WRITING CENTER "INFORMATION PICK-UP" (S.S.C.C.)
CAPITALIZATION RULES (UPPER AND LOWER CASE):
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z
• WHAT ARE THE CAPITALIZATION RULES?
• HOW CAN STUDENTS EDIT FOR COMMA MISTAKES?
• WHAT ARE THE CAPITALIZATION RULES?
1. The first letter of every sentence should be capitalized.
Go to the store, and buy a quart of milk.
If you like spine-tingling adventure, you must watch Star Wars.
Where did you leave the shampoo?
After the wolf ate the grandmother, it lay in wait for Little Red Riding Hood.
"Help me!" yelled the clerk.
"Oh!"
2. All proper nouns or names have to be capitalized. These include people's names, country's names, companies' names, language names, course names, religions, and others. All main words of a title need to be capitalized as well (the smaller words such as articles and prepositions usually aren't capitalized--unless they fall at the beginning of the title).
Titles used with people's names also must be capitalized, such as "Mr.", "Ms.", "Dr.", "Prof.", and others.
Jeanette prefers to work in Dar Es Salaam than anywhere else in the world.
Children enjoy C.S. Lewis's Narnia series, beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Dr. Coleman tends to be well-known and well-loved for his empathy with patients.
Boeing Company has a special fund set aside for non-profit community agencies and scholarships--to benefit the community.
Robert speaks Chinese, Spanish and English fluently.
The hottest movie right now is To Live.
Franklin had planned to attend American University.
The unit on Egypt dealt with the Nile River delta and the peoples who settled there.
3. All initials need to be capitalized.
H.G. Wells was famous for his view of the apocalyptic future.
Jocelyn M. Steer and Karen A. Carlisi's The Advanced Grammar Book reads well and informatively.
The U.S. of A. provides a haven for many.
4. Months and days should be capitalized. Holidays should also be capitalized. (Seasons are not capitalized.)
August 4 is my birthday.
Easter is just around the corner.
Christmas, which falls on December 25 every year, is widely celebrated.
5. The pronoun "I" also always needs to be capitalized.
May I borrow your ruler for just a minute?
I am unaware of the new law about speeding, officer.
The child said, "I am very very happy!"
George and I plan to retire in a few months.
• HOW CAN A STUDENT EDIT FOR CAPITALIZATION ERRORS?
Read through your writing. Scan for any names, first letters of sentences, initials, first-person pronouns "I", and anything else that might need to be capitalized. Correct these. Make sure, too, that every capitalized letter has at least one of the above reasons.
(Revised 1998)