Keep this information page for future use.
Turn in only your written work done on attached answer sheet pages.
Days 1 & 2 - CAPITALIZATION RULES
DAY 1: CAPITALIZE proper nouns related to specific PEOPLE and CULTURES
A) The personal pronoun “I” is ALWAYS capitalized! My friends and I had never been to a poetry slam before.
B) Capitalize specific people’s NAMES and INITIALS.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
R. L. Stine
B. B. King
Lyndon B. Johnson
C) Capitalize personal TITLES and ABBREVIATIONS used BEFORE NAMES and in DIRECT ADDRESS.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Lt. Col. Eileen Collins
Sgt. Kaspar escorted Ambassador Nakamora to the dinner.
D) Capitalize ABBREVIATIONS OF TITLES used AFTER NAMES. Michelle Phillips, Ph.D.
Stephen Baker, C.E.O.
E) Capitalize a TITLE OF ROYALTY/NOBILITY only when it is used BEFORE a NAME.
Queen Elizabeth I
Sir Winston Churchill
Count Victor
Prince Harry
… BUT: The audience included the prince and princess. (not before a name)
F) Capitalize words indicating FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS only WHEN USED AS PART OF, or IN PLACE OF, THE
NAME the person is called -- or in direct address.
Grandma Johnson Ben, my brother, likes poetry.
When my mother and Aunt Betty were children, did you read poetry to them, Grandfather?
G) Capitalize the names of ETHNIC GROUPS, RACES, LANGUAGES, and NATIONALITIES – and adjectives formed
from these names and/or places: English Chinese Spanish
Swahili Cherokee
German
H) Capitalize names of RELIGIONS, DENOMINATIONS, RELIGIOUS DAYS, RELIGIOUS WRITINGS, and names of
RELIGIOUS DIETIES (like God) -- but NOT the term “god” or “goddess” when referring to mythology.
Christianity Baptist Easter Passover Bible Koran God Allah -- BUT Greek and Roman god or goddess
Day 2: CAPITALIZE proper nouns related to TITLES & FIRST WORDS of sentences,
lines of poetry/verse, letters, formal outlines/lists, etc. :
I) Capitalize the FIRST WORD, LAST WORD, and all OTHER IMPORTANT WORDS within TITLES &
SUBTITLES. Do NOT capitalize conjunctions; the articles ‘a,’ ‘an,’ or ‘the,’; or prepositions of
fewer than five letters UNLESS they are the first word in the title.)
*ALSO NOTICE that titles of books, newspapers, magazines, plays and overall larger works published as a
whole should be shown in italics or underlined if typed … OR underlined if handwritten. However, titles of
smaller pieces published within a larger work as a whole should be shown in double quotation marks –
including titles of short stories, poems, chapters, articles in newspapers/magazines, songs, etc.
BOOKS: Roots: The Sage of an American Family Gone with the Wind (… or underlined) To Kill a Mockingbird
SHORT STORY: “The Scarlet Ibis” POEM: “The Road Not Taken” ARTICLE: “Tornado Hits Todd County”
J) Capitalize the FIRST WORD OF EVERY SENTENCE -- but NOT the second part of the sentence when two
independent clauses are joined with a semicolon. (Technically, that is one compound sentence.)
Many people enjoy reenacting historical events; they love experiencing what it was like to live in the past.
K) Capitalize the FIRST WORD of EACH LINE OF TRADITIONAL POETRY if/when the original poet did.
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere....
L) Capitalize the FIRST WORD OF A DIRECT QUOTATION – but ONLY IF it is a COMPLETE SENTENCE.
The email said, “Is anyone interested in reenacting a battle?”
BUT... One player says reenactments are “the closest we can get to time travel.”
M) Capitalize the FIRST WORD in a DIVIDED QUOTE IF THE SECOND PART STARTS A NEW SENTENCE.
“We have costumes,” the email continued, “but we need history experts.”
“Join our group,” the writer said. “You’ll have fun.”
N) Capitalize FIRST WORDS in the GREETING/SALUTATION & CLOSING OF A LETTER, and the name
for the audience being addressed -- like SIR, MADAM, etc. .
Dear Sir or Madam,
To whom it may concern,
Yours truly,
Sincerely,
Thank you,
O) Capitalize the FIRST WORD of EACH ENTRY IN AN OUTLINE and letters labeling major subsections.
I. Historical reenactments
A. Reenactments of events in American history
1. Famous battles
a. Battle of Yorktown
b. Battle of Gettysburg
2. Nonmilitary events
(More Capitalization Rules for Days 3 & 4 on back)
Keep this information page for future use.
