Proper Use of Capitalization

[rbattelle]

Every time I post things like this I get flogged for being an English "elitist", but here goes.



I thought I'd address the use of capital letters, briefly.



The first letter of a sentence (such as this one) must be capitalized. Only the first letter need be capitalized. Not The First Letter Of Every Word In Every Sentence Like This.



Titles are an exception to this rule. The "operative" words in a title should have the first letter capitalized, like these examples:



"A Bridge Too Far"

"Machinery's Handbook"

"A Tale of Two Cities" (notice "of" is not capitalized).



Capitalize proper nouns. Examples are names (Ryan), titles (Doctor), and state names (Alabama).



Here's a site that lays out more of the rules: link.



I hope this helps.



Ryan

 

[klenger]

isupposethatnextyouaregoingtotellushowtousespacestooandmaybeevenpunctuation

 

[rbattelle]

andmaybeevenpunctuation

Don't get me started on punctuation do you know how annoying it is to read stuff in which the person has placed no punctuation at all i mean it's almost unreadable I see more and more of this kind of stuff all over forums



Ryan

 

[DJW]

rbattelle, Years ago, (many years ago in the UK) we were told by our teacher regarding the rules of capitals, (I was going to type Capitalization,--big word) she said if we thought a word important, such as North when referring to direction to use it, but not to worry about it unless we failed to obey the recognized rules. We'd get 6 of the Best (cane) for starting a sentence with And or But, now paragraphs even start with those words. Leading British newspaper type setters would have very sore hands and even butts if our teachers corrected their work. their grammar was atrocious.

 

[scootergmc]

Now that that problem is Solved, HOW DO I GET MY NPT FITTINGs TO STOP LEAKING?

 

[rbattelle]

Now that that problem is Solved, HOW DO I GET MY NPT FITTINGs TO STOP LEAKING?

Ugh, tell me about it... .



Ryan

 

[ENafziger]

Ryan, I believe your careful attention to writing style, punctuation, diction, etc, is largely what makes your posts some of the best sources on TDR of accurate information. Keep up the good work!

--Eric

 

[CJ Johansson]

And, then their are those people who have never learned two use the right word. There just sew annoying, relying on a spell checker too dew everything...

Sow they're!

 

[scootergmc]

Yeah, there all loosers.

 

[JLEONARD]

Ryan

Are you a capitalist??



Or a punctuationist?



Ok... I'll quit..... I couldn't help it... . :-laf:-laf

 

[DJW]

Anyone old enough to have heard and or remember that very popular song? goes something like this, "My uncle down in Texas can't even write his name, he signs his checks with exes but they cash them just the same. " very popular with the illiterate crowd. I believe an oil well was part of the wording. Was a Great Heart, Sprits and Lively Melody. so there!

 

[Dieselnut59]

eye cant stand reeding post's that got improper garmmer or spelin or using of words.

It also sucks two try too read posts where peeps use things like I am going 2 the store b4 I go home. I will catch u l8er.

Damn this stuff is annoying! Really makes the poster's intelligence appear questionable!

 

[rbattelle]

As much as I hate to admit it, I often stop reading posts with grammar that is nearly incomprehensible.

If other people do the same thing, then people are really hurting themselves by not taking a little time to write well.

Ryan

 

[crobertson1]

It also bothers me, that people are using "text language" in everything now, like Dieselnut59 said.

 

[GiesJ]

Ryan -
I agree. The text messaging crap really ruins it for me. I also stop reading if it becomes too painful.

 

[DJW]

Regarding English, here are two sentences to answer in the way it was given. "You can't use too much water. " the other, "Drink plenty of water. " Both can end in disaster. Happens daily. How would you interpret those sentences? Both can be interpreted differently. (sorry no prize offered) (Budget Restrictions)

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Improper punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc. are some of my peeves. . . I hold the English language in high regard and wish others would put more effort into treating it properly. But it can be said it's also a reflection of the freedom of our country and that there's a certain fluidity and flexibility to our language.

As for capitalization, here's one of my little peeves to the TDR crowd:

It's van Aaken *NOT* Van Aaken . . . van Aaken DOES NOT START with a capital Vee OK rant over :-laf