Great Grammar Capitalization

Teacher’s Guide

Great GrammarCapitalization

Grades 5-9

CPTV

CREDITS

Program Produc t ionSunburs t Vi sua l Media

Teacher ’s GuideKr i s t i e Micha lowsk i , M. Ed.

Pr in t Mater ia l Des ignDesk top Produc t ions

© 2004 Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLCHawthorne, NY 10532

Approximate running time: 17-25 minutes

Great Grammar: Capitalization

© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC Great Grammar: Capitalization

Table of Contents

Guide Information ......................................5

Fast Facts ....................................................7

Before Viewing Activities ............................8

During Viewing Activities ..........................11

After Viewing Activities ............................14

After Viewing Quizzes ..............................17

Additional Resources ................................19

Answer Keys ............................................27

Script........................................................33

© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC Great Grammar: Capitalization5

About This GuideProviding students with visual media is an excellent way to take them out of the classroom and into the real world. Our programs offer real-world footage, dynamic graphics,engaging dramatizations, and first-person testimonials that keep students interested and helpthem visualize difficult concepts. More importantly, they reinforce critical learning objectivesshaped by state and national educational standards. However, the learning doesn’t begin andend when the program does. You can make the learning experience even more effective byusing the materials provided in this Teacher’s Guide.

GuideInformation

This guide is divided into the following sections:

• Fast Facts are designed to give your students a quick overview of the information presented within the video.

• Before Viewing Activities help identify what students already know about the subject, what they are curious about, and what they hope to learn.

• During Viewing Activities may be used during viewing to enhance students’ understanding of the video.

• After Viewing Activities help students summarize and draw conclusionsfrom the information that was presented.

• After Viewing Quizzes test students’ retention of the information presented in the program and activity sheets.

• Additional Resources are designed to help you extend the information presented in the program into other areas of your curriculum.

• Answer Keys are provided for relevant activities or reproducible pages.

• Script content is provided in an unabridged version for future reference.

6Great Grammar: Capitalization © Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC

GuideInformationProgram Overview

Great Grammar: Capitalization This guide will provide students with the standard rules of capitalization, why they areimportant to use, and give examples of each rule. This lesson provides a fun way tolearn about capitalization as the host reviews the rock-n-roll band members’biographies. As editing takes place, the rules are reinforced and explained.

The information targets different learning styles by presenting the information visuallyand orally. It is presented in a format that will keep students engaged with thematerial. The use of “text boxes” with key terms and definitions, dialogs, andediting/writing samples allow students to comprehend the material presented.

Viewing ObjectivesAfter viewing the DVD/video and utilizing the activities provided in the teacher’sguide, the students will be able to:

• Identify standard rules of capitalization

• Apply standard rules of capitalization

• Understand why capitalization is used

Having capitalization rules makes reading and writing easier. Different rules exist for whento capitalize and when not to capitalize.

There are nine basic rules for capitalization:

Rule #1: Capitalize the first letter of a sentence

Rule #2: Capitalize the pronoun I.

Rule #3: Capitalize proper nouns and words derived from proper nouns. (Proper nouns arenames of persons, places, and things.)

Rule #4: Capitalize the first letter of the adjectives that are made from the names of peopleand places. (Adjectives are words that describe nouns.)

Rule #5: Capitalize titles of persons when used as part of a proper name, but do notcapitalize them when they are used alone.

Exception to Rule # 5: The word is not capitalized if it is not used as part of a propername. Examples: doctor, professor, president, and senator.

Rule #6: Capitalize the first letter of directions only when they are used to designate actualplaces, not when they point in a direction.

Rule #7: Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence. (Quotes are the exact wordssomeone else said.)

Rule #8: Capitalize holidays, months, and days of the week.

Rule #9: Capitalize the first, last, and all major words in titles of books, articles, andsongs.

Exception to Rule # 9: Do not capitalize such articles as a, an, and the; shortprepositions like for, to, on, and from; and such conjunctions as and, or, and but.

7© Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC Great Grammar: Capitalization

Fast FactsFast Facts

Common Proofreading SymbolsBelow are sentences that require correction. Use the appropriate proofreading marks toshow what corrections need to be made.

1. i know i must go to grandmas house

2. why cant i come to st louis with you

3. my favorite book is how much i love you?

4. where have you traveled in the united states

5. the president will give his speech on television tonight

6. mary jo wants to read her sisters magazine called teen

7. i went out west to visit aunt mary in july

8. my brother james went to the Doctor on wednesday

9. my father voted in the election for senator smith today

10. do you celebrate christmas with the song silent night

Great Grammar: Capitalization © Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC8

Name Before ViewingActivity 1

Insert a comma here After class we went outside.

I couldn t remember where I put the keys.

Insert item here I ice cream every night.

