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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