Capitalization and Punctuation

Chapter 13, pg 216

Why?Writers use capital letters and punctuation marks to help the reader better understand what is written.

1st word of every sentence

All sentences begin with capital letters.

We enjoyed reading the book.

Those girls finished cleaning the counter.

Specific things/places (proper nouns)

Proper nouns begin with capital letters.

Mrs. Clark asked if Amy would help.

Uncle Rob took us to Texas.

Capital LettersThe pronoun I is always capitalized.

I don’t need your help.

My aunt and I picked up the papers.

Capital LettersA capital letter begins the first,

last, and any important word in the title of a book, magazine, song, movie, poem, or other work.

Read the last chapter of Tom Sawyer.

She saw Snow White when she was five years old.

To capitalize or not to capitalize

Do! Days of the week, months

of the year, holidays Language, nationalities,

races, religions, deities, sacred terms

Titles: the first word and every important term

First words of direct quotes Historical events, periods Brand names

Don’t Seasons Common nouns that

refer to religious places like “church”

Titles: do not capitalize articles (the), prepositions (of, under, OVER), or short connecting words (or, and)

Directions (north, south, east and west- unless used in a place name)

Practice, exercise 2 pg 219

1. Every tuesday, the general visits the hospital.

2. On one level, the book the lord of the rings can be read as a fairy tale: on another level, the book can be read as a christian allegory.

3. The golden gate bridge in san francisco may be the most beautiful bridge in the world.

4. She is the sister of my french teacher.

Tuesday, the general visits the hospital.

The Lord of the Rings

Christian allegory.

Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco may

French teacher.

Punctuation: Period

A complete sentence that sentence that makes a statement makes a statement ends with a period.

It’s your birthday.. You blow out the candle..

Punctuation: Comma

separate three or more items in a list or a phrase.

He was silent, lonely, and afraid. Or

He was silent, lonely and afraid.

Punctuation: Commaseparates items in an address or date.

Miami, Florida

January 6, 2003

Punctuation: CommaSet off number of adjectives that modify a noun

My favorite, old, green coat.

Punctuation: CommaTo combine two simple sentences, use the comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS)

The house was on fire, but I was determined not to leave.

Punctuation: CommaFollow introductory words,

expressions:In the beginning, I never thought I would.

Surrounding word/phrase when the idea interrupts. Dave, who is a doctor, said to!

Punctuation: CommaIn numbers of one thousand+

1,001Set off exact words in a dialog

“I won’t,” he insisted, “do this!”When you need a short pause

To John, Russel is the best!

Punctuation: Apostrophe To form possessive

The teacher’s penTo form plurals (prevent confusion)

he writes a’s and o’sWhen one+ letters omitted

Can’t, shouldn’t, She’ll

Punctuation: Quotation MarksQuotation marks are used

to identify the exact words of a speaker .

President Bush said, “We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”

Punctuation: Quotation MarksQuotes or Material copied

word-for-word from a source

Titles of short stories, one-act plays, poems, articles, songs, essays, chapters of books

When terms are referred to in a special way.

Punctuation: Semi-Colon

To join 2 independent clauses He decided to use the map; she decided to ask.

In front of adverbial conjunction to join 2 sentences He decided to use a map; however, she decided to ask.

In a series of items when the items themselves have commas! I had lunch with Linda, my best friend; Mrs. Armstrong,

my English teacher; and Jan, my sister-in-law.

Punctuation: ColonBefore a list of items

Please order: five dozen pencils, twenty rulers, five tacks.

In the salutation of business letterTo whom it may concern:

Indicating time1:15pm

Between title and subtitle of a bookIn Plain English Please: A Rhetoric