Using Capital
Letters
What are capital letters?
Regular Letters
Capital Letters
a
A
c
C
e
E
g
G
What do capital letters tell us when
we’re reading and writing?
Example from our textbook:
…
When should I use
capital letters?
RULE NO. 1
The word ‘I’ is always
capitalized.
• My father and I went to the
market.
• Last week I walked my dog
every day.
RULE NO. 2
The first word in a
sentence.
• My father and I went to the
market.
• Last week I walked my dog
every day.
How about these sentences?
1) 2006 was the year I came to
Korea. No!
2) 7 is my favorite number. No!
3) iPhones are better than
Android phones. Yes!
Why not???
2006 was the year I came to Korea.
7 is my favorite number.
Don’t start sentences with numbers!
You must start sentences with capital
letters whenever possible.
How can I express these ideas?
X 2006 was the year I came to Korea.
 I came to Korea in 2006.
X 7 is my favorite number.
 Seven is my favorite number.
***Write numbers as words if they are one or two
words, such as: twenty, two hundred, four, etc.
RULE NO. 3
Proper nouns
(Names)
Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns
Sometimes common…sometimes proper
Mr. McKee is our English
teacher. (common)
I enjoy Teacher McKee’s
English class. (proper)
Let’s walk around the lake
after lunch. (common)
Let’s walk around Ilgam Lake
after lunch. (proper)
• Golden Gate Bridge
oName of a thing
• Dr. Jose P. Rizal
oName and title of a person
• Pasig Catholic College
o Name of a school
Korean Names
김수진
 Kim Su Jin
 Kim Su-jin
 Kim Sujin
How about these categories?
Which ones are proper nouns and which are common?
Foods
Places
Titles
Animal breeds
Months
Classes
Majors
Subjects
Days
Abbreviations
How about these categories?
Proper Common
Places
Months
Classes
Majors
Days
Titles
Subjects
Special Rules
Foods
Abbreviations
Animal breeds
(Book, Movie or Song) Titles
First, Last, Important words in the middle
Important Words=nouns, verbs, adjectives,
adverbs, and long prepositions (5 or more letters)
• The Day of the Jackal
• What Color Is Your Parachute?
• A Tale of Two Cities
Titles
First, Last, Important words in the middle
Important Words=nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and
long prepositions (5 or more letters)
Try these:
One
Hundred Years
one hundred
years of
ofSolitude
solitude
First
They killed
Killed my
My father
Father
first they
Ii Just
just Want
want
to Be
be Your
yourEverything
everything
Class / Subject / Major
• Professor Somers teaches Global
Business Ethics. (title of a specific class)
• Who enjoys learning about global
business ethics? (a subject or field of
study)
• I’m getting my degree in Global Business
Ethics. (college major)
Food Names and Animal Breeds
They are usually common nouns. However,
if part of the name is a proper noun, it must
be capitalized.
 cookie
 pasta
 pasta
 Oreo
Bolognese
 terrier
 Scottish
terrier
Abbreviations
If the original word is common, the
abbreviation is common. If the original word
is proper, the abbreviation is proper.
month / mth.
 January / Jan.

Acronyms
Acronyms are special types of abbreviations. They are
created by taking the first letters of words in a name to
create a new word. Each letter is usually capitalized.
 Test
of English for International
Communication
TOEIC
 Korean Aerospace
Institute
Research
KARI
Which is the best style for editing?
No!
No!
Yes!
Assignment
• eCampus >>
Assignments >>
Capitalization Practice
• Print the pdf
• Write your corrections.
• Submit your file on eCampus. You can either scan it
or take a photo. Don’t attach the file, insert the
photo. If it’s too big, you can resize it.
How to Insert a Photo in eCampus
김수진
How to Insert a Photo in eCampus
How to Insert a Photo in eCampus
How to Insert a Photo in eCampus
How to Insert a Photo in eCampus
How to Insert a Photo in eCampus
Good luck
See you next week!