Turn in only your written work done on attached answer sheet pages.
Days 3 & 4 - More CAPITALIZATION RULES
Day 3: CAPITALIZE proper nouns related to specific PLACES & TRANSPORTATION:
P) Capitalize each word in specific GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES except articles (a, an, the) and prepositions –
including specific names of: divisions of the world (Arctic Circle); continents (South America); bodies of
water (Lake Michigan, Pacific Ocean); islands (Canary Islands); mountains (Allegheny Mountains); other
landforms (Rock of Gilbraltar); regions (Eastern Europe); nations (Czech Republic); states (Kentucky);
counties, townships, towns, cities (Todd County, Guthrie); roads and streets (Fifth Avenue, Guthrie
Highway, Main Street, Fort Campbell Boulevard)
Q) Capitalize the words north, south, east, and west ONLY WHEN they refer to specific REGIONS of the country
or world (or are part of a proper name): Interesting festivals are held all over the country, from the West Coast to
the East Coast, in the North and in the South.
but NOT WHEN they refer to directions: To get to the fair, drive north on U.S. Highway 117.
R) Capitalize BODIES OF THE UNIVERSE, including PLANETS and other specific CELESTIAL OBJECTS:
Venus
Big Dipper
Hailey’s Comet
S) Capitalize names of specific BUILDINGS, BRIDGES, MONUMENTS, and other LANDMARKS:
Jefferson Davis Monument
Empire State Building Gateway Arch
Golden Gate Bridge
T) Capitalize names of specific PLANES, SHIPS, TRAINS, and other VEHICLES:
Flyer was the name of the Wright brothers’ first successful airplane. SHIP: U.S.S. Constitution
CAR: Honda Civic
Day 4: CAPITALIZE proper nouns for specific ORGANIZATIONS & OTHER SUBJECTS:
U) Capitalize all important words in the names of ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS, STORES, & COMPANIES:
University of New Mexico Bernard’s Fine Foods Elkton Public Library Kentucky Department of Agriculture
V) Capitalize ABBREVIATIONS of the names of specific ORGANIZATIONS and INSTITUTIONS:
USAF (United States Air Force) UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) TCCHS
FFA
W) Capitalize the names of specific HISTORICAL EVENTS, PERIODS, and DOCUMENTS:
The League of Nations was formed after World War I.
Civil War
Bill of Rights Middles Ages
X) Capitalize TIME ABBREVIATIONS and CALENDAR ITEMS, including MONTHS, DAYS of the WEEK, HOLIDAYS:
400 B.C.
1200 A.D.
7 p.m. preferred over 7 PM
March Tuesday Memorial Day Thanksgiving
…but NOT names of seasons: spring, not Spring
Y) Capitalize names of specific SPECIAL EVENTS, AWARDS, and BRAND NAMES -- but not the common nouns
that follow brand names):
Super Bowl
Olympics Academy Awards Nobel Prize
Energizer batteries
BUT DO NOT CAPITALIZE BREEDS of animals EXCEPT the part of a breed name that is derived from a
proper noun such as a country name/geographical location:
German shepherd
Yorkshire terrier
collie
beagle
Z) Capitalize SPECIFIC SCHOOL COURSE TITLES only:
geometry American history
BUT Algebra I
Do NOT capitalize freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior UNLESS it is used as part of a specific proper noun,
such as Senior Council.)
(See other side for other Capitalization Rules for DAYS 1 & 2 practice)
DAY 1 - You MUST do your work on this ANSWER SHEET PAGE and turn it
in.
NAME: ____________________________________________ Pd. _____
DAY 1 - Practice Activity #1A: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks & Revising/Rewriting
DIRECTIONS: FIRST: Study the provided page of capitalization rules for “proper nouns related to
PEOPLE and CULTURES” before doing this activity! SECOND, triple-underline any letter in the typed
sentence that isn’t capitalized but should be AND/OR put a slash-mark through any letter that is
capitalized but should not be. THIRD, in the space below each sentence, NEATLY PRINT/CORRECTLY
REWRITE only the words from the sentence that need fixing -- correctly using capitalized or lowercase
letters, depending which is needed. IF a sentence is correct as is, write CORRECT.
Poetry Slam!
(from PRACTICE & APPLY - EXERCISE A: CONCEPT CHECK from p. 232 in 9th-grade Language Network text)
1) “The difference between a Poetry Slam and a traditional poetry reading,” reports ms. malaika fisher, “is the level of
energy.”
2) A poetry slam is a competition in which readers perform original poems that are rated by a panel of Judges.
3) Love, hate, death, Religion, and other topics about which people feel strongly are typical subjects of the poems.
