Punctuation and Capitalization

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What is punctuation?

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Punctuation refers to the marks used in writing that help clarify meaning and separate linguistic units. Examples include periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation points.

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What is capitalization?

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Capitalization is the use of uppercase letters at the beginning of sentences and for proper nouns to indicate importance or distinguish specific names.

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What is a complex sentence?

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A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause, often connected by subordinating conjunctions.

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When should you use a comma in a complex sentence?

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A comma should be used after the dependent clause when it precedes the independent clause, e.g., 'Before the game begins, there will be four and a half hours of pre-game programming.'

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What is the correct way to capitalize a book title?

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In a book title, capitalize the first and last words, as well as all major words in between, e.g., 'Stranger in a Strange Land'.

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How should you punctuate a newspaper article title?

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Newspaper article titles should be enclosed in quotation marks, e.g., 'Hospitals See Rise in Frostbite Cases'.

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What is the rule for capitalizing proper nouns?

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Proper nouns, which name specific people, places, or organizations, should always be capitalized, e.g., 'Seattle' and 'Washington'.

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What is the correct way to write dates in a sentence?

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When writing dates, capitalize the names of months and separate the day and year with commas, e.g., 'April 15, 1939'.

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What punctuation mark is used to indicate a question?

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A question mark (?) is used at the end of a sentence to indicate that it is a question.

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What is the purpose of a period in a sentence?

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A period (.) is used to indicate the end of a declarative sentence.