Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Common Nouns & Proper Nouns

A common noun is a word for a person, place, or thing. Color in all the pieces of popcorn that
have a common noun.

teacher boy
car
park

ask school
shout city

toy
planet
holiday
quickly
red excited

Directions: A proper noun is a word for a specific person, place, or thing. Select three common

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nouns from the pieces of popcorn. Write them in the table below. For each common noun, write
a proper noun (see example below).

Common Noun Proper Noun

dog Bruno
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Action Verbs
An action verb is a word that shows what someone or something is doing. For each of
the characters below, write as many action verbs as you can for what they can do.

clown trapeze artist ringmaster

juggle

lion tamer elephant seal

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Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Read each sentence and underline any adjectives.

1. The amazing circus performers jump and tumble under the

striped tent.

2. A brave lion tamer enters the cage with the powerful lions.

3. The silly clown with the big red nose makes everyone laugh.

4. The talented acrobat balances on a narrow tightrope way up

high.

5. A skilled rider does fancy tricks on her horse.

6. The expert juggler throws colorful balls into the air.

7. A mysterious magician makes a fluffy rabbit disappear and

reappear.

8. The performers’ shiny costumes catch the rapt audience’s eye.

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9. A loud cheer echoes through the tent as the daring trapeze
artists fly through the air.

10. All the children enjoy the salty popcorn and sweet cotton candy.
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Prepositions
A preposition is a word that tells us when or where something happens. Read the
sentences with prepositions below to draw a circus scene.

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1. The ringmaster is in the middle of the tent on top of a podium.

2. A seal is next to the ringmaster balancing a ball on its nose.

3. An acrobat is above the seal swinging on a trapeze.

4. A popcorn machine is under the tent with popcorn inside.

Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Pronouns
A pronoun is a word that can be used in place of a noun. Cut out the pronouns at the
bottom of the page and paste them under the nouns they can replace.

the bear the clowns the girl

my brother the horse

Dad
and I and rider

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they it we

she he they
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Plural Nouns
A plural noun is a word that represents more than one of something.
Cut out the words and paste them into the matching boxes.

Singular Plural

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balloons children magician people

monkey tent trainers unicycle

tickets barbell
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Synonyms
A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word.
Read the sentences. Find the synonym for the underlined word in the
word bank and write it on the line.

elegant smoothly colorful anticipation

huge amazing act rewards

The massive elephant is the star of the show.

The acrobats performed incredible stunts under the big

top.

The ringmaster’s top hat was so stylish.

The tightrope walker’s performance was breathtaking.

The clown’s costume was so vibrant and made everyone

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smile.

The audience was filled with excitement as the lion tamer

entered the ring.

The carnival games offered lots of prizes for the winners.

The trapeze artist flew gracefully into the arms of her

catcher.
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Antonyms
An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word.
For each word, come up with an antonym.

rich

soft

empty

beneath

whisper

cheerful

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brave

friend

near

quick
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Homophones
A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different
meaning. For each sentence, select the correct homophone.

1. We bought tickets to the show and quickly found ____________seats.

(hour/our)

2. The trainer brought out a ____________ of beautiful horses.

(pair/pear)

3. I was so excited to see the acrobats’ ____________ act.

(knew/new)

4. ____________ circus animal is your favorite?

(Which/Witch)

5. I would love to ____________ the ringmaster’s snazzy outfit.

(wear/where)

6. We ____________ our fill of hot dogs, peanuts, and ice cream.

(ate/eight)

7. Is this ____________ first time going to the circus?

(your/you’re)

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8. The lion is swishing its ____________.
(tail/tale)

9. The llamas seem to really enjoy _________________ treats.

(their/there/they’re)

10. Did you ____________ the performer hanging from her ____________?
(sea/see) (hair/hare)
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Articles
An article is a word that comes before a noun and tells you whether it is specific or not. Label
each picture with the correct article: a, an, or the. If the noun begins with a consonant, use
“a.” If the noun begins with a vowel, use “an.” If the noun is plural, use “the.”

peanuts donkey acrobat

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trick elephant train

trampoline artists tiger

Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Contractions
A contraction uses an apostrophe to combine two words into a smaller word.
Write a contraction for each pair of words.

I am can not you are

there is she will will not

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they are he would what is

Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Possessive Nouns
A possessive noun shows ownership. It can be singular or plural. For each phrase,
write the possessive noun.

