English Grammar

Proper Nouns in English- Definition, Rules,Faqs and Examples

Photo of Hassaan Aziz Hassaan AzizOctober 1, 2025
0 256 3 minutes read
Proper Nouns in English
Proper Nouns in English

In this leson we will learn about Proper Nouns in English. Do you know why we write city with a small “c” but Dubai with a big “D”? That’s because of proper nouns. Proper nouns give our sentences clarity, meaning, and precision. They name unique people, places, events, and things.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

  • What a Proper Noun is
  • Rules and Common Mistakes
  • 100+ Examples
  • Difference Between Common and Proper Nouns
  • Examples in Sentences

By the end, your writing will look professional, accurate, and elegant.

What is a Proper Noun?

A  Proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, thing, or event.In English, proper nouns are always capitalized to show their uniqueness.

Examples include:

  • People’s names
  • Country and city names
  • Organization names
  • Book and movie titles
  • Days, months, and festivals

Examples of Proper Nouns in English

  • People: Quaid-e-Azam, Hassaan, Salman
  • Places: Pakistan, Dubai, K2
  • Organizations: YouTube, NASA, United Nations
  • Days & Months: Sunday, September
  • Festivals & Events: Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr

In Sentences:

  • I’ve never been to India.
  • Mr. Smith’s class is reading Much Ado About Nothing.
  • Her favorite singer is Michael Jackson.
  • We visited the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

Proper Nouns vs. Common Nouns

It’s easy to tell them apart:

  • Common Noun → A general word (pen, book, bike, city).
  • Proper Noun → A unique name (Parker Pen, Harry Potter, Dubai).

There is only one Shakespeare, one Abraham Lincoln, one New York.

Rules for Common Nouns

  • Name general, everyday things (table, chair, dog).
  • Do not use capital letters (except at the beginning of a sentence).
  • Can be countable (book, cat) or uncountable (water, love).
  • Can be plural (books, houses).
  • Often used with articles (a, an, the).

Examples:

  • city → Karachi
  • dog → Buddy
  • teacher → Ms. Johnson

Rules for Proper Nouns

  • Always capitalize them.
  • Used for unique people, places, or things.
  • Names of countries, rivers, and mountains are proper nouns.
  • Brands and companies also count.
  • Days, months, festivals, and historical events are proper nouns.
  • Religious names and holy books are proper nouns.
  • Titles and initials in names are capitalized.
  • Monuments and famous buildings are proper nouns.
  • Religions and nationalities are proper nouns.

Examples:

  • John, London, Apple, Quran, NASA, Eiffel Tower, Pakistani

List of Common Nouns

  • cat
  • dog
  • book
  • teacher
  • computer
  • city
  • car
  • tree
  • table
  • chair
  • student
  • phone
  • river
  • house
  • ball
  • flower
  • friend
  • school
  • pencil
  • ocean
  • bird
  • game
  • family
  • job
  • country
  • language
  • idea
  • problem
  • food
  • air
  • water
  • bed
  • shoe
  • hat
  • shirt
  • door
  • window
  • street
  • bicycle
  • cup
  • knife
  • paper
  • pen
  • wallet

List of Proper Nouns

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York City
  • Tokyo
  • Sydney
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Amazon
  • Coca-Cola
  • Muslims
  • Christianity
  • Islam
  • McDonald’s
  • Quaid-e-Azam
  • Mona Lisa
  • Shakespeare
  • Michael Jackson
  • Mount Everest
  • Amazon River
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Statue of Liberty
  • Eiffel Tower
  • Taj Mahal
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Queen Elizabeth II
  • NASA
  • Disneyland
  • Batman
  • Superman
  • Spider-Man
  • The White House
  • Great Wall of China
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Albert Einstein
  • Marie Curie
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Holocaust
  • Vietnam War
  • Korean War
  • Renaissance
  • Great Depression
  • Industrial Revolution
  • Cold War
  • French Revolution
  • Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Example Sentences

  • I need to buy a new bike.
  • The tutor is explaining the lesson.
  • Can you pass me the salt?
  • The phone is not working properly.
  • The sun sets in the west.
  • My friend works at Google.
  • We visited the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.
  • My favorite color is black.
  • Harry Potter is a famous wizard.
  • NASA sent astronauts to the moon in 1969.
  • I’m reading a book by Shakespeare.
  • We visited the White House in Washington, D.C.
  • Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist.
  • I visited the Great Wall of China last year.

FAQs

Q1: What is a common noun?
A general name for a person, place, or thing. Example: city, book, teacher.

Q2: What is a proper noun?
A specific name that is always capitalized. Example: Paris, Mary, Coca-Cola.

Q3: How do you tell the difference?
Common nouns = general (dog).
Proper nouns = specific (Max, a dog’s name).

Q4: Can a common noun become a proper noun?
Yes. Example: “teacher” (common) → “Ms. Johnson” (proper).

Q5: Give examples of both.

