A Little Help with Capitals

This handout lists some guidelines for capitalization. If you have a question about whether a specific word
should be capitalized that doesn't fit under one of these rules, try checking a dictionary to see if the word is
capitalized there.

Use capital letters in the following ways:

The first words of a sentence

When he tells a joke, he sometimes forgets the ending.

The pronoun "I"

The last time I visited Atlanta was several years ago.

Proper nouns (the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things)

Evalueserve Golden Gate Bridge Supreme Court Livingston, Missouri Atlantic Ocean

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Family relationships (when used as proper names)

I sent a thank-you note to Aunt Abigail, but not to my other aunts.

Here is a present I bought for Mother. Did you buy a present for your mother?

The names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books

God the Father the Virgin Mary the Bible the Greek gods Moses Buddha

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

The word "polytheistic" means the worship of more than one god.

Titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names

She worked as the assistant to Mayor Hanolovi.

I was able to interview Miriam Moss, mayor of Littonville.

Directions that are names (North, South, East, and West when used as sections of the country, but not
as compass directions)

The Patels have moved to the Southwest.

Jim's house is two miles north of Otterbein.

The days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays (but not the seasons used generally)

Halloween October Friday winter

Exception: Seasons are capitalized when used in a title.

The Fall 1999

The names of countries, nationalities, and specific languages

Costa Rica

Spanish

French

English

The first word in a sentence that is a direct quote

The teacher asked, “Can you answer this question?”

The major words in the titles of books, articles, and songs (but not short prepositions or the articles

"the," "a," or "an," if they are not the first word of the title)
One of Jerry's favorite books is The Catcher in the Rye.

Members of national, political, racial, social, civic, and athletic groups

African-Americans

Anti-Semitic

Democrats

Friends of the Wilderness

Chinese
Periods and events (but not century numbers)

Victorian Era

Great Depression

Constitutional Convention

sixteenth century

Trademarks

Pepsi

Honda

IBM

Words and abbreviations of specific names (but not names of things that came from specific things

but are now general types)

NBC french fries

UN italics
Exercise A: Re-write these sentences on the lines and put capital letters where they
belong.

1. the mayor of san juan, mayor ortega, decided to retire sunday, july 16.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. my friend, tom wilson, bought a new honda accord last week in san francisco.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

3. yesterday, i finished reading lord of the rings.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. the president of general motors was interviewed in the july issue of newsweek.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

5. david johnson drove his chevy blazer off the delaware memorial bridge last friday.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

6. when i opened the new york times, i read that lieutenant martin bailey had accused his commanding
officer, colonel dunlap, of selling secret information to a north korean agent.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

7. alan attended a lecture by professor c. r. klein on his treatise, "chemical properties of popular diet foods."

____________________________________________________________________________________________

8. mary yelled to her little brother, "shut the door! it's freezing in here."

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________
Punctuation is used to create sense, clarity and stress in sentences
You use punctuation marks to structure and organise your writing. The most common of these are the period
(or full stop in British English), the comma, the exclamation mark, the question mark, the colon and semi-
colon, the quote, the apostrophe, the hyphen and dash, and parentheses and brackets. Capital letters are also
used to help us organise meaning and to structure the sense of our writing.

You can quickly see why punctuation is important if you try and read this sentence which has no
punctuation at all:

perhaps you don’t always need to use commas periods colons etc to make sentences clear when i am in a
hurry tired cold lazy or angry i sometimes leave out punctuation marks grammar is stupid i can write
without it and don’t need it my uncle Harry once said he was not very clever and i never understood a word
he wrote to me i think ill learn some punctuation not too much enough to write to Uncle Harry he needs
some help

Now let's see if punctuation it makes a difference!

Perhaps you don't always need to use commas, periods, colons etc. to make sentences clear. When I am in a
hurry, tired, cold, lazy, or angry I sometimes leave out punctuation marks.

"Grammar is stupid! I can write without it and don't need it." my uncle Harry once said. He was not very
clever and I never understood a word he wrote to me. I think I'll learn some punctuation - not too much,
enough to write to Uncle Harry. He needs some help!

The 'Period', 'Full Stop' or 'Point' [.]

The period (known as a full stop in British English) is probably the simplest of the punctuation marks
to use.

You use it like a knife to cut the sentences to the required length. Generally, you can break up the sentences
using the full stop at the end of a logical and complete thought that looks and sounds right to you. Use the
full stop.

1. To mark the end of a sentence which is not a question or an exclamation.

a. Rome is the capital of Italy.

b. I was born in Australia and now live in Indonesia.
c. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

2. To indicate an abbreviation
a. I will be in between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Note: Dr and Mr and Mrs and Ms do not take a full stop nor do most abbreviations taken from the first
capital letters such as MA, Phd, CNN.