Use double quotation marks My favorite story is Ruby.

Use a period here He ate everything on his plate

Delete She has has beautiful clothes.

Transpose elements Sally only ate the green candies.

Close up this space I saw a butter fly.

A space is needed here I need to domy homework.

Make letter lowercase You should Proofread all your work.

Capitalize letter My favorite month is april.

Begin new paragraph “I love it,” I said. “I thought you would,” she replied.

Apostrophe or single quotation mark needed



Put On Your Cap!Fill in the chart below. Before viewing the DVD/video, show what you already know aboutcapitalization in the “Show what I know” section. During the DVD/video, ask any questionsabout information you do not understand and would like to know more about in the “Askmy questions” section. After viewing the DVD/video and participating in various activities,show what you have learned about capitalization in the “What I have learned” section.

9

Showwhat Iknow

Ask myquestions

What I have learned



Capitalization Correct/IncorrectBefore viewing the video, read each statement. Decide if the statement is correct orincorrect. Think about how you would explain your answer. After watching the video, goback over the statements and decide if the statement is correct or incorrect.

Before Viewingcorrect /incorrect

After Viewingcorrect/incorrect

You will learn about World war II this year.

My mother’s name is Alice and her sister is my aunt.

i love to go to the movies on wednesdayMy family is italian.

Your dog is a Welsh Corgi named Bitsie.

I need to go to Doctor Jones on Mondayto get my teeth cleaned.

June said, “when can I come to your house?”

Sally went to the public library in Cumming to check out a new CD called Down And Out.

The Professor was disappointed with the students’ grades.

You need to travel West from Georgia to get to California.


Name During ViewingActivity 1

Know the Rules! Graphic OrganizerIn the boxes below, write the nine rules of capitalization presented during the DVD/video.Make sure you include examples of each rule.

11

Rule 1

Rule 2

Rule 3

Rule 4

Rule 5

Rule 6

Rule 7

Rule 8

Rule 9

Capitalization Graphic OrganizerAny Way You Add It Up, Capitalization Rules!In the boxes below, take notes during the DVD/video about capitalization. Make sure youinclude examples of each rule.



1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Capitalization Rules!

+

Capitalization Note TakingUsing the right rules of capitalization will make your writing better. In the table below, takenotes during the DVD/video about capitalization. Include examples of each rule.



13

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Rules Examples


Name After ViewingActivity 1

Correct the BiographiesBelow are the biographies from the rock-n-roll band, Capital Justice, in the DVD/video.Correct the biographies and state what rule was used.

Jo’s biography:Hi, I’m Jo. I play bass in the band. playing rock-and-rollwas a great pastime where i grew up in cuyahoga falls,ohio. There were lots of cold, snowy nights when we justjammed in the basement…I think we may have drivenour neighbors crazy!

Doug’s biography:Hi, I’m Doug, the drummer. I was born on february29th, the extra day in a Leap Year. Because of that,my dad always said, “you march to the beat of adifferent drummer.” He’s right. I love to drum andmake up new beats. In fact, my favorite movie is titledbeat the drum differently.

Cat’s biography:Hi! I’m Cat, and I play guitar and sing. My real name is Catherine, but mymother loved tennessee Williams’ Cat on a hot tin Roof, so I’m Cat. Istarted with Spanish guitar lessons when I was young. My teacher, mr.Sanchez, said, “there’s nothing like playing live for an audience.” I got thebug to be in a band when I traveled to the west Indies with a BalletFolklorico troupe for the entire month of june last year.

Sergio’s biography:Hi, I’m Sergio, the lead singer and guitarist. I’ve lived inthe southwest most of my life, which is probably why Ilove mexican food and riding horses so much. I owe alot to my music teacher, professor Peggy Miller, forhelping me to be confident enough to perform in aband…because I’m actually kind of shy.



15

Word Wise with CapitalizationBelow are words that need to be capitalized…or do they? Decide which words need tobe capitalized and try to use them in a paragraph or two.



Picture PerfectHelp your writing become picture perfect. Use your notes from the DVD/video on the ninerules of capitalization. In each picture frame, write two examples that show the ninecapitalization rules in use.

Rule #1

Rule #2

Rule #3

Rule #4

Rule #5

Rule #6

Rule #7

Rule #8

Rule #9


Name After ViewingContent Quiz 1

Content Quiz 1Write or circle the letter of the best answer; fill in the blank with the best answer; or writetrue or false for each statement.

1. Why do we use capitalization rules?a. For funb. To learn more grammar rulesc. To make reading and writing easierd. None of the above

2. What example is correct when it is a title of a book?a. All the Beasts are Wiseb. Where is my Mother?c. Go West Young Mand. None of the above

3. Which one is not a rule of capitalization?a. Always capitalize the pronoun Ib. Always capitalize the first letter of directions like North, South, East or Westc. Always capitalize the first word of a quoted sentenced. None of the above

4. __________________ has nine basic rules to follow for better writing.