4) Anyone is welcome to read at a slam, from your Dentist to your Grandmother.
5) All poets are welcome, from beginners to distinguished poets such as linda Gregg, a teacher at a prestigious university.
6) If there is ever a poetry slam in my area, i plan to attend it.
7) Poetry slams take place in more than 100 american cities.
8) Now they are being held in other countries as well, with poets reading in languages such as german and swedish.
9) As Marc k. Smith, the Father of the poetry slam, says, “The performance of poetry is an art – just as much as the art of
writing it.”
10) Because of his role in originating and popularizing the poetry slam, smith has been nicknamed slampapi.
DAY 1 - PRACTICE ACTIVITY #1B: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks:
DIRECTIONS: Triple-underline any letter that should be capitalized but isn’t in the following family tree that shows
marriages & children in the Rowinski family AND/OR put a slash-mark through any letter that is capitalized IF it should
be lowercase instead.
Rowinski Family tree
dr. miroslav rowinski (dr. anna ross pell)
monika (Chris r. Oslecki, c.e.o.)
Pauline
uncle Bob (professor Maria Lopez)
Marianna (gen. kevin r. Cavanaugh)
kevin jr.
tracy
anna
Day 2 - You MUST do your work on this ANSWER SHEET & turn it in.
NAME: ____________________________________________ Pd. _____
DAY 2 - Practice Activity #2A: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks & Revising/Rewriting
DIRECTIONS: FIRST: Study the provided page of capitalization rules for “proper nouns related to
TITLES and FIRST WORDS” before doing this activity! SECOND, triple-underline any letter in the typed
sentence that isn’t capitalized but should be AND/OR put a slash-mark through any letter that is
capitalized but should not be. THIRD, in the space below each sentence, NEATLY PRINT/CORRECTLY
REWRITE only the words from the sentence that need fixing -- correctly using capitalized or lowercase
letters, depending which is needed. IF a sentence is correct as is, write CORRECT.
Reenact It (from Exercise A: CONCEPT CHECK: First Words and Titles, p. 235 of the 9th-grade Language Network text.) 1)
1) each year, Civil War reenactors gather at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to reenact the battle that took place there.
2) One reenactment takes place at the Yingling Farm, where the movie gettysburg was filmed.
3) If you ask a participant, “are you an actor?” he or she may reply, “no, I’m a reenactor.”
4) Newspapers like the Civil War news and magazines like Camp Chase gazette provide information for reenactors.
5) reenactors are not professional actors, but people who get together to reenact historical events.
6) “some groups specialize in reenacting battles,” explained the tour guide.
7) The poem “Concord hymn,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, commemorates the first battle of the American Revolution, a good
subject for a reenactment.
8) another kind of reenactment occurs at Renaissance fairs.
9) If you go to a Renaissance fair, people will be dressed like characters from Shakespeare’s Twelfth night and the Tempest.
10) You might see a Shakespeare reenactoras he composes the line “shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
DAY 2 - Practice Activity #2B: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks
(from PRACTICE & APPLY Exercise B: EDITING and PROOFREADING: Capitalization Errors, p.235, 9th-grade Language Network text)
DIRECTIONS: Find and correct the 15 capitalization errors in this letter by triple-underlining letters
that need to be capitalized and/or putting a slash-mark through ones that should not be capitalized.
dear mr. oliver,
I thought you would like to know that I did something educational this summer! last week we went to a Renaissance fair.
The whole fair is a dramatization of a day when Queen Elizabeth I leads a procession through an English village. everyone
talks and dresses like characters out of romeo And Juliet. A girl dressed as a lady-in-waiting said to us, “give ye good day, my
lords and ladies,” and we answered, “ ’Tis a passing fair day.” there were jugglers, tumblers, and dancers; there were
musicians playing and singing songs like “greensleeves” and “o mistresse mine.”
sincerely,
Julia
DAY 3 - You MUST do your work on this ANSWER SHEET PAGE and turn
it in.
NAME: ____________________________________________ Pd. _____
DAY 3 - Practice Activity #3A: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks & Revising/Rewriting
DIRECTIONS: FIRST: Study the provided page for Day 3 -- More Capitalization Rules for “proper
nouns related to PLACES and TRANSPORTATION” -- before doing this activity! SECOND, tripleunderline any letter in the typed sentence that isn’t capitalized but should be AND/OR put a slash-mark
through any letter that is capitalized but should not be. THIRD, in the space below each sentence,
NEATLY PRINT/CORRECTLY REWRITE only the words from the sentence that need fixing -- correctly
using capitalized or lowercase letters, depending which is needed. IF a sentence is correct as is,
write CORRECT.