3. Special case - three dots (ellipsis)

Often you will see a sentence concluding with three dots. This indicates that only part of the sentence or text
has been quoted or that it is being left up to the reader to complete the rest of the sentence.

a. The Lord's Prayer begins, 'Our Father, which art in Heaven...'

4. Full stop after a single word

Sometimes a single word can form the sentence. In this case you place a full stop after the word as you
would in any other sentence.

a. "Goodbye."
b. "Hello."

Note: This is often the case when the subject is understood as in a greeting or a command such as "Stop."

 The Comma [,]

There are some general rules which you can apply when using the comma. However, you will find that in
English there are many other ways to use the comma to add to the meaning of a sentence or to emphasise an
item, point or meaning.

Although we are often taught that commas are used to help us add 'breathing spaces' to sentences they are,
in fact, more accurately used to organise blocks of thought or logical groupings. Most people will now use
commas to ensure that meaning is clear and, despite grammatical rules, will drop the comma if their
meaning is retained in the sentence.

A. Using the comma to separate phrases, words, or clauses in lists.

1. A series of phrases

 On my birthday I went to the cinema, ate dinner in a restaurant, and went dancing.

2. A series of nouns

 The meal consisted of soup, fish, chicken, dessert and coffee.

3. A series of adjectives

 She was young, beautiful, kind, and intelligent.

Note: if an adjective is modifying another adjective you do not separate them with a comma - e.g.
She wore a bright red shirt.

4. A series of verbs

 Tony ran towards me, fell, yelled, and fainted.

5. A series of clauses

 The car smashed into the wall, flipped onto its roof, slid along the road, and finally stopped against a
tree.

B. Using the comma to enclose insertions or comments. The comma is placed on either side of the
insertion.

 China, one of the most powerful nations on Earth, has a huge population.

C. Use the comma to mark off a participial phrase

 Hearing that her father was in hospital, Jane left work immediately.

D. Use the comma in 'tag questions'

 She lives in Paris, doesn't she?

 We haven't met, have we?

E. Use to mark off interjections like 'please', 'thank you', 'yes', and 'no'

 Yes, I will stay a little longer, thank you.

General notes:

1. Misplacing a comma can lose friends! Putting a comma in the wrong place can lead to a sentence with a
completely different meaning, look at these two examples:

 I detest liars like you, I believe that honesty is the best policy.
 I detest liars; like you, I believe that honesty is the best policy.
Exclamation Mark [!]
Use an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence to show surprise or excitement.
We won the Stanley Cup!
The forest is on fire!

Question Mark [?]

Use a question mark at the end of a sentence to show a direct question.
How many provinces are there in Canada?

Note: do not use a question mark for indirect questions.

The teacher asked the class a question. Do not ask me why.

Colon [:]
1. Use a colon to introduce a list of things.
There are three positions in hockey: goalie, defence, and forward.

2. Use a colon to introduce a long quotation.

The prime minister said: "We will fight. We will not give up. We will win the next election."

Semicolon [;]
1. Use a semicolon to join related sentences together.
The festival is very popular; people from all over the world visit each year.

2. Use a semicolon in lists that already have commas.

The three biggest cities in Canada are Toronto, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; and Vancouver, B.C.

Quotation Marks ["]

Use quotation marks to show what someone has said directly.
The prime minister said, "We will win the election."
"I can come today," she said, "but not tomorrow."
Apostrophe [']
1. Use an apostrophe to show ownership of something.
This is David's computer.
These are the player's things. (Things that belong to the player).

Note: For nouns in plural form, put the apostrophe at the end of the noun.
These are the players' things. (Things that belong to the players).

2. Use an apostrophe to show letters that have been left out of a word.
I don't know how to fix it.

Hyphen [-]
1. Use a hyphen to join two words that form one idea together.
Sweet-smelling.
Fire-resistant.

2. Use a hyphen to join prefixes to words.

Anti-Canadian.
Non-contact.

3. Use a hyphen when writing compound numbers.

One-quarter.
Twenty-three.

Dash [-]
1. Use a dash before a phrase that summarizes the idea of a sentence.
Mild, wet, and cloudy - these are the characteristics of weather in Vancouver.

2. Use a dash before and after a phrase or list that adds extra information in the middle of a sentence.
The children - Pierre, Laura, and Ashley - went to the store.
Most Canadians - but not all - voted in the last election.

3. Use a dash to show that someone has been interrupted when speaking.
The woman said, "I want to ask - " when the earthquake began to shake the room.
 Brackets and Parentheses [ ]( )
The difference between a 'bracket' and a 'parentheses' can be a bit confusing. Generally, parentheses refers
to round brackets () and brackets to square brackets []. However, we are more and more used to hearing
these referred to simply as 'round brackets' or 'square brackets'.