5. _________ True or False? Capitalize all words in a book or song.

6. _________ True or False? Capitalize the first letter of adjectives that are made from thenames of people and places.

7. List two rules of capitalization and give an example of eacha. _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________b. _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

8. Write three words that are not capitalized when in a title of a magazine articlea. ____________________ b. ____________________ c. ____________________

17


Name After ViewingContent Quiz 2

Content Quiz 2Correct the capitalization mistakes in the paragraph below. State the capitalization rule foreach correction.

The rock-n-roll band called capital justice is this year’s new sensation. it consists of four Band

members who each have their own unique talents. First there is jo. She plays the bass and is

from ohio which is in the northern part of the united states.

Next is Sergio. He is the lead singer and guitarist of capital justice. He used to live in the

southwest and loves mexican food. sergio credits his music teacher who was a Professor for

helping him be who he is Today.

another member of the Band is doug. He is the Drummer for the Band. His birthday is

february 29th. He likes to watch his favorite movie beat the drum differently. Doug likes to

be different. He also has a dog that is a hungarian pulik called harry.

The last member of the Band is Catherine…or cat for short. She started playing music on a

spanish guitar and now plays the guitar for capital justice. cat also sings for the group. She

has traveled to the west Indies with a Ballet troupe and got the bug to be in a band there.

These four talented performers have come out with their new CD. it is flying out of the stores

since it was put on the shelves this tuesday. When we asked jo what she thought of this

instant success she said, “it is just super. i never thought the public would love it this much.

thank you.”

_________________________________________________________________________________

Grammar

Have students write poems for specific parts of speech. Each poem should describe the jobof the part of speech or include several examples of that part of speech.

Have students write riddles based on the functions of parts of speech. Students can read theriddles out loud while the other students guess the part of speech.

Play a grammar game. Give each team of students a set of cards that indicate the variousparts of speech studied. Write a sentence on the board. Teams of students each send oneplayer at a time to place a part of speech card below the corresponding word.

Have students color-code sentences. They choose sentences from literature books or content-area books. Teams or individual students copy sentences, using the following color code:

Continue this activity in a different way. Randomly pass out cards to students on which youhave written words using the code. Students then build a correct sentence together.

Have students do word sorting. They choose a paragraph from a piece of writing. Then theymake a chart of the words of each type of speech they found in the paragraph. Studentscan then trade charts with another student and check each other’s work.

Develop a magazine scavenger hunt. Students can scour magazines and cut out words thatfit the parts of speech categories studied.

Play Scrabble on the bulletin board. Assign colors to specific parts of speech and havestudents add words to the board with each part of speech studied.

Do a poem search. How many of each part of speech can your students find in a poem?

Use the book Jabberwocky. What words can students use to replace the nonsense wordsused? Students can also make their own versions in picture books.

Give each part of speech a cents value. Who can find the sentence worth the most money ina literature book or content area book?

Make three dice. The first one says noun, noun, verb, verb, adjective, adjective. The secondone says N, S, T, L, R, P. The third one says 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 40

noun — 25 ¢ pronoun — 30¢ verb — 35¢ adjective — 40¢ adverb — 50¢ conjunction — 60¢ preposition — 75¢ interjection — $1

nouns — dark blue pronouns — light blue action verbs — dark green linking verbs — light green adjectives — purple adverbs — orange conjunctions — white prepositions — tan interjections — pink


AdditionalResourcesInterdisciplinary Ideas

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AdditionalResources

Great Grammar: Capitalization © Sunburst Visual Media, a division of Global Video, LLC

Interdisciplinary Ideasseconds, 50 seconds, 60 seconds. Team members take turns rolling the dice. During therolled amount of time, each player is to name as many words of the part of speech andletter rolled as possible.

Use yarn to practice prepositions. Students stand in a circle with a loop of yarn being heldby one finger of each student. Upon your instructions, students demonstrate being inside theyarn, outside the yarn, on the yarn, above the yarn, etc.

Punctuation

Have students make character creations. They create a character completely frompunctuation marks. Then, they write sentences about their character, correctly using thepunctuation marks in their sentences.

Listening for punctuation. Assign each punctuation mark that you have studied a specificaction. For example, every time students hear a place where a period belongs, they canclap their hands. They might snap their fingers if they hear a place where a commabelongs. This might take some whole group practice with looking at a piece of writing onthe overhead. Students will eventually recognize locations where the marks are requiredand understand the purposes of each mark.

Have students scan advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and junk mail forexclamation points. On their own or with their teammates, they decide on whether theexclamation points are effectively used or overused. Encourage them to rewrite theseadvertising sentences to convey the emphasis without using the exclamation point foreffect.

