Capitalization Rules

Capitalization Rules:
Main rules from Purdue Owl:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/01/

A FEW MORE RULES:

-Capitalize geographical names:

Vancouver Island

San Francisco

the Grand Canyon

the South Pacific

-Note: do not capitalize directions that are not part of a regions name:

northern California

-Capitalize the main words and the first word of the titles of articles, books, poems, plays, songs, etc.:

English Structure and Style

The Brothers Karamazov

Stairway to Heaven

Capitalize official names or names of groups or organizations:

Department of Redundancy Department

House of Commons

House of Senate

Republicans

Black Americans

Lutherans

Capitalize personifications:

Because I could not stop for Death —
He kindly stopped for me —

Usually capitalize the first word of each line of poetic verse (see above example).

Capitalization Chart
http://www.eliterateeducation.com/site/capitalization.htm

Ex 1
http://www.mytestbook.com/test_questions.aspx?topics=Grammar%20Capitalization%20and%20Punctuations&subject=LanguageArts&grade=3&test_id=926

Ex 2
http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/punctuation_mastery.asp

Ex 3
http://www.mytestbook.com/test_questions.aspx?topics=Grammar%20Capitalization&subject=LanguageArts&grade=3&test_id=776

EXERCISES:

Capitalization Worksheet 1
Circle the correct choice in each sentence:
1. I decided to take courses in (Journalism / journalism) and (Dramatics / dramatics).
2. My (Aunt / aunt) goes (East / east) each winter to visit her sister.
3. Two (High School / high school) reporters asked to interview the college (President / president).
4. I was told to begin my letter with “My (Dear / dear) (Sir / sir).”
5. I ended it with “Very (Truly / truly) (Yours / yours).”
6. After (Labor Day / labor day), I’ll be in (University / university) classes.
7. Members of the (Freshman Class / freshman class) are being assisted by a group of (Senior / senior) students in making a float for Homecoming.
8. My (Sister / sister) now lives in the (South / south).
9. Dr. Gillis, (Professor / professor) of (English / english), retired last semester.
10. She always does well in (French / french) and (History / history) courses.
11. “I once attended,” (He / he) said, “Elm (High School / high school).”

12. My (Uncle / uncle) Charles became an (All-American / all-American) athlete while he
was in college.
13. The (Boy Scout / boy scout) leader pointed out the (Milky Way / milky way) to his troop.
14. She read Language (In / in) Thought (And / and) Action.
15. Her office is in (Room / room) 218 of the new (Science Building / science building).




Capitalization and Punctuation Worksheet 2
Correct the punctuation and capitalization errors in the following sentences:
1. he could not make up his mind whether to take french spanish or russian
2. the rocky mountains extend through several states including colorado wyoming and utah
3. the amazon river is located in south america
4. he was a sergeant in the marine corps stationed at a naval base south of san diego
5. the epic paradise lost by john milton is an attempt to justify the ways of god to man
6. last summer we toured the south for awhile and then turned back northward camping among other places in yellowstone national park and the black hills
7. i asked mother when uncle george would be visiting at our home in fargo north dakota
8. two of arthur millers best plays are death of a salesman and the crucible
9. she couldnt decide whether to major in elementary education or english
10. they worshipped the blessed virgin at st peters cathedral in rome italy
11. he was a senior at the university of west florida in pensacola florida
12. the union pacific railroad serves various states in the midwestern and northern parts of the united states
13. they shopped first at sonderbergs department store on elm street and then visited cramden park zoo in east miami
14. he decided to visit professor abbott who taught western civilization 101 at depaul university in chicago Illinois
15. the london symphony orchestra performed ludwig von beethovens ninth symphony





Correct the following sentences which contain punctuation and/or capitalization errors.
1. The seasons passed and the couple grew old it was July 1943 before their son returned
2. There are three poems i shall never forget the rubyiat of omar khayyam by edward fitzgerald elegy written in a country churchyard by thomas gray and the waste land by t s eliot
3. Did you hear him ask her will you go to the party tonight
4. The U S S Constellation entered the war on July 18 1969 and a brave accurate bunch of its gunners successfully destroyed three of the enemys boats
5. In spite of repeated attacks the fort a must on the generals capture list did not fall and the position of the invading troops grew perilous
6. The paper said that the population boom was jeopardizing the countrys future and one ecologist was quoted as saying either people stop producing offspring or they will produce famine and death
7. There are several possible solutions to the energy problem said the scientist one is conservation another is increased exploration and a third is the development of solar energy
8. The author of the work edgar allen poe was a moody genius who was reputed to have a drinking problem but if that was the case it certainly didnt interfere with the quality of his work said the professor particularly his poems such as the raven and annabel lee and his short stories such as the Gold Bug
9. One day i want to go to New York city I want to see a broadway show and shop on fifth avenue
10. The two cats have very different personalities squirt is playful and tidbit is lazy