Editing A. Capital Rules 1. The pronoun I (I'm, I'll, I've, I’d) 2. The first word of every sentence - after. ? ! 3.titles of books, magazines, movies, poems, tv shows, etc. 4. proper nouns (names) of – people (Aunt Sue, Ms. Wilson, Dad) – places (Colonia Middle School, CMS) – things (The Statue of Liberty) *Not when following, my, our, your, his, her, their… (my aunt Sue, our dad, your school, his teacher, her statue, their uncle)

Titles 1. First words always have capitals 2. Words that have more than 3 letters need capitals 3. If a word has 3 or less letters check this list: NO CAPITAL LIST

Underline or “ ”? 1. Title of a book or novel=underline (If you’re typing, use italics) 2. Title of a short story, essay, poem, song, article= “quotation marks” Quick rule: If the title is on the cover of a book, underline it.

B. Punctuation 1. Period ● At the end of a sentence ● When your voice stops ● Abbreviations – Dr., Mrs., Mr., Ms. (NOT Miss!) 2. Question Mark (?) ● At the end of questions – Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, Do, Did, Can, Don’t, Doesn’t, Can’t, Aren’t, Is, If…

3. Exclamation point (!) -At the end of sentences showing excitement or strong emotion. -After interjections showing strong emotion. Examples of interjections: Wow! Hey! Holy cow! Oh my! Yikes!

C. So, But, And, Or ALMOST NEVER use at the beginning of a sentence. Only use for emphasis, or to stand out. Don’t use more than once or twice in a whole writing piece. I was standing on the edge of the skyscraper. The man approached me from behind, holding a knife in his hand and with a fierce glint in his eye. I looked back at him, knowing that knife was aimed at my heart. I looked down…17 stories…to the concrete sidewalk below. I had no way out. There was nothing else to do. So I jumped. Instead: 1. Put a comma and a lowercase so, but, and, or. 2. Cross out the So, But, And, Or.

D. Verb Tense (VT) If your writing starts in the past, keep it in the past. If your writing starts in the present, keep it in the present. Which is correct? 1. Many years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. Some eat plants and others eat meat. or 2. Many years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. Some ate plants and others ate meat.

E. Dialogue 1. Quotation Marks (“ ”) ● When someone is saying something (dialogue) ● Titles that aren't novels or books 2. Comma (,) ● When someone is talking, use it before the quotation marks. “Hello,” said Tom. Tom said, “Hello.” ● In a list of 3 or more – I love chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, and chocolate cookies. ● After the date and before the year – October 17, 2011

1. When someone new talks, go on a new line and indent. “Hello,” said Ivy. “Hi, how are you?” answered Brooke. 2. In quotations, use a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark, not a period. “Hello,” said Ivy. “Hello!” shouted Ivy. “Hello?” asked Ivy. Exceptions: Ivy said, “Hello.” Ivy asked, “Hello?” Ivy shouted, “Hello!” Dialogue Must-Dos