Lecture
Notes
Mechanics Review: Capitalization,
Abbreviations, and Numbers
CAPITALIZATION
Memorize these rules:
-
Rule 1: Capitalize first words of sentences.
-
Rule 2: Capitalize proper nouns: specific names of people,
places, and things.
-
Rule 3: Capitalize important words in titles: first words, last
words, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Do not capitalize
little words like articles (the, an, and a), conjunctions,
and prepositions.
-
Rule 4: Capitalize some common abbreviations, like TV, CD,
VCR,
DVD,
CPR,
and IV.
-
Rule 5: Capitalize the pronoun I.
Rule 2 may be the most difficult rule:
The most common capitalization errors I see center around words that
are derived from the names of countries. Always capitalize the names
of words derived from the names of countries, but do not capitalize the
common nouns associated with them:
English muffin, French
toast, American cheese, Swiss
chocolate, Russian dressing, Japanese
restaurant, Mexican food
The only exception to this rule is french
fries. According to some dictionaries, you have the choice to capitalize
the f or not in french fries. Also beware of animal
breeds; notice how the word derived from the name of a country or province
is capitalized, but the common noun is not:
Siamese cat, Persian
cat, Irish setter, English
sheepdog, German shepherd, Dalmatian,
Labrador
retriever, dachshund,
bloodhound,
Yorkshire
terrier, cocker spaniel
The Bottom Line: If you aren't sure whether a word should be capitalized
or not, check a dictionary.
ABBREVIATIONS
Memorize these rules:
Rule 1: Do not abbreviate most items in your college essays,
not the names of states, not street names, etc.
Rule 2: It is OK to use commonly accepted and commonly known
abbreviations and acronyms: TV, VCR, CD, FBI, YMCA, a.m., p.m., NASA, and
so on. Check with a tutor or with your instructor if you are not
sure. You can also check a dictionary to see whether an abbreviation
is considered common or not.
Rule 3: If you do not want to repeat the name of an organization
or institution ad nauseum in a college paper, you may use the abbreviation.
But the first time you mention the organization, you have to spell out
the whole name followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. For example,
if you were to write about College of the Siskiyous, the first time you
mention the college in your paper, you should write the name out like this
followed by the parenthetical abbreviation: College
of the Siskiyous (COS). Then, every other time you mention
the name of the college, you may use only the abbreviation: COS.
NUMBERS
Memorize these rules:
-
Rule 1: If you can spell out a number in one or two words, spell
it out in word form.
-
Rule 2: If you need three or more words to spell a number, use the
numerical form.
-
Rule 3: Use numerical forms for the following common types of numbers:
dates, exact times (not approximate times), years, exact money amounts
(not approximate amounts), and addresses. Regarding statistics, if
you are discussing several statistics (such as ratios and percentages)
in the same paragraph, it is sometimes acceptable to use the numerical
forms of numbers, regardless of how long or short they are, to help your
readers envision the data.
Answers
to Exercises
Click HERE to check your answers for
the exercises on quotation marks and underlining.
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