Kids Learn With ConceptEvery single thing your child can point at has a name — the baby in the pram, the park at the end of the road, the dog that barks at the gate, the pen in their hand. All of those words are naming words, and they are the very first thing a Class 1 child learns in English grammar. Here is the whole lesson, with the pictures, the rule and the practice.
Names of persons
Read these words. Every one of them names a person:
- baby
- girl
- father
- mother
- grandmother
- teacher
- student
These are the names of people we know.
Names of animals
Read these words. Every one of them names an animal:
- fish
- dog
- bird
Names of places
Read these words. Every one of them names a place:
- park
- beach
- classroom
- shop
- zoo
- school
- garden
These are the names of places we go to.
Names of things
Read these words. Every one of them names a thing:
- pen
- car
- tree
- clock
- table
- telephone
These are the names of things we use or see.
The rule
⭐ Words that name persons, places, animals and things are called naming words.
That is the whole idea. If your child can point at it or think of it, its name is a naming word. Try it at the dinner table: plate, spoon, water, mother, kitchen — five naming words in five seconds.
Special names and common names
Read these sentences:
This is Sana. She is a girl.
Sana is a special name and girl is a common name.
Special names can be used for only one person, place or thing. These names always start with a capital letter.
- Raj
- India
- Jill
Common names can be used for many persons, places or things. These names do not start with a capital letter.
- flower
- tree
- book
Practice from the lesson
- Look at the pictures and complete the names of the people: b _ _ y, w _ _ _ n, br _ _ th _ _ r, ch _ _ ld, m _ _ n, gr _ _ ndf _ _ th _ _ r.
- Draw any three animals you like, then write their names below.
- Write the correct name of each place using: shop | zoo | school | garden.
- Write the names of the things using: table | telephone | clock.
- Circle the naming words you see in school or on the way to school: window, teacher, cat, bus, cloud, cycle, train, brother, flower, tiger, cow, market, river, gate, pencil, girl.
- Circle the special names in each row.
Answer key for grown-ups
1. a) baby b) woman c) brother d) child e) man f) grandfather
3. a) garden b) shop c) zoo d) school
4. a) clock b) table c) telephone
5. Every word in the list is a naming word — the child circles the ones they personally see, so answers will differ. Commonly circled: window, teacher, bus, cycle, gate, pencil, market, girl, brother, flower, cloud, river.
6. a) Sam b) Anna c) Delhi d) Park school
A quick tip for parents
Children mix up special and common names for months, and the fastest cure is the capital letter. Whenever your child writes their own name, their school's name, their city or a friend's name, ask one question: “Is this the name of only one?” If the answer is yes, it takes a capital letter. That single question does more than any amount of copying.
English Grammar Workbook — Class 1
This lesson is one chapter. The workbook has all 15, in order, with far more practice than a single page can hold — naming words, special names, one & many, gender, pronouns, a/an, this/that/these/those, action words, describing words, opposites, prepositions, is/am/are, has/have, was/were and punctuation.
- Concept first, then practice — the rule is explained in a child's words before a single blank has to be filled.
- Colourful picture-based exercises that Class 1 children actually finish.
- A complete answer key at the back, so a parent can check the work in a minute.
Instant download · Print at home and reuse forever · Written by educator Vandana Kumari (M.Sc, LL.B).