analysis:
Option A:
The is an article and does not classify as a common or proper noun.
Option B:
Dr. Weber includes "Dr." which is typically a title, making it a proper noun; however, the full name "Weber" could be considered a common noun if used generically, but in this context, it refers to a specific person and thus is a proper noun.
Option C:
Pharmacy is a common noun as it denotes a general place type, not a specific entity's name.
Option D:
At is a preposition used here to indicate location, not a noun at all.
14.
How many common and proper nouns are in these sentences? My favorite game on my PS3 is Little Big Planet. It's such a fun game where you can play with other people. I met my friend Jo on that game. Some people like playing XBOX games. On XBOX I like to play racing games.
A) 17.
B) 12.
C) 13.
D) 10.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The correct answer is C) 13. The common nouns in the text are game, people, friend, and games. The proper nouns include Little Big Planet, PS3, Jo, XBOX, and racing games (though this last one is a bit ambiguous as it could be considered a common noun depending on context). However, for the purpose of this question, we consider "racing" as part of the game title, making it a proper noun.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. 17 is not the correct count.
Option B:
Incorrect. 12 is not the correct count.
Option C:
Correct. 13 common and proper nouns are identified as explained.
Option D:
Incorrect. 10 is not the correct count.
15.
Which word in the sentence is a common noun? The car moves fast.
A) Fast.
B) Moves.
C) The.
D) Car.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The word "car" in the sentence is a common noun because it refers to a general type of vehicle, not a specific one like "the red car."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Fast is an adjective describing how the car moves.
Option B:
Moves is a verb indicating the action of the subject.
Option C:
The is an article used to specify a particular noun, but not a common or proper noun itself.
Option D:
Car is a common noun representing a general type of vehicle.
16.
What word below is a proper noun?
A) Woodland Mall.
B) Jumping.
C) Sleeping.
D) School.
Show Answer
Explanations:
A proper noun is a specific name for a particular person, place, or thing. "Woodland Mall" is a specific name for a particular shopping center, making it a proper noun.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. Woodland Mall is a specific name for a particular place.
Option B:
Incorrect. Jumping is a verb and not a name for a specific person, place, or thing.
Option C:
Incorrect. Sleeping is a noun but refers to the action of resting, not a specific name.
Option D:
Incorrect. School is a common noun referring to an institution in general, not a specific one.
17.
What change, if any, should be made to this sentence? May we open one present on christmas eve?
A) Change christmas eve to Christmas eve.
B) Make no change.
C) Change present to Present.
D) Change christmas eve to Christmas Eve.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "May we open one present on Christmas Eve?" requires the proper noun "Christmas Eve" to be capitalized, as it refers to a specific day of celebration in the Christian calendar. Therefore, changing "christmas eve" to "Christmas Eve" is correct.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect; only capitalizes "Eve," not "Christmas."
Option B:
Incorrect; no change needed but the sentence requires a change.
Option C:
Incorrect; capitalization of "present" is unnecessary and incorrect in this context.
Option D:
Correct; capitalizes both "Christmas" and "Eve."
18.
Mrs. Manning, a teacher, wanted to find a game. What are the common nouns in this sentence?
A) Game, teacher, find.
B) Mrs. Manning, teacher game.
C) Game, wanted, find, Mrs, Manning.
D) Game, teacher.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The common nouns in the sentence are "game" and "teacher." A common noun refers to a general thing, person, place, or idea, which both "game" and "teacher" represent.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. "Find" is a verb, not a common noun.
Option B:
Incorrect. "Game" and "teacher" are the only common nouns; "wanted" is a verb, and "Mrs." is a proper noun abbreviation.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Wanted," "find," "Mrs," and "Manning" do not qualify as common nouns.
Option D:
Correct. "Game" and "teacher" are the only common nouns in the sentence, representing general things (game) and people (teacher).
19.
Which word is a proper noun? Today is Friday.
A) Today.
B) Is.
C) Friday.
