How do you know if something is a proper noun?

As a language expert with a deep understanding of grammar and linguistics, I'm well-equipped to explain the nuances of proper nouns. Proper nouns are a fundamental aspect of language that distinguishes them from common nouns. They are used to identify specific entities such as individuals, places, organizations, and sometimes even unique objects. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you identify proper nouns:

1. Capitalization: The most noticeable feature of a proper noun is its capitalization. Unlike common nouns, which are not capitalized unless they are at the beginning of a sentence or a part of a title, proper nouns always start with a capital letter. For example, "Paris" is a proper noun because it is the name of a specific city, and it is always capitalized.

2. Uniqueness: Proper nouns are used to denote specific, unique entities. They are not general terms. For instance, "dog" is a common noun because it refers to any dog, whereas "Lassie" is a proper noun because it refers to a specific dog known from popular culture.

3. Names: Proper nouns often include personal names, geographical names, and names of organizations. "John Smith" is a proper noun because it's a person's name. "Mount Everest" is a proper noun because it's the name of a specific mountain. "United Nations" is a proper noun because it's the name of a specific international organization.

4. Brand Names: Some brand names are also considered proper nouns because they refer to specific products or companies. "Coca-Cola" is a proper noun because it refers to a specific brand of soft drink.

5. Titles of Works: Titles of books, movies, songs, and other creative works are also proper nouns. "The Great Gatsby" is a proper noun because it's the title of a specific novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

6. Nationalities and Languages: Sometimes, nationalities and languages are treated as proper nouns. "English" can be a proper noun when referring to the language, as opposed to "english" when referring to the general use of the language.
7.
Days of the Week, Months: The names of days and months are also proper nouns. "Monday" and "January" are always capitalized because they are specific entities.
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Adjectives Derived from Proper Nouns: Sometimes, adjectives are derived from proper nouns and retain the capitalization. "Victorian" is an adjective derived from "Victoria," referring to the Victorian era in British history.
9.
Historical Events and Eras: Names of specific historical events or eras are proper nouns. "The Renaissance" is a proper noun because it refers to a specific period in European history.
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Use in Sentences: In sentences, proper nouns function as the subjects, objects, or complements. They can stand alone or be part of a noun phrase. For example, in the sentence "Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet," "Shakespeare," "Romeo," and "Juliet" are all proper nouns.

Now, let's look at some sentences to see if you can identify the proper nouns:
- "The Eiffel Tower is in France."
- "She bought a ticket to see Madonna in concert."
- "They are planning a trip to Venice during August."
- "He is reading War and Peace by Tolstoy."
- "The Beatles were a famous British rock band."

In each of these sentences, the words in bold are proper nouns. They all start with a capital letter and refer to specific, unique entities.

Nouns name people, places, and things. Every noun can further be classified as common or proper. A proper noun has two distinctive features: 1) it will name a specific [usually a one-of-a-kind] item, and 2) it will begin with a capital letter no matter where it occurs in a sentence. Read the following sentences.