Question

Identify the types of nouns present in the following sentence:

My spectacles were broken by Marie.

• A. Spectacles, Marie - Common Nouns
• B. Spectacles - Proper Noun; Marie - Common Noun
• C. Spectacles - Common Noun; Marie - Proper Noun
• D. Spectacles, Marie - Proper Nouns

Answer 1

The correct option is C Spectacles - Common Noun; Marie - Proper Noun

Common nouns name general things, whereas proper nouns name specific individuals or things. For example, 'man' is a common noun whereas Thomas is a proper noun, a specific name for a particular man. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.

Option C: 'Spectacles' is a common noun as it names a thing (worn on the eyes). 'Marie' is a proper noun because it names a particular individual.

Also, proper nouns begin with capital letters whereas common nouns begin with small letters. (In any sentence or a phrase in a new line, the first letter of the first word is a capital.) In the sentence, 'spectacles' begins with the small letter 's' and 'Marie' begins with the capital letter 'M'.

Hence this option is the right one.

Option A: 'Marie' is not a general name and hence it isn't a common noun.

Option B: The noun 'spectacles' is a common noun whereas 'Marie' is a proper noun.

Option D: 'Spectacles' cannot be a proper noun because it names a general thing.

Hence options A, B and D are incorrect.