Chapter Outline

Capitalization

1. Capitalize the first letter of the first word of every sentence.

2. Capitalize proper nouns (every noun that names a specific person, place, or thing).

Some words are always proper nouns:


• days and months
• cities, states, and countries
• people's names
• words derived from specific places

Some words are capitalized sometimes but not other times, depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Spelling Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound alike but are spelled differently. Some examples of homonyms are pronouns, possessives, and contractions. Below are a few other homonyms.

• affect: act upon
• effect: result

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• brake: stopping device
• break: fall to pieces; take a rest

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• hear: listen; use one's ears
• here: in this place

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• knew: was aware of
• new: not old

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• passed: went by; succeeded
• past: before the present

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• principal: main; most important
• principle: theory; belief

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• through: finished; into and out of
• threw: did throw

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• to: word before a verb; in a direction
• two: number after one
• too: also; more than enough

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• wood: product of trees
• would: helping verb

Comma Review

• Use commas to separate items in a series. Do not use a comma with only two items joined by and.
• Use a comma after an introductory element (like a prepositional phrase or a verbal phrase).
• Use commas to separate a renaming phrase (appositive) from the rest of the sentence.
• Use a comma between independent clauses joined by a conjunction. Do not use a comma between compound predicates.
• Use a comma after a dependent clause that precedes an independent clause. Do not use a comma when the dependent clause follows the independent clause.
• Unless you can state the reason for using a comma, do not put one in.