Question

Pick out the Proper Nouns and the Common Nouns from the following sentence:
Newton discovered the Law of Gravity.
a)Newton – Proper Noun
b)Newton – Common Noun
c)Gravity – Proper Noun
d)Law – Proper Noun

Answer 1

Hint: A common noun is a noun used to denote general items rather than specific ones. Examples – Boy, Animal, Building, etc.
A proper noun is a noun that is used to name specific individuals, places, things, etc.
Examples – Ravi, Boston, India, etc.

Complete step-by-step answer:

Option a is the correct option. Option a ‘Newton – Proper Noun’ is correct because the noun is naming a specific individual i.e., Newton. Newton is being pointed out to be someone who discovered the Law of Gravity.
Option b ‘Newton – Common Noun’ is incorrect. It is incorrect because Newton is a name given to a common noun (a man) who discovered The Law of Gravity. Common Nouns do not have specific names and here, a name is given so Newton cannot be a common noun.
Option c ‘Gravity – Proper Noun’ is incorrect. It is incorrect because gravity is neither a common noun nor a proper noun. An Abstract noun is a noun that denotes idea, feeling, state of being, etc., and is something which can only be felt but cannot be touched. Gravity is the force that attracts everything towards the center of the earth. It can be felt but not touched.
Option d ‘Law – Proper Noun’ is also incorrect because the law is a common noun. It indicates different rules and regulations and is a synonym to these words and does not specify anything in particular.

Note: If we take the whole ‘The Law of Gravity’ as one component, then it will be termed as a Proper Noun because it is a specific name given to a law, a law discovered by Newton.