Help students understand how commas affect understanding by playing court reporter. Askone or two students to read a passage from their papers or some reading for the classwhile the other students write what they say. Then have the reporters prepare a transcript ofwhat they heard, inserting punctuation where they think it is needed. Each team shouldcompare the reporters’ versions with the originals and solve any disputes over comma useby referring to the appropriate sections of this chapter.

The apostrophe is a messy punctuation mark and is frequently misused. Help students seehow popular use is changing the perception of apostrophes by asking students in groups toexamine sections of the Yellow Pages or the advertisements in the local newspaper to findexamples where expected apostrophes are missing. They can also look for places whereapostrophes are overused. Encourage them to notice such misuses and bring them to theattention of the class. Create a bulletin board of samples from the real world.


The most troublesome possessive is its, which many students confuse with it’s. Ask studentsto keep a list in their journals of places where they see these words confused, includingpublished work and other students’ writing. It’s hunting makes students learn the its/it’srule and become more aware of how they use these words in their own writing.

Have students do a group editing exercise for punctuation. As a student’s writing draft isdisplayed on the overhead, other students raise “road signs” to indicate the punctuationthey suggest. For example, a stop sign for a period, a yield sign for a comma, and so on.

AdditionalResourcesInterdisciplinary Ideas

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AdditionalResources


Classroom Discussion Prompts

1. Why do you think we need capitalization?

2. What rules presented in the DVD/video do you think we do not need? Why?

3. Why do you think we capitalize both letters when abbreviating a state’s name? Ex.Georgia: GA

4. What rule is the most commonly used? Why?

5. What rule do students use the least? Why?

6. How do you think the rule to always capitalize the pronoun “I” came about?


Additional Reading, Lesson Plans, Worksheets

Clarke Arlene G. and Marlene B. Clarke. Capitalization and Punctuation Make Sense. GlobeFearon, 1988. Contains exercises for students to correct. Many on capitalization.Gives “hints” on different capitalization rules on worksheets and where to find therules in the book.

Kellaher, Karen. Writing Skills Made Fun: Capitalization, Punctuation & Spelling. ScholasticProfessional Books, 2001. Fun and creative ideas for students to learn and reinforcethe use of capital letters. Contains more than just capitalization skills. Easy to find newideas to enhance learning.

Pulver, Robin. Punctuation Takes a Vacation. Holiday House, 2003. A fun way to introducethe importance of punctuation. Humorous story that will entertain young students, butalso teach them a lesson. Students should appreciate why punctuation is necessarythrough the text and illustrations.

Thurston, Cheryl Miller. Capitalization: Teaching Correct Capitalization to Kids Who Aren’tCrazy About Writing in the First Place. Cottonwood Press, 2000. The title says it all.Part of a series entitled Teaching the Boring Stuff. Students will have fun with theactivities in this book. Designed with real kids in mind. Teaches the rules one step at atime.

Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Quiz:

Abbreviating AmericaFrom Georgia Learning Connection. Written by Leeann Goodwin. 4th grade. The studentswill learn the correct abbreviations of the states. Easy to execute. Fun for students. Need anInternet connection.http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/lptools/lpshared/lpdisplay.asp?Session_Stamp=&LPID=13274

CapitalizationThis site contains a PowerPoint presentation on capitalization. View first to refresh studentson the rules of capitalization with examples. Next linked page contains the basic rules ofcapitalization. Includes information on how to capitalize words from the Internet. Studentscan also take the quiz.http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/capitals.htm

AdditionalResourcesSuggested Reading List

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AdditionalResources


Suggested Reading ListCapitalization RulesFrom Georgia Learning Connection. Written by Michelle Madden. 4th grade. Detailed lessonto have students review and reinforce the rules of capitalization. Discussion and writingtakes place. http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/lptools/lpshared/lpdisplay.asp?Session_Stamp=&LPID=8758

Capitalization Worksheets and Puzzles:From edhelper.com. Use worksheets already created or create your own easily on this site.Can do by grade level or by working on certain capitalization skills (if you are amember)…you choose! Has numerous worksheets to choose from…you are sure to find onejust right for your students.http://www.edhelper.com/language/capitalization.htm


AdditionalResourcesInternet Sites

Below are a list of sites that you may use to find more information about capitalization. Dueto routine web maintenance, not all of the links will be accurate at the time of access. If thelink is not available, try to conduct a search on that topic from the main site or from asearch engine.

