2019-05-09 Writing: corrections, capitalization

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - Notes from all classes
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Homework: Finish your paragraph and try to make corrections if you find mistakes. In particular, check for any sentence fragments (make sure every sentence has a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete idea). In addition, make sure the first sentence includes a controlling idea and the last sentence is a conclusion.
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Get together with the person you wrote about. Read and check each other’s paragraphs. Is the information what you told them? Are the sentences correct? Do you notice any mistakes with fragments or other grammar?
Do you know how to fix the additional mistakes I underlined?
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Run-on sentences are the opposite problem to fragments. In a run-on, the sentence continues longer than it should (while in a fragment, the sentence doesn’t include enough).
- A really simple rule to avoid most run-ons: New subject, new verb, new sentence.
	(If you have a new subject and verb, you should have a new sentence.)
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Capitalization: What words in English are capitalized?

- proper nouns: names of specific people, places, and things
	personal names - Greg, Laura, Mr. Smith, Professor Jones
	place names - Boston, Massachusetts, Bolivia, Europe
	companies - Pepsi, Stafford House, Krispy Kreme
	titles of books and movies (mostly) - Frozen, Iron Man, Gone with the Wind
		(Short prepositions and articles are not capitalized, except the first word.)
	class names - Physics 101, Business English
- months: January, February, March…
- days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
- “proper” adjectives: words that come from proper nouns
	languages: English, Latin, Esperanto
	nationalities: Bolivian, American, Turkish
	demonyms (names for groups of people): Bostonian, Californian, Native American
- beginning of a sentence: the first letter of every sentence is capitalized
- the pronoun “I”: this is always capitalized (originally just to distinguish it from “j”)
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Correct the capitalization on the handout. Can you fix the other mistakes too?
1.	I visited Mr. Smith, the chairman of the board, on September 10.
2.	President Smith gave a speech in which he said, "Resigning is not an option."
3.	May I visit the Oval Office, President?
4.	He loved the book, which was called "A Day in France."
5.	The Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) looks into crimes, and the Bureau also protects America.
6.	I am originally from the South but now I live in the North.
7.	My courses this semester include English, Science, and Math 100.
8.	The state board collects state and federal taxes.
9.	September and October are the prettiest months of autumn.
10.	The book, "The Big Red Dog," is a hit among children: they enjoy reading about the dog’s adventures.