1. used in contractions, Example: we’ll (avoid using contractions in writing)
2. used to show ownership (possessive words), Example: friend’s dog

1. used with words in a series, Example: Joe ate pizza, salad, and milk.
2. used with items in dates and addresses, Example: August 5, 2002, is today’s date.

Our school is located at 6300 West 41^st Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

3. used with yes or no at the beginning of a sentence, Example: Yes, you may go home.
4. used with a direct address, Example: Sarah, do you know the answer to question 3?
5. used with the greeting of a friendly letter, Example: Dear Fred,
6. used with the closing of any letter, Example: Sincerely,

1. used before and after a direct quotation

• a direct quotation is a person’s exact words
• it begins with a capital letter
• it is separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma
• end marks and commas following a direct quotation are placed inside the quotation

Example: The teacher said, "I love the way you are sitting in your chairs."

1. used before and after titles of short stories, poems, songs, chapters, and magazine or

Example: "God Bless America"

1. used between the hour and the minute, Example: 10:30
2. used between a chapter and verse of a Bible reference, Example: Acts 8:12
3. used after a greeting of a business letter, Example: Dear Mr. Smith

Underlining – used for the titles of books, newspapers, magazines, ships, plays, and works of

art, Example: Number the Stars

1. the first word of every sentence and every direct quotation
2. the word I
3. the days of the week, months of the year, but not seasons
4. the first word in every line of poetry
5. holidays and special days
6. the first and last word and all important words in the titles of books, magazines,

• do not capitalize the words a, an, and the in titles unless they are the first

• do not capitalize words like and, by, down, for, in, of, on, to, and with unless they

1. the names of particular persons, places, and things
2. words such as Mother, Father, Grandmother, and Grandfather when they are used

as names

3. names referring to God and the Bible
4. initials
5. the title of a person when it comes before a name