D) None of these.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns are specific names for particular people, places, things, or ideas. "Friday" is a proper noun as it refers to a specific day of the week.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Today is a common noun referring to the current day.
Option B:
Is is a verb, not a noun at all.
Option C:
Friday is a proper noun as it names a specific day of the week.
Option D:
None of these is incorrect since "Friday" is indeed the correct answer.
20.
Proper nouns are the names of people, places, things or ideas and they should always be capitalised.
A) False.
B) True.
C) None.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns are indeed the names of specific people, places, things, or ideas and should always be capitalized in English writing. This rule is a fundamental aspect of proper noun usage in English grammar.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect as it contradicts the established rules of capitalization for proper nouns.
Option B:
Correct, aligning with standard English grammar rules regarding capitalization of proper nouns.
Option C:
Not applicable since one option is correct and clearly stated.
Option D:
Incorrect as there is a correct answer among the options provided.
21.
Which date is written correctly?
A) Wednesday, February 12, 2012.
B) Wednesday, February, 12, 2012.
C) Wednesday, February 12 2012.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The correct answer is A) Wednesday, February 12, 2012. This option correctly uses a comma to separate the day from the year in the date format.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct use of commas for clarity and standard formatting.
Option B:
Missing comma between the day and the year, which is incorrect.
Option C:
No comma after the month, making it less clear; also no period at the end.
Option D:
None of the above options are correct.
22.
When should the word "apple" be capitalized?
A) When it refers to something that has spoiled.
B) When it refers to a product, like Apple Inc.
C) When it refers to the ingredient in a pie.
D) When it refers to a drink, like cider or juice.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns, such as the name of a company like Apple Inc., are always capitalized. Common nouns, which include general terms for objects (like "apple"), are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. The state of an apple does not affect capitalization.
Option B:
Correct. Company names, including Apple Inc., are proper nouns and should be capitalized.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Apple" as a fruit is a common noun and remains lowercase unless it starts a sentence or is part of a specific brand name (e.g., Macintosh).
Option D:
Incorrect. While cider and juice can be proper nouns in certain contexts, "apple" by itself does not change its capitalization based on the type of drink.
23.
Read the sentence.Mr. Bing wanted to eat a tasty doughnut.Select the proper noun from the sentence.
A) Tasty.
B) Doughnut.
C) Mr. Bing.
D) Eat.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns are specific names for people, places, or things. In the sentence "Mr. Bing wanted to eat a tasty doughnut," Mr. Bing is a proper noun because it refers to a specific individual.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Tasty is an adjective describing the doughnut, not a name for a person or place.
Option B:
Doughnut is a common noun referring to a type of food, not a specific name.
Option C:
Mr. Bing is a proper noun as it names a specific individual.
Option D:
Eat is a verb and does not refer to a person or place.
24.
Morgan Boulevard is a busy street. In this sentence which word is the proper noun?
A) Busy.
B) Morgan Boulevard.
C) Street.
D) Is.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns are names of specific people, places, or things. "Morgan Boulevard" is a specific name for a street, making it a proper noun.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Busy is an adjective describing the state of Morgan Boulevard but not a proper noun.
Option B:
Correct. Morgan Boulevard is a specific place name and thus a proper noun.
Option C:
Street is a common noun referring to any road, not just this particular one.
Option D:
Is is a verb used here as part of the sentence structure but not a proper noun.
25.
My ..... lives in .....
A) Grandpa; Alexandria.
B) Grandpa; Alexandria.
C) Grandpa; alexandria.
D) Grandpa; alexandria.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Grandpa is a common noun, while Alexandria is a proper noun (name of a city). The correct answer uses both types of nouns appropriately in the sentence "My grandpa lives in Alexandria."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. Uses a common noun and a proper noun correctly.
Option B:
Repeated from Option A, correct but redundant.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Alexandria" is not capitalized, making it appear as a common noun.
Option D:
Same issue as Option C, incorrect due to lack of capitalization for the proper noun.