  • The girl is playing in the park. (common)
  • I bought a new car yesterday. (common)
  • We visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris. (proper)
  • I read a poem by Emily Dickinson. (proper)
Proper Nouns in English
Proper Nouns in English

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Introduction One kind of pronoun that shows possession or ownership of a noun is an absolute possessive pronoun, which takes the place of the noun. It is employed to designate something that is the property of a certain individual or object. The pronouns mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs are examples of absolute pronouns. These pronouns are used to indicate the noun's owner and to replace it. So, what is a pronoun that is absolute in possessiveness? Absolute possessive pronouns are named thus because they are independent and do not change nouns. Most pronouns require a noun to come before them. On the other hand, absolute possessive pronouns do not require an antecedent. When choosing between possessive determiners (my, your, his, her, its, our, and their) and absolute possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs), the former is used. Apostrophes are not applied when using absolute possessive pronouns. The pronoun also displays the first, second, or third person as well as the singular or plural form. Are you aware of the importance of absolute possessive pronouns? Absolute possessive pronouns are important because they allow us to express ownership, prevent misunderstandings, and prevent sentence repetition. What is an absolute possessive pronoun? An absolute possessive pronoun is one that can be used to indicate possession or ownership without requiring a word to follow it. These pronouns, to put it simply, stand alone and denote a noun that has been mentioned previously or that is understood from context. Examples: This laptop is mine.  (“Mine” replaces “my laptop”) That blue bike is hers. (“Hers” replaces “her blue bike”) Why Absolute Possessive Pronouns Are Important Here is the main point related to absolute possessive pronouns. Don't put an apostrophe in "yours," "hers," "ours," or "theirs." By far the most common mistake related to absolute possessive pronouns is including an apostrophe with "yours," "hers," "ours," or "theirs." There are no apostrophes in any possessive pronouns. These are her's. Incorrect Your's are bigger than our's. Incorrect Yours are bigger than ours. Correct Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war - for killing people. We received ours for entertaining other people. I'd say we deserve ours more.  (Singer John Lennon) Reasons for using Absolute Possessive Pronouns For efficient communication, absolute possessive pronouns are necessary. The causes are cause 1 : It would be more difficult and time-consuming to communicate without absolute possessive pronouns. Absolute possessive pronouns eliminate duplication in writing and speech by acting as noun substitutes. These pronouns are actually used more often than their noun antecedents. cause 2 : Absolute possessive pronouns cannot be used without antecedents. This is due to the fact that the antecedent gives the absolute possessive pronoun context and clarity. Nonetheless, the antecedents might be understood in some circumstances. As a result, they don't require specific wording. since the speaker's point is already understood by the listener. To guarantee clear communication, antecedents and absolute possessive pronouns must be used appropriately in both writing and speech. cause 3 : Absolute possessive pronouns are a flexible and practical tool for efficient communication because they can be employed in both written and spoken contexts. cause 4 : Absolute possessive pronouns, such "their company" and "our office," can indicate ties between individuals and objects, making communication clear. Types of Absolute Possessive Pronouns : Mine – It is used to indicate possession by the speaker. Example – This book is mine, not yours. Yours – It is used to indicate possession by the person being spoken to. Example – Is this pen yours or mine? His – It is used to indicate possession by a male person. Example – His book is on the table. Hers – It is used to indicate possession by a female person. Example – Is this car yours or hers? It – It is used to indicate possession by a non-human entity. Example – The tree has lost its leaves. Ours – It is used to indicate possession by a group of people that also includes the speaker. Example – Our team won the match. Theirs – It is used to indicate possession by a group of people that does not include the speaker. Example – The car that is parked in the driveway is theirs. Unlike possessive pronouns like "my," "your," or "their," which must be preceded by a noun to indicate what is being possessed, these pronouns are known as absolute since they do not require any additional words to indicate possession. Rules for Using Absolute Possessive Pronouns To avoid mistakes, follow these rules: Rule 1: Do Not Use a Noun After Them Absolute possessive pronouns replace the noun. Correct: This seat is mine. Incorrect:  This seat is mine seat. Rule 2: Avoid Repetition They make sentences shorter and cleaner. Correct: My phone is new, but yours is better. Incorrect:  My phone is new, but your phone is better. Rule 3: Never Use Apostrophes Absolute possessives never take an apostrophe. Correct: This success is ours. Incorrect: This success is our’s. Rule 4: Be Careful with "Its" vs "It’s" Its = possessive → Correct: The dog protects its bone. It’s = it is → Incorrect: The dog protects it’s bone. Examples of Absolute Possessive Pronouns in Sentences Here are 15 examples for better understanding: That phone is mine. This pencil is yours. The big park on the corner is hers. The decision was entirely hers. The party is ours. Is this shirt yours or hers? This house is mine, not theirs. These balls  are ours, not yours. Whose shoes are these? They are hers. That book is mine, don’t touch it. This problem is yours to solve. The blame is hers, not mine. The bike outside is ours. This pen is mine, not hers. The plot belongs to us; it’s ours. Difference Between Absolute Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives Possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or possession of a noun, but they are used differently. Possessive adjectives are used to modify or describe a noun, while possessive pronouns are used instead of a noun. Possessive adjectives come before nouns and modify them unlike possessive pronouns which replace nouns. Example 1 Possessive Pronoun – That bike is mine. Possessive Adjective – That is my bike. Example 2 Possessive Pronoun – This is your pen. Possessive Adjective – This pen is yours. Example 3 Possessive Pronoun – Her husband is from Iran. Possessive Adjective – That puppy over there is hers. Practice Exercises Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks Choose the correct absolute possessive pronoun: This pencil is ______. (mine / my) The bike outside is ______. (theirs / their) This idea was entirely ______. (his / him) These rasers are ______. (ours / our) Is this laptop  ______? (yours / your) Answers mine theirs his ours yours Absolute Possessive Pronoun

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