Grammar Blast: Capitalization and PunctuationInteractive site where students show their knowledge in capitalization and punctuation. Funway to review or refresh skills. Multiple choice questions with immediate response.http://www.eduplace.com/cgi-bin/hme-quiz-start.cgi?Grade=4&Unit=5&Topic=Capitalization+and+Punctuation&x=48&y=16

Exploring English: CapitalizationQuick refresher on basic capitalization rules with examples. Easy to read for students.http://www.shared-visions.com/explore/english/capital.html

Help for Teachers.com: CapitalizationThis site contains a lesson plan for capitalization. It requires four days to implement andincludes a rubric and detailed steps. Internet required to print recommended worksheets.http://www.help4teachers.com/Capitalization.htm

My English Teacher: CapitalizationOutlines basic capitalization rules and give a “quiz.” I would suggest that you print the“quiz” and let students do it on paper. Not interactive. Includes answers.http://www.myenglishteacher.net/captilizingletters.html

OWL: Online Writing LabThis site would be great for part of a Web Treasure Hunt. Basic rules on capitalization aregiven with examples. From Purdue University. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_caps.html

Quia: CapitalizationThis site contains the basic rules of capitalization and examples on online flashcards.Students can control the speed of the cards. Need Java to play.http://www.quia.com/fc/3522.html

Quia: CapitalizationFun site for kids to learn capitalization rules. It has a matching capitalization game. Can

26

AdditionalResources


Internet Sitesplay more than once with different matches. Students have to match rule with example.http://www.quia.com/mc/3522.html

Word Wise: Grammar and SpellingStates the rules of capitalization and gives great examples. Easy to navigate andunderstand. You could use site with students and have them make up their own examples tothe 28 rules presented!http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0771333.html


Answer Key - Before Viewing Activity Sheet 1

Common Proofreading Symbols

italic

italic

italic

Below are sentences that require correction. Use the appropriate proofreading marks toshow what corrections need to be made.

1. i know i must go to grandma s house

2. why can t i come to st louis with you ?

3. my favorite book is how much i love you?

4. where have you traveled in the united states ?

5. the president will give his speech on television tonight

6. mary jo wants to read her sister s magazine called teen

7. i went out west to visit aunt mary in july

8. my brother james went to the Doctor on wednesday

9. my father voted in the election for senator smith today

10. do you celebrate christmas with the song silent night

28

Answer Key - Before Viewing Activity Sheet 3


Capitalization Correct/IncorrectBefore viewing the video, read each statement. Decide if the statement is correct orincorrect. Think about how you would explain your answer. After watching the video, goback over the statements and decide if the statement is correct or incorrect.

Before Viewingcorrect / incorrect

After Viewingcorrect/incorrect

✔You will learn about World war II this year.

✔My mother’s name is Alice and her sister is my aunt.

✔i love to go to the movies on wednesday

My family is italian.

✔Your dog is a Welsh Corgi named Bitsie.

✔I need to go to Doctor Jones on Monday

to get my teeth cleaned.

✔June said, “when can I come to your house?”

✔Sally went to the public library in Cumming to

check out a new CD called Down And Out.

✔The Professor was disappointed with the students’ grades.

✔You need to travel West from Georgia to get to California.


Answer Key - During Viewing Activity Sheet 1

Know the Rules! Graphic OrganizerIn the boxes below, write the nine rules of capitalization presented during the DVD/video.Make sure you include examples of each rule.

Capitalize the first letter of a sentence.

Rule 1

Capitalize the pronoun I.

Rule 2

Capitalize proper nouns and words derived from proper nouns.(Proper nouns are names of persons, places, and things.)Rule 3

Capitalize the first letter of the adjectives that are made from thenames of people and places. (Adjectives are words that describenouns).

Rule 4

Capitalization titles of persons when used as part of a proper name, but do not capitalizethem when they are used alone.Exception to Rule # 5: the word is not capitalized if it is not used as part of a propername. Examples: doctor, professor, president, and senator.

Rule 5

Capitalize the first letter of directions only when they are usedto designate actual places, not when they point in a direction.Rule 6

Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence. (Quotes are theexact words someone else said.)Rule 7

Capitalize holidays, months, and days of the week.

Rule 8

Capitalize the first, last, and all major words I titles of books, articles, and songs.Exception to Rule # 9: Do not capitalize articles, such as a, an and the; shortprepositions, such as for, to, on, and from; and conjunctions, such as and, orand but.

Rule 9

30

Answer Key - After Viewing Activity Sheet 1


Correct the BiographiesBelow are the biographies from the rock-n-roll band, Capital Justice, in the DVD/video.Correct the biographies and state what rule was used.

Jo’s biography:Hi, I’m Jo. I play bass in the band. Playing (RULE 1) rock-and-roll was a great pastime where I (RULE 2) grew up inCuyahoga Falls, Ohio (RULE 3). There were lots of cold,snowy nights when we just jammed in the basement…I thinkwe may have driven our neighbors crazy!