Usually we use square brackets - [ ] - for special purposes such as in technical manuals. Round brackets - ( )
-, or 'parentheses' are used in a similar way to commas when we want to add further explanation, an
afterthought, or comment that is to do with our main line of thought but distinct from it.

Many grammarians feel that the parentheses can, in fact, be replaced by commas in nearly all cases. For
example:

1. further explanation - The government's education report (April 2005) shows that the level of literacy is
rising in nearly all areas.
2. comment - I visited Kathmandu (which was full of tourists) on my way to the Himalayas for a trekking
expedition.
3. afterthought - You can eat almost anything while travelling in Asia if you are careful to observe simple
rules (avoiding unboiled or unbottled water is one of the main rules to be aware of).

Punctuation Exercise

Put in semicolons, colons, dashes, quotation marks, Italics (use an underline), and parentheses where ever
they are needed in the following sentences. 

1. The men in question Harold Keene Jim Peterson and Gerald Greene deserve awards.

2. Several countries participated in the airlift Italy Belgium France and Luxembourg.

3. Only one course was open to us surrender, said the ex-major, and we did.

4. Judge Carswell later to be nominated for the Supreme Court had ruled against civil rights.

5. In last week's New Yorker, one of my favorite magazines, I enjoyed reading Leland's article How Not to
Go Camping.

6. Yes, Jim said, I'll be home by ten.

7. There was only one thing to do study till dawn.

8. Montaigne wrote the following A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself.

9. The following are the primary colors red blue and yellow.
10. Arriving on the 8 10 plane were Liz Brooks my old roommate her husband and Tim their son.

11. When the teacher commented that her spelling was poor, Lynn replied All the members of my family are
poor spellers. Why not me?

12. He used the phrase you know so often that I finally said No, I don't know.

13. The automobile dealer handled three makes of cars Volkswagens Porsches and Mercedes Benz.

14. Though Phil said he would arrive on the 9 19 flight, he came instead on the 10 36 flight.

15. Whoever thought said Helen that Jack would be elected class president?

16. In baseball a show boat is a man who shows off.

17. The minister quoted Isaiah 5 21 in last Sunday's sermon.

18. There was a very interesting article entitled The New Rage for Folk Singing in last Sunday's New York
Times newspaper.

19. Whoever is elected secretary of the club Ashley or Chandra or Aisha must be prepared to do a great deal
of work, said Jumita, the previous secretary.

20. Darwin's On the Origin of Species 1859 caused a great controversy when it appeared.

Write the correct punctuation, choosing from parentheses, colons and dashes.

Minnie didn't like her name. When she was little, playmates frequently called her "Minnie Mouse."
They also called her other names "Skinnie Minnie," "Minnow," "Money," and Manny."

As she grew older, Minnie felt even more disadvantaged by her name. She felt that other women
with names like Mary or Carolyn or Elizabeth were taken much more seriously.

She also thought that her name sounded far too childish for a person with an M.B.A. degree and
ten years of experience in the business world. What she didn't realize while others did
was that her name had "staying power."

Once others learned her name at business meetings, conventions, or other professional
gatherings they didn't forget.
 Summary of Punctuation Marks
Mark Name Example(s)

Full stop (Brit)

. Period ( Amer ) I love Polish food .

I speak Polish, Russian and English.

, comma 'Evalueserve', as everyone knows, is the best place to work.

I hate swimming; my girlfriend loves it.

; semi-colon Neither of us spoke; we merely waited in silence to see what would happen.

You will need the following: some paper; a pencil; a pen, preferably blue or
black; and your coursebook.

Joanna became a director in just four months: her father was the chief
: colon shareholder.

He had something of a couldn't-care-less attitude to life.

- hyphen ** Used for word-division or word-joining

In each country – Egypt, India and China – we were able to communicate in

_  English.

dash The following day we had better luck - but that is another story.

? question mark Where is the railway station in Skwierzyna?

! exclamation mark "Help!" he cried. "I can't swim!"

/ Slash / stroke Please press your browser's Refresh/Reload button.

quotation marks
" (double quotes) "I think I'm falling in love with you," she said.

' Single quotes Bring ‘the package’ as soon as possible

 ’ apostrophe This is Simon’s car

(  ) brackets Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes) are rich in vitamin C.

The newspaper reported that the hostages [most of them French] had been
[  ] (square) brackets released.

One satisfied customer wrote: "This is the best school ... in which I have ever
studied" or in more colloquial speech "This is the best school...that I have
... ellipsis ever studied at."