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Lesson 11 Capitalization

This document outlines the rules for capitalization in written English, emphasizing the importance of capital letters in signaling the start of sentences and highlighting specific words. Key rules include capitalizing the first word of a sentence, proper nouns, titles, days of the week, and names of religions, while providing exceptions for certain terms. The document serves as a guide for students to understand and apply capitalization rules effectively in their writing.

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4 views3 pages

Lesson 11 Capitalization

This document outlines the rules for capitalization in written English, emphasizing the importance of capital letters in signaling the start of sentences and highlighting specific words. Key rules include capitalizing the first word of a sentence, proper nouns, titles, days of the week, and names of religions, while providing exceptions for certain terms. The document serves as a guide for students to understand and apply capitalization rules effectively in their writing.

Uploaded by

islam.mzed.14
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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‫قسم اللغة اإلنجليزية‬ 1st Year PEM/PES ‫المدرســــة العلــــيا لألساتـــذة طالب‬

Department of English ‫عبد الرحمان باألغــــــواط‬


2021/2020 Higher College of Teachers
Written Expression

Capitalization

Our system of capital and lowercase letters allows writers to point out specific words
within a sentence and to signal the start of a new sentence. The rules may seem arbitrary, but
you’ll soon discover that they function much as traffic signals to help travelers negotiate the
highways of written language. This lesson explains the rules that govern the accepted use of
capital letters.

1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence. For example:


Everyone likes the new exhibit at the museum.
2. Capitalize the word I, either alone or in a contraction. Examples : Do I get to go? I
said that I'm here.

3. Capitalize the words in a title, except for prepositions and articles unless they are
the first word in the title. For example:
I’ve always wanted to read The Wind in the Willows.
4. Capitalize proper nouns:

 Specific persons and things: George W. Bush, the White House, General
Motors Corporation.
 Specific geographical locations: Hartford, Connecticut, Africa, Forest Park
Zoo, Lake Erie, the Northeast, the Southend.

However, we do not capitalize compass directions or locations that aren't being


used as names: the north side of the city;

we're leaving the Northwest and heading south this winter.

When we combine proper nouns, we capitalize attributive words when they


precede place-names, as in Lakes Erie and Ontario, but the opposite happens when the
order is reversed: the Appalachian and Adirondack mountains. When a term is used

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descriptively, as opposed to being an actual part of a proper noun, do not capitalize it,
as in "The California deserts do not get as hot as the Sahara Desert."

 Names of celestial bodies: Mars, Saturn, the Milky Way.

Do not, howver, capitalize earth, moon, sun, except when those names appear in a
context in which other (capitalized) celestial bodies are mentioned. "I like it here on
earth," but "It is further from Earth to Mars than it is from Mercury to the Sun.

 Names of newspapers and journals. Do not, however, capitalize the word the,
even when it is part of the newspaper's title: the Hartford Courant.
 Days of the week, months, holidays.

Do not, however, capitalize the names of seasons (spring, summer, fall, autumn,
winter). "Next winter, we're traveling south; by spring, we'll be back up north."

 Historical events: World War I, the Renaissance, the Crusades.


 Races, nationalities, languages: Swedes, Swedish, African American, Jewish,
French, Native American. (Most writers do not capitalize whites, blacks.)
 Names of religions and religious terms: God, Christ, Allah, Buddha,
Christianity, Christians, Judaism, Jews, Islam, Muslims.
 Names of courses: Economics, Biology 101. (However, we would write: "I'm
taking courses in biology and earth science this summer.")
 Brand names: Tide, Maytag, Chevrolet.
 Names of relationships only when they are a part of or a substitute for a
person's name. (Often this means that when there is a modifier, such as a
possessive pronoun, in front of such a word, we do not capitalize it.)

Let's go visit Grandmother today. Let's go visit my grandmother today.

I remember Uncle Arthur. I remember my Uncle Arthur. My uncle is


unforgettable.

This also means that we don't normally capitalize the name of a "vocative" or term of
endearment:

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 Can you get the paper for me, hon?
 Drop the gun, sweetie. I didn't mean it.

5. Capitalize titles of address, like “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “Jr.” and “Dr.”, and place modifiers
like “St.” and “Ave.” For example:

When my brother got sick, my mother took him to see Dr. Green

6. Capitalize the first word and all nouns in the salutation of a letter. Example: My
dear Mary, Capitalize only the first word of the complimentary close. Example: Yours
truly,

7. Capitalize the first word in every complete line of poetry.

8. Capitalize the first word of every direct quotation. Example: He asked, "Can this
wait until tomorrow?"

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