business english 2e by mary chapter 13

 Capitalize proper nouns, including the specific names of persons, places, schools, streets, parks, buildings, holidays, events, months, days, nicknames, agreements, websites, software

MARY ELLEN GUFFEY AND CAROLYN M

SEEFER

BUSINES

1 3

Capitalization

L E A R N I N G

O U T C O M E S Level 1

▶ Properly capitalize sentence

beginnings, the pronoun I,

proper nouns, and proper adjectives.

▶ Determine when to

capitalize geographic locations, organization names, academic courses and degrees, and seasons.

Basic Rules of Capitalization

 Capitalize the first letter of a word

beginning a sentence.

 Beginning of a Sentence

The Web has changed the way we

do business.

Companies today have many

social media tools at their fingertips for marketing, communication,

and recruiting.

 Capitalize the pronoun I, no matter

where it appears or how it is used in

a sentence.

 The Pronoun I

I’m surprised that I’ve never seen

this movie before.

If I were you, I’d accept

the job offer.

 Capitalize proper nouns, including the

specific names of persons, places,

schools, streets, parks, buildings, holidays, events, months, days, nicknames, agreements, websites, software programs, apps, games, historical periods, and so forth.

 Do NOT capitalize common nouns that

make general references.

 Proper Nouns

Gulf Oil Company Gulf gasoline Amazon.com website UC Davis

 Capitalize most adjectives that are

derived from proper nouns.

 Proper Adjectives

European economy Japanese imports Victorian attitudes Boston baked beans Internet legislation

 Do NOT capitalize those adjectives

originally derived from proper nouns that have become common

adjectives through usage.

 Proper Adjectives

manila folders french fries india ink diesel engine charlie horse china dishes

How can you tell which

proper adjectives are

no longer capitalized?

When in doubt, consult

a dictionary or

 Capitalize the names of specific

places such as continents, countries, states, cities, counties, mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, seas, oceans, geographic regions, neighborhoods, and subdivisions.

 Geographic Locations

Washington, DC Mediterranean Sea

Monroe County Mt St Helens Kansas City Harlem

 Do NOT capitalize the words city,

county, or state when they precede

geographic locations unless they are part of the official geographical

name or unless they are used by a governing body as part of an official name.

 Geographic Locations

city of Baltimore county of Forsyth

 Capitalize the principal words in the

names of all business, civic, educational, government, labor, military, philanthropic, political, professional, religious, sports, and social organizations.

 Organization Names

American Booksellers Association JPMorgan Chase

Emory University United States Navy

 Capitalize the article the only when

it is part of an organization’s official name.

 Organization Names

The Walt Disney Company The George Washington University

 When military terms are used alone,

they are considered generic and are not capitalized.

 Do NOT capitalize words such as company,

committee, association, and board when

they are used to replace full organization

names in informal documents.

 Organization Names

It appears that the company is making a

profit (Informal document)

 If words such as company, committee,

association, and board are preceded by

the word the and are used in formal or legal

documents (contracts, bylaws, minutes), they may be capitalized.

 Capitalize the names of numbered

courses and specific course titles.

 Do NOT capitalize the names of

academic subject areas unless they contain a proper noun.

 Academic Courses and Degrees

This semester I’m taking Marketing 260 and Finance 330.

This semester I’m taking marketing and

finance classes.

 Capitalize abbreviations of academic

degrees whether they stand alone or follow individuals’ names.

 Do NOT capitalize general references to

degrees unless they are used after and

in conjunction with an individual’s name.

 Academic Courses and Degrees

Janet G Adams, EdD, is a professor at

Minnesota State University.

 Do NOT capitalize seasons unless

they are combined with a year in promotional material or with a

specific title, such as a school term.

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3 Located north of san

francisco is the County

Located north of San

Francisco is the county

of Marin.

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4 Last Spring they installed

italian marble in their entryway.

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5 Do you want French

fries or chinese chicken salad?

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6 The united states postal

service offers Online bill paying.

The United States

Postal Service offers online bill paying.

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7 She plans to take Math

and Psychology courses next semester.

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8 Old Navy usually earns

its greatest profits in the Spring.

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10 Did i tell you that i plan

to visit the State of Montana this Winter?

Did I tell you that I plan

to visit the state of Montana this winter?

