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Writting skill lesson 1: Capitalization

May 28, 2008

Lesson Summary



		Today you'll learn about the fine points of capitalization. The chapter divides capitalization rules into two kinds: general rules governing capitalization and specific rules regarding proper nouns and adjectives.



		Start by seeing just how much you already know about the proper use of capital letters. On the next page you see the same passagewritten twice. The first column, called Problem, contains no capitalization at all—definitely a problem in writing! Circle those letters you think should be capitalized in the Problem column, and then check yourself against the Solution column.



		Problem



		Solution



		when I first saw the black hills on january 2, 1995, i was shocked by their beauty. we had just spent new year's day in sioux falls, south dakota, and had headed west toward our home in denver, colorado. as we traveled along interstate 90, i could see the black hills rising slightly in the distance. after driving through the badlands and stopping at wall drug in wall, south dakota, the evergreen-covered hills broke the barren monotony of the landscape. my oldest daughter said, "dad, look! there's something that's not all white." we saw mount rushmore and custer state park, the home of the largest herd of buffalo in north america. we also drove the treacherous spearfish canyon road. fortunately, our jeep cherokee had no trouble with the ice and snow on the winding road. we were unable to see needles national park because the needles highway was snowed shut. winter may not be the best time to see these sights, but we enjoyed them nonetheless.



		When I first saw the Black Hills on January 2, 1995, I was shocked by their beauty. We had just spent New Year's Day in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and had headed west toward our home in Denver, Colorado. As we traveled along Interstate 90, I could see the Black Hills rising slightly in the distance. After driving through the Badlands and stopping at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota, the evergreen-covered hills broke the barren monotony of the landscape. My oldest daughter said, "Dad, look! There's something that's not all white." We saw Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park, the home of the largest herd of buffalo in North America. We also drove the treacherous Spearfish Canyon Road. Fortunately, our Jeep Cherokee had no trouble with the ice and snow on the winding road. We were unable to see Needles National Park because the Needles Highway was snowed shut. Winter may not be the best time to see these sights, but we enjoyed them nonetheless.



		How did you do? As you progress through the lesson, try to identify the specific rules that you missed.

General Capitalization Rules



		The table below summarizes general capitalization rules. Rules having to do with specific categories of proper nouns are dealt with in the next section.



		CAPITALIZATION RULES



		Rule



		Example



		Capitalize the first word of a sentence. If the first word is a number, write it as a word.



		This is the first word of the sentence. Three of us worked the early shift.



		Capitalize the pronoun I or the contraction I'm, and the abbreviations B.C. or A.D.



		The group left when I asked them to go. The manuscript was dated 501 A.D.



		Capitalize the first word of a quotation. Do not capitalize the first word of a partial quotation.



		I said, "What's the name of your dog?" He called me "the worst excuse for a student" he had ever seen.



		Below is an example of a dialogue that illustrates the above rules. (A note about paragraphing in dialogue: Each time a speaker finishes, begin a new paragraph.)



		"Good morning," said the new supervisor as I entered the door.



		"Good morning!" I answered, somewhat surprised. "You must be Ms. Barnes. I'm Joshua Haines. It's a pleasure to meet you."



		"Tell me what you do, Joshua. I'm anxious to learn all about this operation."



		"I smiled and said, "That doesn't surprise me. I heard you were a 'sieve for information.'"



		*Practice*



		Check your ability to apply the rules above in the practice questions below. Choose the correctly capitalized option from each of the sets below. Answers to each set of questions can be found at the end of the lesson.



		1. a. the memo confused me at first. after a few readings i was able to understand it.



		b. The memo confused me at first. after a few readings I was able to understand it.



		c.The memo confused me at first. After a few readings I was able to understand it.



		2. a. "where are you going?" my coworker asked.



		"to a meeting i'm not very excited about," i answered.



		b. "Where are you going?" my coworker asked.



		"To a meeting I'm not very excited about," I answered.



		c. "Where are you going?" My coworker asked.



		"To a meeting I'm not very excited about," I answered.

3. a. we read the poem written in 1493 A.D.



		b. We read the poem written in 1493 a.d.



		c. We read the poem written in 1493 A.D.



		4. a. When you return from your trip, I want a full report of your activities.



		b. when you return from your trip, I want a full report of your activities.



		c. When you return from your trip, i want a full report of your activities.



		Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives



		All proper nouns and proper adjectives—ones that name a specific person, place or thing—must be capitalized, but remembering which nouns and adjectives are proper can be difficult. The tables below lay out the most common categories of proper nouns and adjectives. Each section begins with a table that illustrates 5–7 related rules, followed by several practice exercises.



