Capitalization
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Transcript of Capitalization
UNIVERSITY OF THE SACRED HEART
CENTER FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES
LAD
Brief Guidelines for Capitalization
Capital Letters
In writing, capital letters are used at the beginning of a sentence and for a proper noun.
A capital letter is used at the beginning of:
A sentence, or a word or phrase that stands alone
A direct quotation
Proper nouns, that is, names of particular persons, places, or things
People’s titles
Words for religions and their adjectives
The first word and all the important words in the title of books, movies, television programs, etc.
Languages
Centers and institutes
Are the stores closed today?
The stores are closed
today.
Perhaps.
Yes.
Examples of a sentence, a word or a
phrase that stands alone
Example of a direct quotation
She whispered, “Can you hear me?” He answered, “Of course.”
If a quotation is part of the structure of a sentence, it begins with a small case letter.
She said she was “very pleased” to be invited.
If a quoted sentence is interrupted, the second part begins with a small letter:
“When the pie is done,” he said, “let it cool on the table.”
Examples of proper nouns
Particular persons
Ricky Martin
Particular place
Puerto Rico
Particular idea
Scientology
Other examples of proper nouns
Nationalities
• Germans
• Mexicans
Organizations
• US Army
• National Basketball Association
Names of days and months
• Tuesday
• July
Examples of people’s titles
• Mr. Rivera
• President Obama
• Dr. Maldonado
• Uncle Joe
Examples of religions and their
adjectives
She is
Catholic.
The history
of Judaism
Islamic law
•When do we capitalize the word god?
It is capitalized when it refers to the deity:
In God we trust.
It is not capitalized when it refers to the gods of ancient
mythology or when it is used as a descriptor:
The god Apollo is often shown playing the lyre.
Examples of titles, movies, and
television shows
I am reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
Have you seen Harry Potter?
My favorite television program is Extreme Makeover: Home edition.
Other examples include…
English
Spanish
French
German
Mandarin
University of the Sacred Heart
Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines
Languages Centers and Institutes
Remember
If you follow the
rules, you will learn
to capitalize
correctly.
References
Landau S. Ed (2003). Cambridge Dictionary of American English (p. 121, 4th printing). United Kingdom: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.
Carnegie Mellon University. (2011) Writer’s Style Guide. Retrieved September 20, 2010. from http://www.cmu.edu/marcom/brand- guidelines/images/writers_style_guide.pdf
http://leitrimmontessori.com/Pics/registrationpic.jpg, retrieved on September 20, 2010.
Soraya font [Word font type] Retrieved on September 201, 2012 from http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/fonts-08.jpg
The Art of War [Cover page] Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from http://www.tempe.gov/LIBRARY/events/images/books.jpg
Agostini, E. (Photographer). (2010) [Photograph] Retrieved on September 20, 2010 from http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/images/stories/large/2010/06/10/RickyMartin101609881.jpg
Newspapers and Flags from Around the World [Puerto Rican Flag] Retrieved on September 20, 2012 from http://www.newspapercountry.com/PuertoRico.png
Church of Scientology International. [Image of Scientology cross ] Retrieved on September 20, 2012 from http://www.scientology-europe.org/about/proclamation.html
Prepared by N. Piñero
Revised by LAD professors in May 2012.