CAPITALIZATION

Assignment

Submitted to:
Ma’am Amna Chishti
submitted By:
Hamza Younas 19241
Hasnat Islam 19242
Semester:
BBA1st (Eve)(B)

DECEMBER 18, 2018

G.C UNIVERSITY FAISALABAD

 Capitalization in English grammar is the use of capital letter at the head of a
word.

There are many rules you must follow when writing in the
English language. These rules generally fall under the category of
grammar. One of the most important concepts in grammar deals with
capitalization.

When you first learn the alphabet, you learn the lowercase form of each
letter, as well as the capital form. Capitalization, then, is using the capital
form of the first letter in a word, while all the other letters in the word
remain lowercase.

All the rules in standard grammar serve some sort of purpose

that always relates to conveying a clear meaning. Capitalization's purpose
is to help show the reader the importance of different words. For example,
let's look at how capitalization can show importance with some nouns.
Remember, a noun is a person, place or thing.

Look at these two phrases: 'The White House' and 'the white house.'
Because the first phrase is capitalized, you as the reader know it is more
important. Capitalized, it refers to the house the President of the United
States lives in; lowercase, it refers to any house that is white. In this
example, you can see how capitalization shows the reader the clear
meaning of the words. Now that you know what capitalization is and its
purpose, let's look at the rules for capitalization.

pg. 1
  Capitalization Rules:

1. The first word of a sentence

Ex. Start a sentence with a capital letter.

2. proper nouns

 names of relatives (to indicate family relationship) when used with name

Ex. I received a gift from Uncle Ali, but not from other uncle.

 names of relatives when used as proper name

Ex. She spoke to Mother about the bill, but not to her father.

 titles

A. preceding a name

Ex. Over 2,000 people attended the rally for Governor Hamza.

B. when used in direct address

Ex. We appreciate your hard work Governor.

 ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR TITLES

Capitalize very high ranking government officials' titles even when not followed by a name or used in
direct address when a specific individual is referred to.

Ex. The President of the Pakistan walked into the room.

If no specific individual is referred to, do not capitalize titles of even very high ranking government
officials.

Ex. Pakistanis know that a president must be 45 year old to run for the office.

pg. 2
3. major words in titles of books, articles, and song
Ex. Have you read Harry Potter.

EXCEPTION - Do not capitalize short prepositions, conjunctions, or articles unless they are the first word
of the title

Ex. Of Mice and Men, In the Name of the King, My Heart will go on

4. names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books.

Ex. Allah, Jesus, Muhammad, the Quran, the Bible

EXCEPTION - Do not capitalize the non-specific use of the word "god."

Ex. The Greeks believed in many gods.

5. directions that are names, such as North, South, East, and West when used as sections of the country

Ex. The Imran have moved to the Southwest.

EXCEPTION - Do not capitalize directions when used as compass directions.

Ex. Hasnat lives two miles south of the railroad station.

6. days of the week, months of the year, and holidays

Ex. Friday October Halloween

7. seasons, when used in a title.

Ex. Ali tool a course in chemistry during the Spring 2018 semester.

EXCEPTION - Do not capitalize the names of seasons if they are used generally.

Ex. Next summer we will take a trip.

8. countries, nationalities, and specific languages

Ex. Pakistan Pakistani Urdu English Japan

pg. 3
9. periods and events

Ex. Iron Age, Pala Empire, Atomic Age, Cold War

EXCEPTION - Do not capitalize century numbers

Ex. twenty-first-century

10. names of national, political, racial, social, civic, and athletic groups

Ex. Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, the Parliament

11. trademarks

Ex. Pepsi Apple(computer) (but not for “iphone”) Sony Toyota

12. the first word in a sentence that is a direct quote, even if the direct quote comes in the middle of a
sentence

Ex. The student asked, “May we turn our papers late?”

13. The first word in each line of most poetry

Ex.

There are no happy endings.

Endings are the saddest part,
So just give me a happy middle
And a very happy start.

14. the single-letter word, first person pronoun I.

Ex. I cannot wait to open the presents I receive.

15. initials, and acronyms

DVD FBR ISPR

18. names of the planets

Ex. Mars Jupite

pg. 4
Category Example Notes
Eleanor Roosevelt
Particular people
Confucius
United Nations
Organizations Yellowstone National
Park
Calendar names:
Monday, Tuesday
· Days of the week
January, March
· Months of the year
Martin Luther King Day
· Holidays
winter, spring, summer
· NOT seasons
Bay of Biscay
Nile River
Geographical names
New York State
Boston
Empire State Building
Building names
Sears Tower
Often regions which
Maine is in the Northeast should be
Directions which refer to a
Drive northeast on the old capitalized are preceded
region, not a way to go
highway. by
“the.”
Group names
Republicans
· Political parties
Presbyterians
· Religious sects
Nigeria
· Nations
Bulgarian
· Ethnic origin groups
The "little words,” like “of”
Government body and the Senate
are
department names Department of Education
not capitalized
Historic names
American Revolution
· Events
Age of Innocence
· Periods
Magna Carta
· Documents
Titles Captain Hook
· Titles before proper President of the United
names States
· High government titles Bachelor of Arts degree

pg. 5
without names a group of
· College degrees representatives
· NOT most titles without
names
Words of family
relationship
Family names are not
· Family names when
capitalized after
used as
possessive
specific person’s name The cake belongs to Dad.
pronouns.
· Relationship names My Uncle Bill is a fireman.
For example: My mom
when Her aunt works at the
told me
used before a proper elementary school
to ask my dad if he
name
wanted to
· NOT relationship names
go out to eat.
not
naming a person

Solar system names

· Planets Mars, Venus, Pluto
· Stars North Star
· Satellites Telstar
· usually Not sun and
moon
Notice that the name, not
Buick car
Trade names the
Sony television
item is capitalized
School subjects
· Language course
French, Latin II
· Specific course
History I
· Words in a course that
American history
need
geography, science
to be capitalized
· NOT general courses

pg. 6
 Note that prepositions
Titles Pride and Prejudice and
· Books “The Vietnam War” articles are NOT
· Articles “Ode to a Grecian Urn” capitalized.
· Poems Arsenic and Old Lace See Quotations and
· Plays The New York Times Underlining
· Newspapers “Dharma and Greg” for rules about what to
· Television shows “The Garrison Keiller underline
· Radio programs Show” or surround with
quotations

Other capitalization rules:

The Mississippi River

empties Note: “Give” begins with a
into the Gulf of Mexico. capital letter because it
“Give me liberty,” said begins a
Capitalize first words:
Patrick quotation. The second
· The first word of a
Henry, “or give me part of
sentence
death.” the quotation is not
· A quoted sentence
Alone and warming his capitalized
· A line of poetry or verse
five wits, because it does not begin
The white owl in the belfry the
sits. quote or a new sentence.
-Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Dear Mr. Watson,
Letters My dear Mrs.
· Salutations Washington,
· Closings Yours,
Very truly yours,
The winner is I.
I, O
O, the day has begun!
I. Dinosaurs
Outlines A. Brontosaurus
1. Food

pg. 7