Capitalization Rules! Lesson

Using correct capitalization and punctuation helps make your message clear to readers.

Example:

a cat ate tuna a dog and a man ate too

A cat ate tuna. A dog and a man ate too.

​Capitalization Rules!

1. The first word of a sentence. (She loves cats.)

2. The first word in the greeting and closing of

letters. (Dear, Yours truly)

3. The first and last word and important words in titles of literary works. (Books, songs, short stories, poems, articles, movie titles, magazines) *NOTE: Conjunctions, articles, and prepositions with fewer than five letters are not capitalized if they appear in the middle of the title.

4. The first word in a direct quotation. (Dad said, "Who was at the door?"

5. The first word in a topic outline.

Capitalize First Words:

1. The pronoun I. (May I go with you?)

2. The names and nicknames of people. (Samantha, Daniel, Slim, Shorty)

3. Family names when used in place of or with the person's name. (Grandmother, Uncle Chase, Mom - Do NOT capitalize my mom.)

4. Titles used with, or in place of, people's names. (Mr., Mrs., Dr. Jones, President, Sir)

5. People's initials. (C.S. Lewis, J.J. Chapman)

Capitalize Names, Initials, and Titles of People:

1. The days of the week and the months of the

year, but not the seasons. (Monday, Sunday,

June, April, December)

2. The names of holidays. (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day)

3. The names of historical events, periods, documents, laws, conflicts, and distinguished awards. (Declaration of Independence, World War II, Middle Ages, Medal of Honor)

Capitalize Words of Time:

1. The names and abbreviations of cities, towns,

counties, states countries, and nations. (Troy,

Montgomery County, North Carolina, NC,

Australia, United States, USA)

2. The names of avenues, streets, roads,

highways, routes, and post office boxes.

(Main Street, Efird Road, Highway 52,

P.O. Box 99, Rt.2)

3. The names of lakes, rivers, oceans,

   mountain ranges, deserts, parks, stars,

   planets, and constellations. (Lake Tillery,

   Uwharrie National Forest, Atlantic Ocean)

Capitalize Names of Places:

4. The names of schools and specific school

courses. (Park Ridge Elementary School,

Algebra II)

5. North, south, east, and west when they refer to sections of the country, not just directions.

   (up North, out West, the Southeast)

Capitalize Names of Places:

1. The names of pets. (Spot, Rusty, Tweety Bird)

2. The names of products. (Campbell's soup,

Nissan cars, Jif peanut butter)

3. The names of companies, buildings, stores,

ships, planes, spaceships. (Empire State

Building, Titanic, IBM, Doug's Garage)

4. Proper adjectives. (the English language,

Mexican food)

5. The names of clubs, organizations, or groups.

(Boy Scouts, Jaycees, Beatles)

Capitalize Names of Other Nouns and Proper Adjectives:

6. The names of political parties, religious

preferences, nationalities, and races.

(Democratic party, Republican, Jewish

synagogue, French, British, German)

Capitalize Names of Other Nouns and Proper Adjectives:

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences are capitalized correctly?

• columbus discovered America on Friday, october 12, 1492.

• Columbus discovered America on friday, october 12, 1492.

• Columbus discovered America on Friday, October 12, 1492.

• Columbus discovered america on Friday, October 12, 1492.

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) in the following sentence have a capitalization error?

winter in Florida is not very cold.

• Florica

• cold

• winter

• very

Multiple Choice

Which of the word(s) in the following sentence has a capitalization error?

jesus said, "i am the true vine."

• jesus, i

• jesus, true vine

• i am

• i, vine

Multiple Choice

Which of the word(s) in the following sentence has a capitalization error?

Faith methodist church is on Avery street.

• Street

• Methodist, Church, Street

• Methodist, Street

• Methodist

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) in the following sentence has a capitalization error?

tynnley and i will be able to visit you next saturday.

• tynnley, i

• tynnley, saturday

• tynnley, i, saturday

• tynnley, saturday. next

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• in the spring

• in the Spring

Multiple Select

Which of the following sentences are capitalized correctly?

• Dear Chris,

• Yours Truly,

• sincerely,

• Yours truly,

Multiple Select

Which of the following sentences are capitalized correctly?

• Mom asked, "why haven't you finished your homework?"

• She told her uncle, "I'm so sorry that I dropped your phone."

• mom asked, "why haven't you finished your homework?"

• Mom asked, "Why haven't you finished your homework?"

• She told her Uncle, "i'm so sorry that I dropped your phone."

Multiple Select

Which of the following sentences are capitalized correctly?

• have you ever read The Wind in The Willows?

• Have you ever read "the ransom of Red Chief?"

• Have you ever read "The Ransom of Red Chief?"

• Have you ever read The Wind in the Willows?

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• next Friday

• next friday

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• swimming in the summer

• swimming in the Summer

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• a Saturday in april

• a Saturday in April

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• Better Homes and Gardens (magazine)

• Better Homes And Gardens (magazine)

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• "All things bright and Beautiful" (song)

• "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (song)

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• "the Cremation of Sam McGee" (poem)

• "The Cremation of Sam McGee" (poem)

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• the Conquest of Mexico (book)

• The Conquest of Mexico (book)

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• "The Little Match Girl" (short story)

• "The little Match Girl" (short story)

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• "The Song Of Hiawatha" (poem)

• "The Song of Hiawatha" (poem)

Multiple Choice

Which group of words are capitalized correctly?

• born on sunday, April 3

• born on Sunday, April 3

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

do you know nancy lee, my cousin who lives in chicago?

• do, nancy

• do, nancy, lee, cousin

• do, nancy, lee, chicago

• do, nancy, lee, cousin, chicago

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

i am glad that valentine's day came on monday this year.

• i, valentine's, monday

• i, valentine's, day, monday

• i, valentine's, monday, year

• i, monday

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

I attend randall christian school in Durham, new hampshire.

• randall, christian, school, new, hampshire

• christian, new, hampshire

• randall, christian, new, hampshire

• christian, school, hampshire

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

aunt Carolyn lives on mountain creek road, in Oakboro,

• aunt, mountain, creek

• mountain, creek, road

• aunt, mountain, creek, road

• aunt, lives, creek, road

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

My grandmother likes to fish in lake Tillery.

• grandmother, lake

• lake

• grandmother, fish, lake

• grandmother

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

Did you know that c.s. Lewis wrote the Lion, witch, and the wardrobe?

• c.s.,

• c.s., witch, wardrobe

• the, witch, wardrobe

• c.s., the, witch, wardrobe

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

David, mother, and Janie went to wrightsville beach last Friday during the fourth of July.

• mother, wrightsville, beach, fourth

• wrightsville, fourth

• mother, fourth, of

• mother, wrightsville, beach

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

We read the constitution of the united states in history class.

• united, states

• constitution, united, states, history

• united, states, history, class

• constitution, united, states

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

The wilkins family spent christmas skiing in aspen, Colorado.

• wilkins, christmas, aspen

• wilkins, family, christmas, skiing

• wilkins, christmas,

• wilkins, family, christmas, aspen

Multiple Choice

Which word(s) should be capitalized in the following sentence?

Have you talked to mr. Davis or mrs. Smith since dr. Westmoreland's lecture?

• mr., mrs., dr.

• mr., mrs., lecture

• you, mr., mrs., dr., lecture

• you, lecture