		PROPER NOUNS, PART ONE



		Category of Proper Nouns



		Examples



		days of the week



		Friday, Saturday



		months



		January, February



		holidays



		Christmas, Halloween



		historical events, periods, documents



		Civil War (historical event), Dark Ages (historical period), Declaration of Independence (document)



		special events, calendar events



		Pebble Beach Fall Classic, Renaissance Festival, Green River Days (special events); Labor Day, Father's Day (calendar events)



		names of people and places



		John Doe, Lincoln Center, Sears Tower



		*Practice*



		Using the rules above, choose the correctly capitalized version of each of the following pairs.



		5. a. Chaucer was one of the foremost poets from the Middle ages.



		b. Chaucer was one of the foremost poets from the Middle Ages.



		6. a. The Olsons spend Labor Day and four weeks of each summer at their lakeside cottage.



		b. The Olsons spend Labor day and four weeks of each Summer at their Lakeside cottage.

7. a. We studied the declaration of independence in History class.



		b. We studied the Declaration of Independence in history class.



		8. a. Judy has two Uncles who fought in world war II.



		b. Judy has two uncles who fought in World War II.



		PROPER NOUNS, PART TWO



		Category of Proper Nouns



		Examples



		names of structures and buildings



		Washington Memorial, Emprie State Building



		names of trains, ships, aircraft, and other modes of transportation



		Queen Elizabeth, Discovery, Sioux Lines, TransWorld Airlines



		names of products



		Corn King hams, Dodge Intrepid



		names of officials



		Mayor Daley, President Clinton



		works of art and literature



		Black Elk Speaks (book), ''Mending Wall" (poem), Mona Lisa (painting)



		ethnic groups, races, languages, nationalities



		Asian-American Caucasian, French, Indian



		*Practice*



		Choose the correctly capitalized version of each of the following pairs.



		9. a. I enjoyed spoon river anthology by Edgar Lee Masters.



		b. I enjoyed Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters.



		10. a. We caught a Vanguard Airlines flight to Orlando.



		b. We caught a Vanguard airlines flight to Orlando.



		11. a. The Talmud is a guide to the teachings of judaism.



		b. The Talmud is a guide to the teachings of Judaism.



		12. a. Paul has an editing job with Meredith publishing.



		b. Paul has an Editing job with Meredith Publishing.



		13. a. The university of iowa has an outstanding Law School.



		b. The University of Iowa has an outstanding law school.



		14. a. Dr. Gallagher researched her book at the Library of Congress.



		b. Dr. Gallagher researched her book at the Library of congress.

Page 16



		PROPER NOUNS, PART THREE



		Category of Proper Nouns



		Examples



		cities, states, and governmental units



		Des Moines, lowa; Barrow, Alaska; Republic of South Africa



		streets, highways, and roads



		Grand Avenue, Interstate 29, Deadwood Road



		landmarks and geographical locations



		Continental Divide, Grand Canyon



		public areas and bodies of water



		Superior Forest, Missouri River



		institutions, organizations, and businesses



		Dartmouth College, Lions, Club, Dodge Trucks



		*Practice*



		Choose the correctly capitalized version of each of the following pairs.



		15. a. In Switzerland, some citizens speak French, and others speak German.



		b. In switzerland, some citizens speak french, and others speak german.



		16. a. Near a body of water called firth and forth, you can see Edinburgh, Scotland.



		b. Near a body of water called Firth and Forth, you can see Edinburgh, Scotland.



		17. a. We drove along the Mississippi river to New Orleans.



		b. We drove along the Mississippi River to New Orleans.



		18. a. Mount Everest, which is in the middle of the Himalayan Range, is the highest mountain in the world.



		b. Mount Everest, which is in the middle of the Himalayan Range, is the highest mountain in the World.



		19. a. I have traveled on the Garden state Parkway, a main highway in New Jersey.



		b. I have traveled on the Garden State Parkway, a main highway in New Jersey.



		*Proper Adjectives*



		Proper adjectives are adjectives—that is, words that modify nouns—formed from a proper noun, often the name of a place. For instance, the proper noun Canada becomes the proper adjective Canadian when it modifies another noun, as in Canadian bacon. Note that the noun is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun in its own right.



		Examples:



		English muffin, Polish sausage, Japanese yen



		*Practice*



		Choose the correctly capitalized version of each of the following pairs.



		20. a. Some residents of ireland still speak the Gaelic Language.

writting, skill



		b. Some residents of Ireland still speak the Gaelic language.

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