26.
What change should be made in this sentence? The cafeteria is serving hamburgers on wednesday.
A) Change cafeteria to Cafeteria.
B) No change is needed.
C) Change hamburgers to Hamburgers.
D) Change wednesday to Wednesday.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "The cafeteria is serving hamburgers on wednesday." requires a change to ensure proper noun usage. In English, days of the week are considered common nouns and should be written in lowercase unless they start a sentence. Therefore, changing "wednesday" to "Wednesday" corrects the capitalization.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Changing "cafeteria" to "Cafeteria" is unnecessary as it's already correctly capitalized.
Option B:
No change is needed, but this option is incorrect because a change is necessary for proper noun usage.
Option C:
Adding an 's' to "hamburgers" does not correct the capitalization issue with days of the week.
Option D:
Changing "wednesday" to "Wednesday" is correct as it properly capitalizes a day of the week, which is a common noun in this context.
27.
Proper nouns name .....
A) A specific person, place, or thing.
B) A type of place.
C) A random place.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. This is why option A is correct. For example, "New York" names a specific city, and "Alice" names a specific person.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. Proper nouns do indeed name specific people, places, or things.
Option B:
Incorrect. While proper nouns can refer to places, they also refer to people and other specific entities.
Option C:
Incorrect. This is too vague; proper nouns are not random but specific names for particular individuals or locations.
Option D:
Incorrect. Option A is the correct answer.
28.
What words should be capitalized? My friend, koji, says the festival is held in april.
A) Koji, April.
B) My, held.
C) Friend, festival.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Proper nouns, such as names of people and months, should be capitalized in English. In the given sentence, "Koji" is a name and therefore a proper noun, while "April" is the name of a month and also requires capitalization.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. Koji (name) and April (month) should be capitalized.
Option B:
Incorrect. Neither "My" nor "held" are proper nouns that require capitalization in this context.
Option C:
Incorrect. While "Festival" could potentially be a proper noun if it refers to a specific festival, the sentence does not provide enough information to capitalize it. "Friend," however, is a common noun and should not be capitalized.
Option D:
Incorrect. Option A is correct as explained above.
29.
Put the comma in the correct spot.July 4 2020
A) July, 4 2020.
B) July 4 2020.
C) July 4, 2020.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The correct answer is
C) July 4, 2020.
In English grammar, when writing dates, it is standard to include a comma between the day and year for clarity and readability.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. The comma should be placed after the day, not before it.
Option B:
Incorrect. No comma is needed in this format.
Option C:
Correct. This follows the standard date format with a comma between the day and year.
Option D:
Incorrect. Option C is the correct answer.
30.
Which is NOT part of the definition of a noun?
A) Action.
B) Person.
C) Idea.
D) Place.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas. Actions are typically represented by verbs, not nouns.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Action is NOT part of the definition of a noun.
Option B:
Person is an example of a common noun.
Option C:
Idea is an example of a noun representing an abstract concept.
Option D:
Place is an example of a proper or common noun referring to a location.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between common and proper nouns?
Common nouns refer to general classes of people, places, or things (e.g., city, book), while proper nouns are specific names for particular individuals, places, or things (e.g., New York, Harry Potter).
Can a common noun become a proper noun?
Yes, a common noun can be made into a proper noun by adding capitalization. For example, "dog" is a common noun, but when we refer to a specific breed like "Poodle," it becomes a proper noun.
How are proper nouns used in dates?
Proper nouns can be part of date formats, such as "January 1, 2023," where "January" is a proper noun referring to the specific month.
Are all names considered proper nouns?
Not all names are proper nouns. While personal names like "John" or place names like "Paris" are proper nouns, other types of names such as brand names (e.g., Coca-Cola) can also be classified as proper nouns.
What is the importance of understanding common and proper nouns?
Understanding common and proper nouns helps in correct sentence structure, grammar, and overall clarity in writing and speaking. It aids in distinguishing between general and specific references, enhancing communication effectiveness.