November 18, 2016 CG Lessons K-5, ELA K-5, ELA Resources - Activities, ELA Focus - Grammar, Core Grammar
By: Tiffany Rehbein
While reading students’ work, teachers at every grade level are reminded about the importance of capitalization. A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing; therefore, all important words need to be capitalized.
Capitalizing Proper Nouns and Adjectives
In addition to proper nouns, capitalize the names of people and special groups. For instance, Girl Scouts is a special group, so both words are capitalized. Here are other words that need to be capitalized:
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Names of special places
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Names of days, months, and holidays
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Family titles that refer to specific people when they are used before the name
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Titles used before a name
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Proper adjectives formed from proper nouns
Here is a paragraph that show some examples:
When Sue Johnson visited Washington, D.C. on the Fourth of July, she planned to meet with Senator Maria Cantwell. After the visit, she took her uncle to the Space Needle. Uncle Dave had just returned from Japan.
Sue Johnson is a proper name. Washington is a state name and proper noun. The Fourth of July is a holiday. Senator Maria Cantwell is the title of respect for a specific person. The Space Needle is a special place. Uncle Dave is a title for a specific family member.
Capitalization is a skill necessary for a lifetime of correct writing.
For practice, download this proper noun worksheet. Give students the chance to rewrite each sentence and practice capitalization skills.