Doug’s biography:Hi, I’m Doug, the drummer. I was born on February (RULE 8)29th, the extra day in a leap year (RULE 8 — not a holiday).Because of that, my dad always said, “You (RULE 7) marchto the beat of a different drummer.” He’s right. I love to drumand make up new beats. In fact, my favorite movie is titledBeat the Drum Differently (RULE 9).

Cat’s biography:Hi! I’m Cat, and I play guitar and sing. My real name is Catherine, but mymother loved Tennessee (RULE 3) Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (RULE9), so I’m Cat. I started with Spanish guitar lessons when I was young. Myteacher, Mr. (RULE 5) Sanchez, said, “There’s (RULE 7) nothing like playinglive for an audience.” I got the bug to be in a band when I traveled to theWest Indies (RULE 6) with a Ballet Folklorico troupe for the entire month ofJune (RULE 8) last year.

Sergio’s biography:Hi, I’m Sergio, the lead singer and guitarist. I’ve lived in theSouthwest (RULE 6) most of my life, which is probably why Ilove Mexican (RULE 4) food and riding horses so much. Iowe a lot to my music teacher, Professor (RULE 5) PeggyMiller, for helping me to be confident enough to perform in aband…because I’m actually kind of shy.


Answer Key - After Viewing Content Quiz 1

Content Quiz 1Write or circle the letter of the best answer; fill in the blank with the best answer; or writetrue or false for each statement.

1. Why do we use capitalization rules?a. For funb. To learn more grammar rulesc. To make reading and writing easierd. None of the above

2. What example is correct when it is a title of a book?a. All the Beasts are Wiseb. Where is my Mother?c. Go West Young Mand. None of the above

3. Which one is not a rule of capitalization?a. Always capitalize the pronoun Ib. Always capitalize the first letter of directions like North, South, East or Westc. Always capitalize the first word of a quoted sentenced. None of the above

4. __________________ has nine basic rules to follow for better writing.

5. _________ True or False? Capitalize all words in a book or song.

6. _________ True or False? Capitalize the first letter of adjectives that are made from thenames of people and places.

7. List two rules of capitalization and give an example of eacha. _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________b. _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

8. Write three words that are not capitalized when in a title of a magazine articlea. ____________________ b. ____________________ c. ____________________

Capitalization

False

True

answers will vary

answers will vary

answers will vary answers will vary answers will vary

32

Answer Key - After Viewing Content Quiz 2


Content Quiz 2Correct the capitalization mistakes in the paragraph below. State the capitalization rule foreach correction.

The rock-n-roll band called Capital Justice (RULE 3) is this year’s new sensation. It (RULE

1) consists of four band (RULE 3) members who each have their own unique talents. First

there is Jo (RULE 3). She plays the bass and is from Ohio (RULE 3) which is in the

Northern (RULE 6) part of the United States (RULE 3).

Next is Sergio. He is the lead singer and guitarist of Capital Justice (RULE 3). He used to

live in the Southwest (RULE 6) and loves Mexican (RULE 4) food. Sergio (RULE 3) credits

his music teacher who was a professor (RULE 5) for helping him be who he is today

(RULE 8).

Another (RULE 1) member of the band (RULE 3) is Doug (RULE 3). He is the drummer

(RULE 3) for the band (RULE 3). His birthday is February (RULE 8) 29th. He likes to watch

his favorite movie Beat the Drum Differently (RULE 9). Doug likes to be different. He

also has a dog that is Hungarian Pulik (RULE 4) called Harry (RULE 3).

The last member of the band (RULE 3) is Catherine…or Cat (RULE 3) for short. She started

playing music on a Spanish (RULE 4) guitar and now plays the guitar for Capital Justice

(RULE 3). Cat (RULE 3) also sings for the group. She has traveled to the West (RULE 6)

Indies with a ballet (RULE 3) troupe and got the bug to be in a band there.

These four talented performers have come out with their new CD. It (RULE 1) is flying out of

the stores since it was put on the shelves this Tuesday (RULE 8). When we asked Jo (RULE

3) what she thought of this instant success, she said, “It (RULE 7) is just super. I (RULE 2)

never thought the public would love it this much. Thank (RULE 1) you.”


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SCENE ONE

ChrisWhen you write, you use lower-case letters AND capital letters. Right? Well, knowingWHEN to use capital letters is important… There are rules to follow, why, if thereweren’t rules to follow for capitalizing letters your sentences could end up looking likethis! Yikes! That’s hard to read!

Think about it like this. Writing without rules would be like playing football withoutrules…the game would always be different depending on who was playing…withoutrules anything would be okay.

So, having rules to follow actually makes reading and writing easier. Learning whento capitalize letters is what we’ll talk about today on GREAT GRAMMAR!

