1. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Chapter Thirteen
Capital Letters
English Brushup, 3E
John Langan
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

2. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letters
There are seven main uses of
Let’s take a look
Capital Letters.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

3. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letter Use
1. First Word in a Sentence or Direct Quotation:
No one tries to get arrested for jaywalking.
He said, “Are you talking to me?”
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

4. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letter Use
2. Names of Persons and the Word I:
Whenever I see Adam Sandler onscreen, I laugh out loud.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

5. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letter Use
3. Names of Particular Places and Languages:
I am going there to practice Spanish, and to see the Grand Canyon.
But use small letters if the specifics aren’t given:
I have to practice my second language, then go to the park.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

6. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letter Use
4. Names of Companies, Associations, Unions, Clubs, Religious and Political Groups, and Other Organizations:
I’d like to join the NBA.
Sally works for the Rand Corporation.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

7. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letter Use
5. Names of Days of the Week, Months, and Holidays:
Last Friday, March 21, was Earth Day.
But use small letters for the seasons:
I love the fall and spring.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

8. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letter Use
6. Names of Commercial Products:
Henry loves Oreos.
But use small letters for the type of product (cookies).
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

9. ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
Capital Letter Use
7. Titles of Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Articles, Stories, Poems, Films, TV Shows, Songs, Papers That You Write, and the like.
I just finished the book Hannibal.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

10. Other Uses of Capital Letters
Names That Show Family Relationships. But do not capitalize words like mother or uncle when they are preceded by a possessive word like my.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc

11. Other Uses of Capital Letters
Titles of Persons When Used with Their Names: Dr. Jones. But use small letters without specific names.
Specific School Courses: Zoology I. But use small letters for general subject areas.
English Brushup, 3E
©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc