guide to capitalization, punctuation, and usage

8/2/2019 Guide to Capitalization, Punctuation, And Usage

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Guide to Capitalization,Punctuation, and Usage


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Abbreviations

Mr. (Mister) Mr. Juan AlbinoMrs. (Mistress) Mrs. Frances WongMs. (Any Woman) Ms. Leslie Clark

Sr. (Senior) John Helt Sr.Jr. (Junior) John Helt Jr.Dr. (Doctor) Dr. Janice Dodds

Note: Missis not an abbreviation and does not endwith a period.

Titles


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Abbreviations

St. (street) Blvd. (Boulevard)

Rd. (Road) Rte. (Route)Ave. (Avenue) Apt. (Apartment)Dr. (Drive) Pkwy. (Parkway)

Mt. (Mount/Mountain)Expy. (Expressway)

Words used in addresses


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Abbreviations

Co. (company)

Corp. (Corporation)Inc. (Incorporated)

Ltd. (Limited)

Words used in business


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Other AbbreviationsSome abbreviations are written in allcapital letters, with a letter standing

for each important wordP.D. (Police Department)

J.P. (Justice of the Peace)

P.O. (Post Office)R.N. (Registered Nurse)


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Other Abbreviations

The United States Postal Serviceuses two capital letters and no periodin each of its state abbreviations.

AL (Alabama) PR (Puerto Rico)AK (Alaska) KS (Kansas)

CA (California) FL (Florida)


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Other Abbreviations

Initials are abbreviations that standfor a persons first or middle name.

Some names have both a first and amiddle initial.Example:

E.B. White (Elwyn Brooks White)T. James Carey (Thomas James Carey)


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Titles

The important words and the firstand last words in a title arecapitalized. Titles of books,magazines, TV shows, movies, andnewspapers are italicized or

underlined.

Italicizing/ Underlining


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Titles

Oliver Twist(Book)

Charlottes Webb(Book)Star Wars (Movie)

El Nuevo Dia(Newspaper)

Nova(TV show)

Italicizing/ Underlining


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Quotation Marks with

TitlesTitles of short stories, songs,articles, book chapters, and most

poemsare set off by quotationmarks.The Necklace (short story)

The Human Brain (chapter)Three Days in the Sahara (article)


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QuotationsQuotation marks jk are used to setoff a speakers exact words. The

first word of a quotation begins witha capital letter. Punctuation belongsinsidethe closing quotation marks.Commas separate a quotation fromthe rest of the sentence.

ll


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Quotation

ExamplesWhere, asked the stranger, is the

post office?

Linda whispered, What time is it?

Its late, replied Bill. Lets go!HINT: When the comma goes before thequotation, it remains out of the quotationmarks. When the comma goes after the

quotation, it remains inside the quotationmarks.


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Capitalization

First word in every sentence

The pronoun I

Proper Nouns - Ex. Sonia E. Rosario Titles and abbreviation when used

with the proper name of a person

Example: Senator Smith, Doctor Ling


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Capitalization (cont.)

Proper Adjectives:Example: The Puerto Rican cuisine. She is French.

Names of Days, Months, and HolidaysExample: I will see you on the last Monday in March.We watched the parade on the Fourth of July.

Nationalities, races, religions, languages,organizations, buildings, and companies.

Example: Able Supply Company, Chinese, Central School,Catholic, Jehovah Witness


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Capitalization (cont.)

First, last, and all important words in atitle. Do not capitalize words such as a, in,and,of, and theunless they begin or end a

title.Examples:The Rainbow ConnectionFrom the Earth to the MoonThe Diary of a Wimpy Kid


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Punctuation

There are three end marks. A period

(.) ends a declarative or imperativesentence. A question mark (?)follows an interrogative sentence. An

exclamation point (!) follows anexclamatory sentence.

End Marks


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Apostrophe

To form the possessive of a singularnoun, add an apostrophe (d) and s.

Example:Doctors bosss grandmothers

familys Sonias Eduardos


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Apostrophe (cont.) For a plural noun that ends in s, addonly an apostrophe.

Example:Sisters families Smiths friends

I will send all my friends invitations.


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Apostrophe (cont.)

For a plural noun that does not end ins, add an apostrophe (j ) and s toform the plural possessive.

Example:

Womens mices childrens geeses


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Apostrophe (cont.)

Use an apostrophe in contractions in placeof dropped letters. Do not usecontractions in formal writing.

isnt (is not) cant (cannot) wont (will not)

wasnt (was not) were (we are) its (it is)

Im (I am) theyve (they have

theyll (they will) couldve (could have)wouldve (would have) shouldve (should have)


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Colon

Use a colon after the greeting in abusiness letter.

Example:Dear Mrs. Trimby:

Dear Realty Homes:


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Comma

A comma tells your reader where topause. For words in a series, put acomma after each item except the

last. Do not use a comma if only twoitems are listed.Example:

Clyde asked whether or not we hadany apples, peaches, or grapes.


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Commas (cont.)

Use commas to separate two or moreadjectives that are listed togetherunless one adjective tells how many.

Example:The fresh, ripe fruit was placed in abowl.

One red apple was especially shiny.


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Use a comma before the conjunctionin a compound sentence.

Example:

Some students were at lunch, but others werestudying.

Use commas after introductorywords such as yes, no, oh, and wellwhen they begin a sentence.

Commas (cont.)

Example:

Well, its just too cold out. No, it isnt

six yet.


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Use a comma to separate a noun indirect address.

Example:Jean, help me fix this tire.

How was your trip, Grandpa?

Commas (cont.)


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Use a comma between the names of acity and a state and between a city

and a country.Example:

Chicago, Illinois

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Commas (cont.)


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Use a comma after the greeting in afriendly letter.

Example:Dear Deena, Dear Sonia, Dear Mom, Use a comma after the closing in a

letterExample:

Commas (cont.)

Your nephew,

Sincerely yours,


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Look Out for the Problem

Words its (possessive pronoun) vs. its (it is)The dog moved its tail. Its raining

today. Their (possessive pronoun) vs. there

(adverb) vs. theyre (they are)

Their books are there. Theyre lookingforthem.


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To (in the direction of) vs. too(also or more than enough)

I will go to your house. She will go too. This is toomuch.

Your (possessive pronoun) vs. youre(you are)

Are these your glasses? Youre late again!

Look Out for the Problem

Words (cont.)


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Reference

English, fourth grade, Houghton

Mifflin Company, 2004. ISBN: 0-618-31000-2

guide to capitalization, punctuation, and usage

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