Transcript The Rules of Capitalization

The Rules of Capitalization
Capitalize the first word in a
sentence.
• In Abington, the schools open before
Labor Day.
• The football team’s nickname is the Green
Wave.
• Do you ever go to the games on Friday
night?
Capitalize the first word in a direct
quote.
• He said, “The concert will begin soon.”
• "Look out!" she screamed. "You almost
ran into my child."
• “Always be quiet when in a library”, the
teacher instructed.
Capitalize the pronoun I.
• This week I have to write two papers and
give a book report.
• I just started reading a new book.
• My friends and I love to text one another.
Practice
• In each practice slide there are examples
of capitalization based on the previous
slides. Write the sentence with the correct
capitalization. Beneath the practice
sentence is the corrected version. See
how well you can do!
Practice
1. after the game, the team celebrated.
After the game, the team celebrated.
2. “you should be proud of your
performance, “ said the drama coach.
“You should be proud of your
performance, “ said the dram coach.
3. when i am finished with my homework, i
am planning to read a book.
When I am finished with my homework I
am planning to read a book.
Capitalize proper nouns.
• A proper noun names a particular person
place or thing – Frolio Middle School.
• A common noun names a kind or type of
person place or thing. Common nouns are
not capitalized – middle school.
• United States – country
• Golden Gate Bridge – bridge
• Abington High School - high school
Capitalize the names of people.
• Capitalize a person’s first and last names
– John Smith, Suzy Jones.
• Capitalize a person’s title when that
person is named specifically – Aunt Kate,
not my aunt, or President Kennedy, not
the president, Dr. Clue, not the doctor
Capitalize geographic names.
• Capitalize places only if they are written as
proper nouns.
• Miami, Boston, New York City – cities
• Abington, Rockland, Whitman – towns
• Massachusetts, Oregon, Florida – states
• United States, Canada, Iraq - countries
• Mississippi River, Charles River - rivers
Practice
4. my sister attends the university of
massachusetts in amherst.
My sister attends the University of
Massachusetts in Amherst.
5. your teacher, mr. smith, is my uncle jim.
Your teacher, Mr. Smith, is my Uncle Jim.
6. my family traveled from abington,
massachusetts to abington, virginia by car.
My family traveled from Abington,
Massachusetts to Abington, Virginia by car.
Capitalize geographic (cont.)
• bodies of water – Atlantic Ocean Lake
Michigan, Caribbean Sea, Chesapeake
Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Island Grove
• streets and highways – Washington St.,
Park Ave., Route 66
• sections of the country – the Northeast,
the West
Capitalize special and historical
events.
• holidays – Christmas Day, Easter,
Memorial Day, Independence Day
• historical events – Revolutionary War,
Battle of the Bulge, Bronze Age
Capitalize the names of
nationalities, languages, races and
religions.
• nationalities – English, Canadian,
Mexican, Iroquois, American
• languages – English, Spanish, Chinese
• races – Caucasian, Asian, African
• religions – Christian, Catholic, Protestant,
Jewish, Muslim, Islam, Mormon, Baptist,
Hindu, Buddhist
Practice
7.to get to the chesapeake bay, we followed route
195.
To get to the Chesapeake Bay, we followed
Route 195.
8. we went to maryland to celebrate st. patrick’s
day with my family.
We went to Maryland to celebrate St. Patrick’s
Day with my family.
9. i am studying spanish and buddhism to be more
culturally diverse.
I am studying Spanish and Buddhism to be
more culturally diverse.
Capitalize names of organizations,
business firms, institutions and
government bodies.
• organizations – Girl Scouts, Drama Club
• business firms – Gillette’s, Fidelity
• institutions – University of Massachusetts,
Abington Boosters
• government bodies – the Senate, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Capitalize the brand names of
business products.
• Dial soap, General Electric stove, Pepsi
Cola bottle, Toyota Prius
• Notice only the name, not the object is
capitalized
Capitalize the names of ships,
planets, monuments.
• ships – the Mayflower, the Queen Mary
• planets - Mars, Earth, Jupiter
• monuments – Bunker Hill Memorial,
Washington Monument, Eiffel Tower
• awards – Junior Achievement Award,
Heisman Trophy, World Cup
Practice
10.i have been a member of the boy scouts
for twelve years.
I have been a member of the Boy Scouts
for twelve years.
11. my first car was a ford mustang.
My first car was a Ford Mustang.
12. every hockey fan in boston hopes the
bruins win the stanley cup.
Every hockey fan in Boston hopes the
Bruins win the Stanley Cup.
Capitalize words referring to the
Deity (God).
• God, the Creator, the Almighty, Allah,
Jehovah, Jesus, Holy Ghost, Buddha
• The word gods is not capitalized when it
refers to the gods of ancient mythology –
the gods of ancient Greece
Capitalize the first word and all
important words in a title.
• books – Mystery of the Cupboard, Letters
from Rifka, A Part of the Sky
• movies – School of Rock, Pirates of the
Caribbean, Night at the Museum
• music – Star Spangled Banner, Sweet
Caroline, Rhapsody in Blue
No capitalization needed
• names of the seasons – summer, fall,
winter, spring
• directions – north, south, east west
• names of school subject – history, math,
science –EXCEPT …
• languages and names with a number –
English, Spanish, History 101
Practice
13. some americans believe in god while others
worship buddha.
Some Americans believe in God while others
worship Buddha.
14. my family went to the cameo theater to see
“despicable me”.
My family went to the Cameo Theater to see
“Despicable Me”.
15. next year, my classes include history and
spanish.
Next year, my classes include history and
Spanish.
Help with capitalization
• For additional help with capitalization, click
on this link:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/1/