CAST

Chris ....................................................................................HostJo......................................................................................BassistSergio ..........................................................................GuitaristDoug ............................................................................DrummerCat ................................................................................GuitaristMichael Wayne ..................................Writing Activity NarratorAimee ..............................................................Content Reviewer

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SCENE TWO

ChrisHi, I’m Chris. There are actually many different rules for when to capitalize and whennot to capitalize. Let’s start with the most basic ones:

Rule Number 1:Capitalize the first letter of a sentence.

For example in the preamble to our constitution: We the people…; the word “We” iscapitalized.

Now for Rule Number 2:Capitalize the pronoun.

For example in the sentence: I love to skateboard. The pronoun ”I” is alwayscapitalized.

And Rule Number 3:Capitalize proper nouns and words derived from proper nouns.

Remember, proper nouns are names of specific persons, places, and things. So,besides the obvious words to capitalize like names of people and states — capitalizethe names of religions like Catholicism, nationalities like Italian; historical events likeWorld War II, and organizations like the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

SCENE THREE

ChrisOkay, it’s time to practice. Imagine that you have been hired to edit the text that willappear on the CD insert for a soon-to-be-famous rock-n-roll band called CapitalJustice. You are in charge of correcting capitalization on biographies submitted by theband members.

Let’s get to work on band member Jo’s bio and apply what we’ve learned so far:

JoHi. My name is Jo. I play bass in the band. Playing rock and roll was a great pastime


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where I grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. There were lots of cold, snowy nights whenwe just jammed in the basement…I think we may have driven our neighbors crazy!

ChrisBrrrrr…no wonder they were inside playing. Well, Jo may be an awesome bassplayer, but let’s help with the capitalization in her biography.

The first two sentences are fine. But, the third sentence has some errors. Can you spotthem? The word “playing” needs to be capitalized because it’s the first word of asentence; “I” needs to capitalized because the pronoun “I” is ALWAYS capitalized, and“Cuyahoga Falls” is the name of a city in Ohio, it’s a proper noun and it needs tocapitalized. Here’s how it should look…

…and now for the last sentence. It looks perfect.

Let’s see how the corrected bio looks on the CD insert…

…looks good. Keep the bass pounding, Jo

SCENE FOUR

ChrisOkay let’s look at some other rules for capitalization.

Rule Number 4:Capitalize the first letter of adjectives that are made from the names of people andplaces.

Remember, adjectives are words that describe nouns. For example: the word“Hungarian” is capitalized in the sentence My dog is a Hungarian Pointer because theword “Hungarian” is an adjective made from the name of a country… Hungary,which is also a proper noun, by the way, and therefore needs to capitalized.

Now for Rule Number 5:Capitalize titles of persons when used as part of a proper name, but do NOTcapitalize them when they are used alone.

For example: the word “doctor” in this sentence would be capitalized because it’s part


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of the doctor’s name: Doctor Lucas gave me a check up.

However, the word “doctor” is not capitalized if it’s not used as part of a propername, like in this example: I need to go to the doctor about this cold. Some otherwords that follow this rule are: professor, president, and senator.

And Rule Number 6 is another rule with a twist. Capitalize the first letter of directions.

You know… north, south, east, west or northwest, southwest, northeast, or southeast,but only when they are used to designate actual places, not when they point in adirection.

Take a look at this sentence that gives an example of using a directional word bothways: During the Great Depression, Americans traveled west to find work in the West.

The first time west appears, it is not capitalized because it refers to a direction; thepeople actually traveled in a westerly direction. However, the second West iscapitalized because it refers to an entire region, in this case, the Western UnitedStates.

SCENE FIVE

ChrisOkay, let’s get back to the CD cover and apply what we’ve learned. Let’s meet Sergio.Here’s what he had to say in his biography.

SergioHi I’m Sergio, the lead singer and guitarist. I’ve lived in the Southwest most of my life,which is probably why I love Mexican food and riding horses so much.

I owe a lot to my music teacher, Professor Peggy Miller for helping me to be confidentenough to perform in a band…because I’m actually kind of shy.

ChrisOkay, let’s check Sergio’s bio for errors, the first sentence looks fine. But, check out thesecond sentence. Should the word “southwest” be capitalized? The rule is that youcapitalize the first letter of directions when they’re used to designate actual places. In


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this case, Sergio refers to the Southwest as a region of the United States, so it shouldbe capitalized.

See anything else in that sentence? Should the word “Mexican” be capitalized?Remember you should capitalize the first letter of adjectives that are made from thenames of people and places. Yep. “Mexican” should be capitalized.

How about the word “Professor?” “Professor” is a title and is used as part of a propername, so it should be capitalized.

Let’s see how Sergio’s corrected bio looks on the CD insert.

SCENE SIX

ChrisOkay, let’s look at a few more rules on capitalization.

Here’s Rule Number 7:Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence.

Remember, quotes are the exact words someone else said. Take a look at thisexample: Neil Armstrong said, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”The first word of his quote is capitalized.

