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Punctuation and Capitalization
Are you hooked on commas? Are you possessive about apostrophes? Do you think hyphens look dashing? This category is for questions related to the use of certain marks to separate words into sentences and clauses and capital letters in writing.
6,363 Questions
What about the ms or mr on the inside address could it be open punctuation?
Open punctuation is used in The Economist, a highly respected English newspaper. However, in the United States, a period is almost always used after both of these abbreviations.
Do you capitalize ocean in Pacific Ocean?
Yes, because it is part of the name. It should be Pacific Ocean.
Should Roman goddes be capitalized?
"Roman" should be capitalized, but "goddess" should not me. The names of Roman goddesses are proper nouns and should be capitalized.
Do you capitalize the p in president when you talk about his congressional speech?
Yes, usually it's proper to capitalize President. When simply saying 'the President,' it's proper to capitalize it but okay not to. However, when you're saying 'President Obama' as his title, it's required.
Is the word Burgundy capitalized?
The word "burgundy" is capitalized if one is referring to the French region of the same name. However, if one is referring to the color burgundy, then it is not capitalized.
Would you capitalize mother when writing thank you in memory of mother?
Yes, it should be capitalized because it is used as aname this time.
It should be ---Tha
nk you i
n the memory of Mother.
How do you punctuate Opponent's?
Opponent's can be punctuated with an apostrophe to show possession (e.g., opponent's strategy) or as a contraction (e.g., opponent's playing).
Is it incorrect to capitalize the salutation?
Capitalize family titles when they are used as names. For example, "Where are you going, Dad?" Do nott capitalize family titles when they come after a possessive noun or pronoun or an article. For example, My sister teaches at the university.
Should Hispanic be capitalized?
Yes, the term "Hispanic" should be capitalized when referring to people of Spanish-speaking descent or origin. It is considered a proper noun in this context.
Should an apostrophe be used in Grandfather's Day?
No, the correct term is "Grandparents Day" as it is a day to honor both grandmothers and grandfathers, not just one specific individual.
Why are a colon and a hyphen sometimes used to introduce a list?
A colon is typically used to introduce a list when the introductory clause or phrase sets up the list that follows. A hyphen can be used to introduce items in a list when each item is being elaborated upon or when the list items are closely related.
Should south be capitalized with calling your a specific county?
No, "south" should not be capitalized unless it is part of an official title or proper noun, such as South County.
Only at the beginning of a sentence. See also:
Would you capitalize Puerto Rican?
Yes, "Puerto Rican" should be capitalized as it refers to the nationality or ethnicity of people from Puerto Rico.
Should giant hogweed be capitalized?
No, except at the beginning of a sentence because it is
n
ot a proper
n
ou
n.
Yes, PST should be capitalized as it stands for Pacific Standard Time.
Should dear fellow co worker be capitlaized?
No, "dear fellow coworker" should not be capitalized unless it is being used as a salutation at the beginning of a letter or email. In general use within a sentence, it should be written in lowercase.
What does it mean with a single hyphen follow an exclamation mark?
A single hyphen following an exclamation mark typically conveys a sense of surprise or disbelief in informal written communication, such as chat messages or social media posts. It is often used to emphasize the emotion behind the exclamation.
Should the first of letter a sentence be capitalized if an apostrophe precedes it?
No, the first letter of a sentence should not be capitalized if an apostrophe precedes it. The apostrophe indicates a contraction or possession and does not affect the capitalization rules for sentences.
What is mistake of punctuation in a sentence?
Most people use commas incorrectly. They either don't use them(,) even when the sentence needs a comma. Or, a writer, uses, too, many commas, and makes, the sentence, confusing, such as in this sentence.
NOTE: Extra commas in the above sentence are used to show the problem with using too many commas. Please do NOT 'correct' that sentence.
