Title: The Rules of Capitalization
1The Rules of Capitalization
2Capitalize the first word in a sentence.
- In Abington, the schools open before Labor Day.
- The football teams nickname is the Green Wave.
- Do you ever go to the games on Friday night?
3Capitalize 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.
4Capitalize 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.
5Practice
- 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!
6Practice
- 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.
7Capitalize 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
8Capitalize the names of people.
- Capitalize a persons first and last names John
Smith, Suzy Jones. - Capitalize a persons title when that person is
named specifically Aunt Kate, not my aunt, or
President Kennedy, not the president, Dr. Clue,
not the doctor
9Capitalize 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
10Practice
- 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.
11Capitalize 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
12Capitalize special and historical events.
- holidays Christmas Day, Easter,
- Memorial Day, Independence Day
- historical events Revolutionary War, Battle of
the Bulge, Bronze Age
13Capitalize 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
14Practice
- 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. patricks
day with my family. - We went to Maryland to celebrate St. Patricks
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.
15Capitalize names of organizations, business
firms, institutions and government bodies.
- organizations Girl Scouts, Drama Club
- business firms Gillettes, Fidelity
- institutions University of Massachusetts,
Abington Boosters - government bodies the Senate, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation
16Capitalize 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
17Capitalize 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
18Practice
- 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.
19Capitalize 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
20Capitalize 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
21No 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
22Practice
- 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.
23Help with capitalization
- For additional help with capitalization, click on
this link
http//owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/1/