UWF WRITING LAB RULES OF THUMB FOR FAULTY CAPITALIZATION, ITALICIZATION, HYPHENATION, AND QUOTATION TECHNIQUE
UWF WRITING LABRULES OF THUMB FOR FAULTY CAPITALIZATION, ITALICIZATION, HYPHENATION, AND QUOTATION TECHNIQUE From Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon 1Created by April TurnerRevised by Mamie Webb HixonJune 30,2010To capitalize or not to . . .When Amazon launched its Kindle book reader, Oprah announced on NBC that this e-reader is one of her favorite things.CAPITALIZE trademarks/product names: KindleCAPITALIZE corporations: AmazonCAPITALIZE certain initialisms/abbreviations: NBCCAPITALIZE peoples names: Oprah2
3DO NOT CAPITALIZEThe first letter of some trademark/product nameseBayeLearningiPhone and iPadMusic genresjazzhip-hoprock n roll musicIdeologiescapitalismsocialismexistentialism4DO NOT CAPITALIZENames that have no association with their originsandwichpasteurizationleotardsSlang namesdorkgeekCommon religious termsa priestholyTypes of transportationplanes and boats and trains5DO NOT CAPITALIZESeasonswinter, spring, summer, or fallCompass directionsnorth by northwestwest of the MississippiMajors or disciplinesspecial educationsocial workProfessional titles or occupational descriptionsmath teacheractor Kevin Baconlawyerformer astronaut Dr. Mae Jemisonbank tellerthe sheriff
6DO NOT CAPITALIZEAcademic classificationsfreshman year seniorCommon nouns used in place of proper nounsa junior collegethe interstateGeneral eventsa civil wara proclamationGeneral names of organizations, agencies, and officesan insurance agencya social security check
7DO NOT CAPITALIZECommon nounshurricanea large cityNames of animalsbald eaglemockingbirdAcademic degreesa doctoratebachelors degreeMilitary titlesretired admirala U.S. marine
8Which words have capitalization errors? retired admiral David Brewer, U.S. navySex And The CityMarketing Communications department
9CAPITALIZATION(NOTE: The list below includes but is not limited to proper nouns that should be capitalized; when in doubt, consult a dictionary.)Words in a title except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions The Wizard of OzSex and the CityProfessional titles preceding or following names Doctor Frank JonesTitles with rank Chief Petty Officer KumwaltzRetired Admiral David Brewer, U.S. NavySpecific departmentsForeign Languages DepartmentMarketing Communications DepartmentDivisions of the militaryArmy, Air Force, Navy
10Which words have capitalization errors?english skillsMBA degreeMasters degreewest of the Mississippion the west coastThe Gulf Coast
11CAPITALIZATIONGeographical areasWest CoastThe South Names of businesses and institutionsFirst National Bank Languages KoreanEnglishCourses followed by a numberEnglish Composition 101 Names of specific degreesBachelor of Arts degree BUTbachelors degree masters degreeSpecific rather than generic course titlesWestern CivilizationPhilosophy of Lovehistoryphilosophy12Which words have capitalization errors?
Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, and Atheiststhe league of women votersblacks, whites, and latinos
13Which words have capitalization errors?Summer vacationFacebook, MySpace, and LinkedInGoogle appsWaiting to ExhaleGone With The Wind
14CAPITALIZATIONReligions, churches, denominationsCatholicism OrganizationsBoys and Girls ClubLeague of Women VotersHistorical events, periods the Harlem RenaissanceFamilial terms such as mother and father if they are not preceded by a possessive wordAunt Judy is my favorite aunt.Races, nationalitiesMexican-AmericanAfrican-AmericanBusinessesAT&TSearsDo NOT capitalizeNeologistic or other terms used to refer to races and nationalitieswhitesBlacks (usage is divided)a native American 15CAPITALIZATIONCalendar names and eventsIndependence Day Personal names and nicknames Michael Air JordanShips, trains, planes Air Force OneAbbreviations acronyms and initials AA, NRA TrademarkseBayiPhoneBlackBerryWi FiSeasons accompanying event namesSpring Festivalsummer vacationBUTwinter, spring, summer16When in doubt about the capitalization of a word, consult a dictionary.