Example: the podium of the elephant the elephant’s podium

1. the car belonging to the clowns

2. the ball that belongs to the seal

3. the performers of the circus

4. the blindfold of the tightrope walker

5. the tails of the horses

6. the hat belonging to the ringmaster

7. the unicycle that belongs to Bozo

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8. the mane of the lion

9. the peanuts belonging to Hazel

10. the tickets that belong to the children

Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Compound Words
A compound word is the new word that is formed when two words are joined together.
Write a sentence for each of the compound words in the word bank.

bedroom homework rainbow

classmate goldfish snowflake
fireplace meatballs toothbrush

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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6.

7.

8.

9.
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Ending Punctuation
A statement ends in a period. A question ends in a question mark. An exclamation ends in an
exclamation mark. Add the correct ending punctuation to each sentence.

Have you ever been to the circus before

There is a different act in each of the three rings

The magician made the audience member disappear

The rider is upside down on his horse

What circus treat would you like to eat

The tigers are so powerful and majestic

I’d like three bags of popcorn, please

Which act is your favorite

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Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word that joins two sentences together. Use the
words “and,” “or,” “but,” or “so” to join the sentences.

1. I like the elephants. I’m afraid of the lions.

2. Cole was hungry. He got some peanuts.

3. We could watch the clown show now. We could go to the sideshow

first.

4. The ringmaster introduces the acts. He serves as a guide to the

audience.

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5. Our family got front-row seats. We had a great view of everything.

6. The acrobats walk the tightrope. They do tricks on the trampoline.

Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________
Answer Key

Answer Key
Common Nouns & Proper Nouns: the horse and rider: they
Common nouns: teacher, boy, city, park, planet, my brother and I: we
toy, holiday, school, car
Table: Answers will vary. Plural Nouns:

Singular Plural
Action Verbs:
Answers will vary. magician balloons

monkey children
Adjectives:
tent people
1. The amazing circus performers jump and
tumble under the striped tent. unicycle trainers
2. A brave lion tamer enters the cage with the barbell tickets
powerful lions.
3. The silly clown with the big red nose makes Synonyms:
everyone laugh.
huge, amazing, elegant, act, colorful,
4. The talented acrobat balances on a narrow anticipation, rewards, smoothly
tightrope way up high.
5. A skilled rider does fancy tricks on her horse.
Antonyms:
6. The expert juggler throws colorful balls into
the air. Answers will vary.
7. A mysterious magician makes a fluffy rabbit
disappear and reappear. rich poor, needy

8. The performers’ shiny costumes catch the soft hard, firm

rapt audience’s eye.
empty full, crowded
9. A loud cheer echoes through the tent as the

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daring trapeze artists fly through the air. beneath over, above
10. All the children enjoy the salty popcorn and whisper shout, yell
sweet cotton candy.
cheerful gloomy, sad
Prepositions: brave cowardly, cautious
Answers will vary.
friend enemy, rival

Pronouns: near far, distant

the bear: it quick slow, lazy

the clowns: they
the girl: she
Dad: he
Name: ______________________________________________________________ Date:_____________________
Answer Key

Answer Key
Homophones: the tightrope walker’s blindfold
1. our the horses’ tails
2. pair the ringmaster’s hat
3. new Bozo’s unicycle
4. which the lion’s mane
5. wear Hazel’s peanuts
6. ate the children’s tickets
7. your
8. tail Compound Words:
9. their Answers will vary.
10. see, hair

Ending Punctuation:
Articles:
Have you ever been to the circus before?
peanuts, donkey, acrobat, trick, elephant, train,
trampoline, artists, tiger There is a different act in each of the three
rings.
The rider is upside down on his horse!
the a an
What circus treat would you like to eat?
a an a
The tigers are so powerful and majestic!
a the a I’d like three bags of popcorn, please.
Which act is your favorite?
Contractions:
I’m Conjunctions:
can’t 1. I like the elephants, but I’m afraid of the

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you’re lions.
there’s 2. Cole was hungry, so he got some peanuts.
she’ll 3. We could watch the clown show now, or
won’t we could go to the sideshow first.
they’re 4. The ringmaster introduces the acts, and
he serves as a guide to the audience.
he’d
5. Our family got front-row seats, so we had
what’s a great view of everything.
6. The acrobats walk the tightrope, and they
Possessive Nouns: do tricks on the trampoline.
the clowns’ car
the seal’s ball
the circus’s performers