Question

Is sun a common noun?
Is sun a common noun if yes how.

Answer 1

Hint: In order to answer this question one must have a clear knowledge of what proper and common nouns are. Any person, place, thing, or idea makes use of a common noun. Unless they occur at the beginning of a sentence, they are not capitalised. Proper nouns are names for distinct individuals, places, things, or concepts. Proper nouns should be capitalised at all times.

Complete answer:
Nouns like "earth," "sun," "moon," "Mars," and so on are capitalised (referred to as proper nouns) when used in an astronomical context, but they are normally common nouns.
Unless the word “sun” iis used in an astronomical context, it is not capitalised.

- When they shouldn't be capitalised,
For example: “We spent the entire day in the sun.”
- When they should be capitalised,
For example: The Earth revolves around the Sun, while the Moon revolves around the Earth.
In the latter sentence it has been referred to as the astronomic star around which the earth revolves, hence it is capitalised here.

It's a proper noun as well as a common noun. It is a proper noun when it refers to "our" Sun (the one at the centre of our solar system). It is a common noun when it refers to the star in the centre of any solar system. It's also a countable noun (which means it can be pluralized: "suns").

Here is an explanation as to why “sun” is a common noun: "Sun" is a common noun that should not be capitalised unless it is the first word in a sentence. When we refer to the star that the Earth revolves around and receives light and warmth from, we use the word "sun" as a proper noun.

Therefore “sun” is a common noun. It can act as a proper noun only when used in an astronomical sense.

Note: Some tips regarding the identification of common and proper nouns:
- Proper nouns refer to distinct people, places, things, or concepts. They are capitalised because they symbolise a concrete or identifiable person, place, thing, or idea.
i) The word "book" is an example of a generic common noun.
ii) The Scarlet Letter is a proper noun because it is a specific book.
- When determining if a word (or words) is a common or proper noun, don't rely exclusively on capitalization. Proper adjectives, for example, are another type of word that can be capitalised in a phrase.
- It's crucial to employ more proper nouns if you want to construct a clear, vivid picture for the reader.
Using more common nouns, on the other hand, is fine if you're trying to depict a more generic, vague scene.