L E A R N I N G

O U T C O M E S Level 2

▶ Understand how to capitalize

business correspondence components and titles of people.

▶ Correctly capitalize numbered

and lettered items; points of the compass; departments, divisions, offices, agencies, and committees; government

Special Rules of Capitalization

 Business Correspondence Components

 Titles of People

 Numbered and Lettered Items

 Points of the Compass

 Departments, Divisions, Offices, Agencies, and Committees

 Government Terms

 Product Names

 Literary and Artistic Titles

 Capitalize the first word of certain

business correspondence components that are included in letters, memos, and e-mail

messages.

 Business Correspondence Components

RE: Sales Meeting on Friday (Subject line)

Dear Ms Martin: (Business letter

salutation)

Yours truly, (Complimentary close)

 Capitalize courtesy titles (such as

Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, and Dr.) when

they precede names.

 Titles of People: Titles Preceding Names

Ms Ann Rivers and Mr Scott

Hammond were promoted

Mr and Mrs Heckman threw

themselves an anniversary party.

Miss Marple made an appointment

with Dr Holmes.

 Capitalize titles representing a person’s

profession, company position, military rank, religious station, political office, family relationship, or nobility when the title precedes the name and replaces a courtesy title.

 Titles of People: Titles Preceding Names

Vice President Wilson and Marketing Manager Callahan signed the contract

We invited Rabbi Mintz and Reverend Curran.

Voters favored Senator Smith in the last election.

 Do NOT capitalize a person’s title when the

title is followed by the person’s name and the name is being used as an appositive

Appositives rename or explain previously

mentioned nouns or pronouns.

 Titles of People: Titles Followed by Appositives

Our office supervisor, Maria Cruz, was

promoted

Our new president, Elmer Smith, is making

major changes in our organization.

Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, has been creative

 Do NOT capitalize titles or offices

following names unless they appear

Lynn Wolford, manager, developed a

new marketing plan.

 Do NOT capitalize a title or office that

replaces a person’s name unless you

are using a title in direct address

(speaking directly to a person).

 Titles of People: Titles or Offices Replacing Names

Our vice president met with our

human resources director today

The president conferred with the

secretary of defense before

addressing Congress.

 Capitalize titles in addresses and

closing lines of business correspondence.

 Titles of People: Titles in Business Correspondence

Ms Tracey Barry Sincerely yours,

Vice President

Sundance Clothing

8500 L Street Chuck Holloway Salem, MA 01971 Marketing

 Do NOT capitalize family titles used with

possessive pronouns or possessive nouns.

 Capitalize titles of close relatives when

they are used without pronouns Also capitalize family titles when they form a unit with a first name.

 Titles of People: Family Titles

My sister and my cousin will visit Mother and Father next week.

Do you have any good advice for

me, Mom?

My Aunt Susan is a world traveler.

 Capitalize nouns followed by

numbers or letters except in page,

paragraph, line, size, verse, and vitamin references.

 Numbered and Lettered Items

The meeting is in Room 102, Building

 Capitalize north, south, east, west,

and other points of a compass when

they represent specific regions.

 Do NOT capitalize the points of the

compass when they are used in directions or in general references.

 Points of the Compass

Before you came to the West Coast, did you spend much time in the East ?

In the winter many Midwesterners travel south to Florida to thaw out.

 Capitalize the principal words in the

official names of divisions, departments, offices, government agencies, committees, and schools and colleges within universities.

 Departments, Divisions, Offices, Agencies, and

Committees

Our Quality Control Department

inspects every product.

 When a department or division is

referred to by its function because the official name is unknown, do NOT capitalize this reference.

 Departments, Divisions, Offices, Agencies, and

 Do NOT capitalize the words

federal, government, nation, or state unless they are part of a

 Capitalize product names only when

they represent specific brand names or trademarks of products.

 Except in advertising, common

names following manufacturers’

names are NOT capitalized.

 Product Names

Lenovo laptop Big Mac hamburger Whirlpool washer Toyota hybrid

vehicle

 Capitalize the main words in the titles of

books, magazines, newspapers, articles, movies, plays, albums, songs, poems, websites, and reports.

