Overview

In one of Grimm's fairy tales, a queen will keep her child only if she can guess a little man's name. The story of Rumpelstiltskin shows the power of nouns—words that name persons, places, things, or ideas.

There are two basic types of nouns. A common noun names any person, place, thing, or idea. A proper noun names a specific person, place, thing, or idea.

Common nouns, such as language, are not capitalized. Proper nouns, such as English or Spanish, are capitalized.

In English, adding a suffix like -s to a singular noun makes it plural. Adding an apostrophe to a noun shows ownership, as in Rumpelstiltskin’s name.