Let’s take a giant step together and review the next rule.

Rule Number 8:Capitalize holidays, months, and days of week.

Here’s an example: Monday, June 14th is Flag Day.

Now, here’s one more rule before we get back to editing the CD copy.

Rule Number 9:Capitalize the first, last, and all major words in titles of books, articles, and songs.

Do not capitalize articles, such as a, an, the; short prepositions, such as for, to, of, on,and from; and conjunctions, such as and, or and but.


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Check out this example: Emily’s favorite book is called “Where You Are from.”

In the example all words are capitalized except the word “from”. We just learned that“from” is a word we normally do not capitalize in a title. However, since it is the lastword in the title, the word “from” should be capitalized in this title. It should bewritten: Where You Are From.

SCENE SEVEN

ChrisOkay, let’s get back to rock-n-roll and our CD insert. What does Doug have to say inhis bio?

DougHi, I’m Doug the Drummer. I was born on february 29th, the extra day in a Leap Year.Because of that, my dad always said, “you march to the beat of a different drummer.”He’s right. I love to drum and make up new beats. In fact, my favorite movie is titledbeat The drum differently.

ChrisOkay, let’s do our editing magic on Doug’s bio using what we just learned. Check outhis birthday. February should be capitalized because it’s a month, but what aboutLeap Year? Leap year is not a holiday, so it should NOT be capitalized.

What about the quote? The word “you” should be capitalized because it’s the firstword of a quote. And how about the movie title? The words “beat,” “drum” and“differently” should be capitalized. The word “the” is an article and should not becapitalized. Everything else looks good.

Let’s see how Doug’s bio looks all corrected and in its place on the CD insert.

Good!


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SCENE EIGHT

ChrisLet’s read the bio of our final band member, Cat. See if you can apply all you havelearned to make her bio perfect.

CatHi. I’m Cat, and I play guitar and sing. My real name is Catherine, but my motherloved tennessee Williams’ Cat on a hot tin Roof, so I’m Cat. I started with spanishguitar lessons when I was young. My teacher, mr. Sanchez, said, “there’s nothing likeplaying live for an audience.” I got the bug to be in a band when I traveled to thewest Indies with a Ballet Folklorico troupe for the entire month of june last year.

ChrisOkay, that was Cat. Now, let’s check her bio for correct capitalization.

Well, she has her name, the pronoun “I,” and the first words of her sentencescapitalized. That’s all correct.

Now, let’s look at the word “mother”. Should that be capitalized? In this case,“mother” isn’t a proper noun, so, the “m” should be lower case, it’s correct as it’swritten.

Next, check out “Tennessee,” it definitely should be capitalized; it’s the author’s firstname AND the name of a state. Should it be capitalized twice? Just kidding.

Next is the title, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It is correct that the words “on” and “a” arelower case because they are minor words, but “hot” and “tin” are major words in thetitle, even though they’re only three letters, and should be capitalized.

The “S” in Spanish should be uppercase because it’s a proper noun derived from aplace; and “Ballet Folklorico” should be capitalized because it’s a specific dancetroupe. What about the month June? Yes, all months are capitalized, even the monthsyou like least.

What about “mr. Sanchez?” “Mr.” is a title, and should be capitalized. And, finallywhat about the quote? “there” should be capitalized because it is the first word of aquote.

Whew! Here’s the finished, edited copy.


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SCENE NINE

ChrisLet’s see how everything looks together on the CD insert. Cool! You did a nice jobbeing the capital letter patrol for the CD insert. Stay tuned for an activity idea and areview to help you practice what you’ve just learned. While you do that, I’m goingpractice playing my guitar. Who knows someday you may be writing an insert for myCD cover. I’ll see you later.

Michael WayneHi! If you want to jumpstart your own writing try this! Write a CD insert for your ownband or for the band that you’ve always wanted to be in. Make sure you follow therules of capitalization that we just went over. When you’re done put it in an empty CDcase, then, all you’ll need to do is cut a CD!

Well, let’s hear a song from Capital Justice. See you later!

REVIEW

Aimee Here’s a review of the rules that we just covered:

Number one: Capitalize the first letter of a sentence.

Number two: Capitalize the pronoun I.

Number three: Capitalize proper nouns and words derived from proper nouns.

Number four: Capitalize the first letter of adjectives that are made from the namesof people and places.


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Number five: Capitalize titles of persons when used as part of a proper name,but do not capitalize them when they are used alone.

Number six: Capitalize the first letter of directions when they are used todesignate actual places, not when they point in a direction.

Number seven: Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence.

Number eight: Capitalize holidays, months, and days of the week.

Number nine: Capitalize the first, last, and all major words in titles of books,articles, and songs.


Documents

Great Grammar Capitalization