 Do NOT capitalize the following unless they

begin or end a title:

1 Articles (a, an, the)

2 Conjunctions with three or fewer letters

(and, but, or, nor)

3 Prepositions with three or fewer letters

 Literary and Artistic Titles

 Literary and Artistic Titles Examples

The Last of the Mohicans

“English as It Is Spoken”

As the World Turns From Russia With Love Meet and Grow Rich

Something to Hope For

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SKILL

1 My Mom and Dad will be

visiting us this Fall.

My mom and dad will

be visiting us this fall.

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SKILL

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3 You need to drive South

from Columbus to reach Cincinnati.

Make any

necessary

corrections to

capitalization.

Point of the Compass

You need to drive south

from Columbus to reach Cincinnati.

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5 He would love to get a

job with the Government.

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6 SUBJECT: sign medical

release form by friday

SUBJECT: Sign Medical

Release Form by Friday

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8 Your flight will depart

from gate A54.

Your flight will

department from Gate

A54.

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SKILL

9 Do you think the

President will veto the bill?

Make any

necessary

corrections to

capitalization.

Title Replacing a Name

Do you think the

president will veto the

bill?

thrilled to have met

President Reagan in the

early 1980s.

words following marked and stamped.

Additional Rules of Capitalization

 Capitalize the first words in quoted

sentences, independent phrases, enumerated items, and formal rules or principles following colons.

 Beginning Words

Mario Fernandez said, “Rise above the

storm and you will find the sunshine.”

Would like a cup of tea? Yes, please.

Depreciate assets using any of these methods:

a Straight-line method

 Capitalize the official names of

government laws, bills, acts, treaties, and amendments.

 Do NOT capitalize generic references

 Capitalize the names of celestial bodies

including planets, planet satellites, stars, constellations, and asteroids.

 Do NOT capitalize the terms earth, sun, or

moon unless they are used as the names of

specific bodies in the solar system.

 Celestial Bodies

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars have short periods of revolution

and long periods of rotation.

The flower is closed when the sun

 Terms that relate to a particular

culture, language, race, or religion are capitalized.

 Ethnic, Cultural, Language and Religious References

Although Japanese is her native language, she speaks English and

French fluently.

Both Persian and Hebrew traditions

were respected.

 Hyphenate terms such as

African-American and French-Canadian

when they are used as adjectives Do NOT hyphenate these terms when

they are nouns.

 Ethnic, Cultural, Language and Religious References

San Francisco has a large

Chinese-American population.

Many Chinese Americans are

 Capitalize words that follow the

words marked and stamped.

 Words Following marked and stamped

Do you know why this letter is

marked “Confidential”?

The box of glass bottles

was stamped “Handle With

Care.”

Special Uses of Personal Titles and Terms

 Titles in Official Documents

 Titles Used With the Terms ex, elect,

late, and former

 When a title of an official appears in

that organization’s minutes, bylaws, or other official documents, it is

capitalized.

 Titles in Official Documents

The Human Resources Director will

be our official representative in collective bargaining (Appearing company bylaws)

The college President presented

the annual budget to the faculty.

(Appearing in meeting minutes)

 When the terms ex, elect, late, and

former are used with capitalized titles,

they are not capitalized.

 Titles Used With the

Terms ex, elect, late, and

former

She read the memoirs of ex-President

Truman.

Governor-elect Haley spoke to members of

the National Press Club.

Members of Congress honored the late Vice

President Ford with a statue in the Rotunda of

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1 Kim Hunter, mba,

received her Bachelor’s degree from ohio

University in Athens.

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3 In the Fall Matt enrolled

in history, spanish, and marketing classes.

In the fall Matt enrolled

in history, Spanish, and

marketing classes.

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4 Either the President or

Vice President must make the decision about ordering Dell Computers for the staff.

Make any

necessary

corrections to

capitalization.

Either the president or

vice president must

make the decision about ordering Dell

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5 Before moving to the

west coast, our manager lived in the south.

Make any

necessary

corrections to

capitalization.

Points of the Compass

Before moving to the

West Coast, our

manager lived in the

South.

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9 How in the World did we

miss chart 4 that appeared in diagram 2

How in the world did

we miss Chart 4 that appeared in Diagram 2

of Appendix B?

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SKILL

10 This cia document is

marked “top secret.”

“The more you understand, the less you have to

remember.”

– Craig A McCaw, American businessman/ entrepreneur (b 1949)