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18ITALICIZATION &UNDERLININGItalicize longer works (for handwritten work, underline):Books, novels, plays, movies, newspapers, magazines, paintings, sculptures, ships, trains, TV programsA Streetcar Named Desire, The New Yorker, Pensacola News Journal, The Amazing Race
19USE QUOTATION MARKS FORShorter works: TV episodes, short stories, songs, poems, chapters in a book, essays, speechesThe Gettysburg Address Ode to a Grecian Urn by John KeatsA Worn Path by Eudora WeltyDirect quotations: Place periods and commas inside closing quotation marks; semicolons and colons, outside; question marks and exclamation marks are placed according to whether the mark accompanies the sentence or the quotation.Cameron exclaimed, That dogs barking was not music to our ears!
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21USE DOUBLE QUOTATION MARKSTO SET OFF: Words and expressions that need to be emphasized or that the writer wants to call attention to:
Marco is a career student he has been enrolled eight years already because he believes in the mantra stay in school.
The celebrity couple are not married to each other; they have an LTA, a living together arrangement.
Both children have cancer, but neither of them is out of the woods yet.
I remember Mommilies such as Things arent always as bad as they seem.
22USE DOUBLE QUOTATION MARKSTO SET OFF: Words used as words
The report will use the word aborigine to refer only to the primitive tribes now living in Australia.TO SET OFF:Words used satirically or words that should not be taken literally
The librarian righteously cleansed the library of all "dirty literature" such as Catch 22, Huckleberry Finn, and The Color Purple.
23USE SINGLE QUOTATION MARKSTO QUOTE SOMEONE WHO IS QUOTING SOMEONE ELSE: A quotation within another quotation or a title within a quote
Dr. Feinstein opened his lecture by saying, Albert Einstein reminded us that Great spirits always receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.
The intro to Lit student naively remarked, The nurse in Eudora Weltys short story A Worn Path calls the protagonist Phoenix Jackson aunt, so are the two characters related?
24Place commas and periods inside closing quotation marks.
Place semicolons and colons outside closing quotation marks.Do your own thing, an expression coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is found in his 1841 edition of Self Reliance, and it is considered a philosophical gem.The graffito on a bathroom wall reads ESP should be outlawed; underneath this quote is I knew youd say that!25Place question marks and exclamation points inside closing quotation marks when the quoted material asks a question or makes an exclamation.
My personal anthem is Tina Turners song Whats Love Got to Do with It?The captain shouted, Halt!26Place question marks and exclamation points outside closing quotation marks when the sentence, not the quoted material, asks a question or makes an exclamation.
Which philosopher said, I think; therefore, I am?(Ren Descartes)
I know that misery loves company, but please save us from his misery!27HYPHENATIONWords with a fixed hyphen (use a dictionary) Compound modifiers preceding a noun: a three-hour movie Words beginning with the prefixes self-, all-, and well-: self-evident, all-encompassing, well-intendedPrefixes before a proper noun: pro-American
28HYPHENATIONFractions used as modifiers: one-third voter turnout Numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine Multiword adjectives: out-of-state checks Some compound nouns: mother-in-law 29LETS PRACTICE!!!Eighty year old actress Betty White said that Facebook is a waste of time.Eighty-year-old actress Betty White said that Facebook is a waste of time.The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbecks greatest novel.The Grapes of WrathMy Aunt attends the local Junior College.My auntjunior collegeBeth said that Tony is a teachers pet.No quotation marksUWF boasts a low student teacher ratio.student-teacher30LETS PRACTICE A LITTLE MORE!!!Joe Smith is a member of the I have a dream foundation.I Have a Dream FoundationDoesnt everyone love Elviss song called Jailhouse Rock?Jailhouse Rock?Her paper is extremely well written.well-writtenJessie has never read Much Ado About Nothing, but she did watch the movie.Much Ado About Nothing31
