Using Capital Letters

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Using Capital Letters
? Les Hanson 2002
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Overview

• This presentation reviews the rules you (should)
  already know as well as some of the tricky
  aspects of capitalization
• It deals with the following topics

• Titles
• Names

• Sentences
• Lists

• In general, specific names require capitals
• Lake Superior, Fred, Great Depression
• General names do not require capitals
• the prairies, my uncle, a recession

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Sentences

• Capitalize the first word of a sentence
• And the first word of a quoted sentence
• She said, You are stupid.
• Dont capitalize the second part of a fragmented
  quotation
• You are stupid, she said, and your mother
  dresses you funny.
• Dont capitalize partial quotes
• He talked of the plausible deniability of the
  scheme.

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Lists

• Capitalize sentences that follow a colon
• Remember this Grammar is boring.
• Capitalize the first word of each item in a
  vertical list
• These punctuation marks are confusing
• Colons
• Semicolons
• Dashes
• Dont capitalize words in horizontal lists
• Language is made up of numerous parts of speech
  nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

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Titles of books, articles, and songs

• Capitalize the first, last, and all important
  words in a title
• Dont capitalize short articles, prepositions,
  and conjunctions
• As You Like It
• The Merry Wives of Windsor
• Loves Labours Lost
• Taming of the Shrew
• The Merchant of Venice

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Names and Titles

• Capitalize the specific names of people, places,
  and institutions
• Stockwell Day, Alberta, Canadian Alliance
• But not general references
• party leader, communist, fascist, right
  wing
• Capitalize titles that precede names
• Prime Minister Chretien, Aunt Polly
• But not when used alone, or after names
• The minister was demoted to the back benches
• Bill, my uncle, sat beside Gary Doer, premier of
  Manitoba

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Names of Groups

• Capitalize races, religions, and languages
• Bosnian, Buddhism, French, Cree
• Do not capitalize general references
• aboriginal, white, black, fundamentalist
• Some words vary according to usage
• A native speaker of English
• A Native from the Yukon (used as a substitute for
  Indian
• Australian Aborigines have certain aboriginal
  rights

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Product Names

• Capitalize brand names and trademarks
• Coke, Kleenix, Roller Blades, Popsicle
• Do not capitalize generic product names
• cola, tissues, inline skates, flavoured ice
• Capitalize words derived from proper nouns
• Freudian slip, Swiss cheese, English muffin
• Eventually such words lose their capitals
• pasteurize, french fry, panama hat, scotch

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Dates and Directions

• Capitalize days of the week, months, holidays
• Monday, June, Thanksgiving
• But not seasons
• summer, fall, winter
• Dont capitalize directions
• I drove north for two blocks
• Unless it refers to a specific location
• Fighting broke out in the Middle East
• Winter roads are common in the North

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Course Names

• Capitalize specific names of courses
• History 101, Intermediate Basket-weaving, a
  Bachelor of Arts degree
• But not general references to courses
• geography, communication, accounting
• He is studying engineering

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Interactive Exercise

• Click on the buttons below or key in the links to
  do interactive exercises on capitalization (and
  to receive a dose of Winnipeg trivia)
• http//xnet.rrc.mb.ca/leshanson/Hot_Potato/Capital
  ization_1.htm
• http//xnet.rrc.mb.ca/leshanson/Hot_Potato/Capital
  ization_2.htm

Capitalization 1
Capitalization 2