Skill Focus: E1.18(A) use conventions of capitalization STAAR/EOC Readiness Standard

Writing Coach pages 546-550

Capitalization in Sentences

RULE 1: Capitalize the first word in all sentences.

Examples:My sister visited London last

summer.Did she see Buckingham

Palace?

RULE 2: Capitalize the first word in interjections and incomplete questions.

Examples:Wow! That’s wonderful news!

Where? What time?

Rule 3: Always capitalize the personal pronoun I.

Examples:I won the bicycle race!

Where should I ride this weekend?

Rule 4: Capitalize the first word after a colon ONLY if the word begins a complete sentence. Do NOT capitalize the word if it begins a list of words or phrases.

Examples:The hiker repeated his message: He was

lost.The campers packed the following items:

backpacks, tents, and blankets.

Rule 5: Capitalize the first word in each line of traditional poetry, even if the line does not start a new sentence.

Examples: My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky… --William Wordsworth “My Heart Leaps Up”

Rule 6: Capitalize the first word in a direct quotation. However, do NOT capitalize the first word of a continuing quotation that has been interrupted or is incomplete.

Examples:“The gorilla has escaped!”someone

exclaimed.“Should I,” asked the zookeeper, “follow

this trail of banana peels?”Park officials reported that the animal

was “caught in the gift shop.”

Skill Focus: E1.18(A) use conventions of capitalization STAAR/EOC Readiness Standard

Writing Coach pages 551-558

Capitalization with Proper Nouns

RULE 1: Capitalize the specific name of any person, place, or thing (proper nouns).

Examples: Jill, my sister who lives in Austin,

read Alice in Wonderland at the library before she saw the movie.

RULE 2: Capitalize each part of a person’s name even when the full name is not used.

Examples: My favorite authors include Ray

Bradbury, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Rule 3: Capitalize names found on maps and place names (streets, countries, lakes, buildings, schools, etc.)

Examples:We turned west on Gandy Street and

arrived at the Forth Worth Museum of Science and History.

• Words indicating direction are capitalized only when they refer to a section or region of the country.

Examples: The North fought against the South

during the Civil War.

Union soldiers marched south across the battlefield.

• Capitalize names of celestial bodies (planets, etc.) except for moon and sun.

Examples: We watched the moon pass between

the sun and Earth during the eclipse.

• Do NOT capitalize words such as park, hotel, or building unless the word is part of the proper name.

Examples: We walked to the Golden Palms Hotel

from a park near the beach.

Rule 4: Capitalize major historical events, time periods, and documents as well as dates and holidays.

Examples:Memorial Day was instituted at the end of

World War I to honor fallen soldiers.

* Capitalize days of the week and months of the year, but do NOT capitalize the names of seasons.

Examples: The first Monday in September is the next

holiday after our summer vacation.

RULE 5: Capitalize names of organizations, governmental bodies, political parties, races, nationalities, languages, and religions.

Examples: A group of Israeli exchange students

sponsored by the Knights of Columbus attended a lecture on Judaism.

Rule 6: Capitalize the names of awards, specific types of airplanes, boats, and spacecraft, and brand names.

Examples: An astronaut received the Medal of

Space Exploration for discovering a giant Converse shoeprint after piloting a Luna V spacecraft to the moon.

Rule 7: Capitalize most proper adjectives.

Examples:Although I craved Italian food, my family ate

at a Chinese restaurant.

RULE 8: Capitalize a brand name when it is used as an adjective, but do not capitalize the common noun it modifies.

Examples: I bought Levis jeans and a

Timex watch at the local mall.

Rule 9: Do NOT capitalize a common noun used with two proper adjectives.

Examples: My house is on Evergreen Street, but I

used to live on the corner of Niven and Card streets.

Rule 10: Do NOT capitalize prefixes attached to proper adjectives unless the prefix refers to a nationality. In a hyphenated adjective, capitalize only the proper adjective.

Example: Many Spanish-speaking citizens live in

all-American communities.

Skill Focus: E1.18(A) use conventions of capitalization STAAR/EOC Readiness Standard

Writing Coach pages 559-564

Other Uses of Capitals

RULE 1: Capitalize the first word and all nouns in letter openings (salutations) and the first word in letter closings.

Examples:Dear Steve, My dear Sister,Sincerely yours,Best regards,

RULE 2: Capitalize a person’s title only when it is used with the person’s name or when it is used as a proper name by itself.

Examples: “How is Grandma feeling?”

my mom asked Dr. Wilson.

Rule 3:Capitalize certain honorary titles held by government officials as a sign of respect.

Examples: The First Lady gave a speech at our

library!

Rule 4: When referring to relatives, only capitalize when the title is used with or in place of the person’s actual name.

Example: Uncle Leo only gives my brother a dollar

for his birthday, a fact which upsets Mother.

RULE 5: Do NOT capitalize titles showing family relationships when they have a word that shows ownership in front of them.

Examples: My aunt married Jeff’s father

while Grandma cried her eyes out.

Rule 6: Capitalize the first word and all other important words in titles of books, movies, songs, etc.

Example: Willow listened to “The Blitzkrieg Bop”

by the Ramones while reading Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Rule 7: Capitalize titles of classes only if they are language courses, are followed by a number, or are used with an adjective.

Examples: Although I enjoyed Spanish last year, my

favorite classes were probably History II, Honors Physics, and math.