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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
When writing the names of newspapers and magazines, italicize the publication titles (e.g., The New York Times, Time). For book titles, use italics as well (e.g., To Kill a Mockingbird). When referencing other types of works like articles, short stories, or chapters, use quotation marks (e.g., "The Lottery," "The Myth of Sisyphus"). Remember to capitalize all major words in titles.
Do color names need to be capitalized?
No, unless you are talking about a color that incorporates the name of a person, such as Van Gogh yellow.
Is the word Motrin always capitalized?
No, the word "Motrin" is not always capitalized. In most cases, it is written as a proper noun and capitalized due to its status as a brand name. However, if used generically to refer to ibuprofen, it would not be capitalized.
Would you capitalize and in a title?
Normally, you capitalize the word "The" in a title if it's the first word, but not if it's not, thus, "The Bonfire of the Vanities." However, consult the style guide for whatever publication you're writing for (if this is schoolwork, ask your teacher what style guide to use; "Elements of Style" is pretty common) in order to be certain.
Is capitalisation spelling or grammar?
Capitalisation is a rule of grammar that determines when to use uppercase letters at the beginning of a sentence, for proper nouns, and sometimes for emphasis. It is not considered a part of spelling but rather a convention in written language.
Should Example be capitalized?
No, why should it be? Well if it's at the start of a sentence, but really, how many sentences start with the word example?
What do You Call Someone Who Has Learned Something by Himself or Herself?
The word "autodidact" is used for an entirely self-taught learned person.
Do you capitalize rainbow trout?
No, "rainbow trout" is not capitalized unless it is at the beginning of a sentence.
When do you capitalize the word contract?
It should be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and in titles.
Should the T in Target be capitalized?
Unless it is at the beginning of a sentence then no
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Target will also be capitalized if you are referring to the department store by that name- it is then a proper noun. " I bought the targets in the sporting goods section of Target."
No, "BA" is typically used as an acronym and does not require punctuation. However, if it is used as part of a sentence, appropriate punctuation should be included at the end of the sentence.
Do you capitalize the word day in election day?
Yes, in the phrase "Election Day," the word "Day" should be capitalized because it is a proper noun referring to a specific day on the calendar.
Do you capitalize regards in Kind regards?
Yes, "Kind Regards" should be capitalized as it is a formal closing in a letter or email.
Should Chinook be capitalized?
Yes, "Chinook" should be capitalized because it is a specific tribe of Native Americans or a specific type of salmon fish.
How many types of punctuation marks can end a sentence?
14 punctuation marks in English grammar:
1. Period ( . )
2. Ellipses (...)
3. Comma ( , )
4. Semicolon ( ; )
5. Apostrophe ( ' )
6. Dash ( --- )
7. Hypen ( - )
8-9. Quotation Marks (" " ) and ( ' ')
10. Italics
Example: Can you spell wonder?
11. Parentheses ( )
12. Brackets [ ]
13. Colon ( : )
14. Slash ( / )
Does a semicolon replace a comma?
In modern writing punctuation serves to make writing intelligible to your reader. Commas normally separate groups of items. If you have any reason to separate elements within groups by commas, then you would use semicolons to separate groups.
Normally, you use the most basic unit of punctuation possible. You do not normally use a semicolon instead of a comma.
Let's try it this way. The sailors included Joe, Sam, and Sue. Or we could say: The sailors included Joe, with the peg leg: Sam, with the handlebar mustache; and Sue, with the stunning blonde hair.
Do you capitalize infantryman?
Yes, "Infantryman" should be capitalized as it is a specific job title or role within the military.
What word in a complimentary close is capitalized?
The first word of a complimentary close is capitalized. Some examples are:
Respectfully,
Respectfully yours,
Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Yours sincerely,
Yours truly,
With appreciation,
Thank you,
Is kindergarten supposed to be capitalized?
Probably not, although the question is more complicated than it seems.
Part of the confusion stems from kindergarten being a foreign word importation. The word was coined by Friedrich Fröbel, a German educator who founded a school for young children in the 19th-century. All nouns are capitalized in German, and Kindergarten was no exception.
There is some inconsistency over whether German importations into English should retain their capitalization. For words that have become extremely common, such as bratwurst or angst, the answer seems to be no. However Schadenfreude, an uncommon but still familiar word, is capitalized in the Oxford English Dictionary.
It is difficult to determine at exactly what point a German importation reaches a level of usage sufficient to drop the capitalization. Of course since kindergarten is a very familiar word to most English-speakers, we could assume that lowercase is correct.
But it's not as simple as that. Style guides from some authorities, such as the International Reading Association, have in the past instructed writers to capitalize all grade levels, such as First Grade, High School, etc. Kindergarten would be subject to that rule. While the IRA guide has departed from that policy, the confusion lingers.
Complicating things even more are those who insist that references to a particular kindergarten program be capitalized, as in Springfield Elementary Kindergarten or Ms. Johnson's Kindergarten. There is also the issue of abbreviation, as in K-5 or pre-K. In those cases, the capital K reflects the convention of capitalizing abbreviations, not the convention of capitalizing the word itself.
Taking all of that into account gives us several rules for different cases. If you are referring to kindergarten in general (and in English), you may use the lowercase. Specific references to a single kindergarten program may require capitalization, and you should use a capital K in abbreviations.
Should fishing have a capital letter?
Not unless it is the first word of a sentence or part of a title.
Yes, "Uranium" should be capitalized as it is a proper noun and the name of a chemical element.
Should the name of streets be capitalized?
No, except at the beginning of a sentence because it is
n
ot a proper
n
ou
n.
Hyzaar is a brand name for a medication, so it should be capitalized.