Flip That Flapjack!
(from EXERCISE A: CONCEPT CHECK on p. 238 in 9th-grade Language Network text)
1) Every year in liberal, kansas, in the united states of america, one day a year is designated international Pancake Day.
2) Liberal is in seward county, in southwestern Kansas.
3) On the other side of the atlantic ocean, in the british isles, the people of olney hold a similar celebration.
4) Olney is located in a county called buckinghamshire.
5) Women in Liberal compete against women in Olney in a race that is the only official one of its kind on the earth.
6) The race begins on pancake boulevard in liberal and at the market square in Olney.
7) You will not find a similar race in continental Europe or in any other town in the united states.
8) The tradition began in 1445, even before Columbus’s Nina, pinta, and santa maria set sail.
9) In a town in england, a woman who was making pancakes heard the church bells ringing and, not wanting to be late, ran
to the church with skillet in hand.
10) Whether you come from the east or the west, visit liberal and celebrate Pancake Day with friends and family.
DAY 3 - Practice Activity #3B: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks
(from Exercise B: EDITING and PROOFREADING: Capitalization Errors, p.238 in the 9th-grade Language Network text)
DIRECTIONS: Find and correct the 10 capitalization errors in this paragraph by triple-underlining
letters that aren’t capitalized but should be and/or putting a slash-mark through letters that are
capitalized but should be lowercase instead.
The Festivals of Texas
The state of texas may have the most unusual festivals in the United States. For example, the
city of san antonio starts off each year by draining the river and inviting residents to roll in the mud or
throw mud at photos of their city council members. The world’s biggest rattlesnake roundup takes
place in sweetwater, where Texans collect about 6,000 pounds of rattlers and fry thousands of pounds
of rattlesnake steaks. In shamrock, Texas, on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone adds O’ to his or her name.
People in this town gather to kiss a slab of the Blarney Stone imported from cork, ireland. In dublin,
Texas, festivals feature Irish dancers and an Irish stew cook-off. San Antonio dyes the river green and
renames it the river shannon.
Day 4- You MUST do your work on this ANSWER SHEET & turn it in.
NAME: ____________________________________________ Pd. _____
DAY 4 - Practice Activity #4A: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks & Revising/Rewriting
DIRECTIONS: FIRST: Study the provided page of Days 3&4 –More Capitalization Rules for “proper
nouns related to ORGANIZATIONS and OTHER SUBJECTS” before doing this activity! SECOND, tripleunderline any letter in the typed sentence that isn’t capitalized but should be AND/OR put a slash-mark
through any letter that is capitalized but should not be. THIRD, in the space below each sentence,
NEATLY PRINT/CORRECTLY REWRITE only the words from the sentence that need fixing -- correctly
using capitalized or lowercase letters, depending which is needed. IF a sentence is correct as is,
write CORRECT.
Bug Watch (from EXERCISE A: CONCEPT CHECK: Organizations and Other Subjects, on p. 241 in 9th-grade Language Network text)
1. Every april, purdue university plays host to an unusual event called the bug bowl.
2. This curious spring carnival was originated by Tom Turpin, an entomology professor.
3. Turpin, who teaches entomology 105, sees the event as a way to help people understand insects
better.
4. One part of the weekend-long happening is a parade of car decorated to look like different kinds of
bugs.
5. A highlight is the cockroach race, the winner of which receives an award called the old open can – a
bronzed garbage can with a cockroach on top.
6. In bug bowl 98, penn state challenged purdue to a Big Ten Spit-Off to see who would hold the
cricket-spitting record.
7. People have eaten insects since before the stone age, and those attending can taste foods made with
insects.
8. In 1995, the Carnegie foundation for the advancement of teaching declared Turpin the “indiana
professor of the year.”
9. The award was presented by the council for advancement and support of education, or the
abbreviation case for short.
10. The bug bowl is part of springfest, which offers nearly 100 activities and events.
DAY 4 - Practice Activity #4B: CAPITALIZATION Editing Marks
(from Exercise B: MIXED REVIEW: Capitalization Errors, p.241 in the 9th-grade Language Network text)
Lake Central High School Class of ’91 Reunion
Date
friday, september 7, 2001
saturday, september 8, 2001
Time
7 p.m. – 1 a.m.
1 p.m. – whenever
Event
alumni dinner and dance
old gold picnic
Location
springfield country club
lincoln park
2080 w. jefferson st.
DIRECTIONS: Edit the
following newspaper
ad by tripleunderlining any letter
that should be
capitalized but isn’t
and/or putting a
slash-mark through any letter that is capitalized but should be lowercase instead.