ENGLISH PAPER PUNCTUATION AND

CAPITALIZATION

SUPPORTING LECTURER :
AWALUDDIN, M.Pd

ARRANGED BY:
NABIL MUHAMMAD
231013251025

FACULTY OF HEALTH
ENVIROMENTAL HEALTY STUDY PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY IBNU SINA BATAM
2023/2024
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Praise the presence of God Almighty for all His mercy and grace so that I can complete this
independent assignment on time. This independent assignment discusses about punctuation and
capitalization.
This independent assignment is prepared to fulfill an independent English assignment. It is
also hoped that this independent assignment will be useful for readers, especially students, in
understanding punctuation and capitalization in an article or reference.
I realize that this independent task is still far from perfect. Therefore, I expect constructive
criticism and suggestions from readers.
Finally, I hope this independent assignment is useful for all of us.

Batam, 28th October 2023

Compiler

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 LIST OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..........................................................................................................ii

LIST OF CONTENT..................................................................................................................iii

CHAPTER I INRODUCTION..................................................................................................1

A. Background...............................................................................................................................1

B. Formulation of the problem......................................................................................................1

C. Purpose......................................................................................................................................1

CHAPTER II DISCUSSION......................................................................................................2

A. Meaning of Punctuation............................................................................................................2

B. Explanation of Capitalization....................................................................................................9

CHAPTER III CONCLUSION.................................................................................................16

BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................................................17

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background

Punctuation is a device by which we aid words to tell their story. Words have
done this at times without such aid, and may now do so, but at constant risk of serious
misunderstanding. This can be easily seen by reading the following lines printed as they
would have been written in an ancient manuscript.(W.Frederick, 2022)
Punctuation being intended for the sole purpose of making the text intelligible and
removing as many of the causes of possible misunderstanding as may be, must depend in
the last resort on a correct understanding of the text. This understanding may be obtained
from the text itself, from the context, that is, the writing as a whole, or from outside
knowledge about the matter under consideration.(W.Frederick, 2022)
Knowing when and when not to capitalize is an important part of writing. One
thing that makes it difficult to master is the ever-changing rules, not to mention the
disagreement between style guides and dictionaries. That's why it's important to select a
style guide and dictionary you like, then stick with that decision. (Giammatteo, 2019)
Marks of punctuation and capitalization help readers understand and interpret
sentences better. Some marks are required to prevent misreading and some are optional
and depend on what the writer wishes to achieve. For example ending a sentences with an
exclamation mark rather than a period. (grammar.com)

B. Formulation of the Problem

1. What is puntuaction?
2. What are the types of punctuation marks and examples?
3. What is capitalization?
4. What are some examples of using capital letters?

C. Purpose

1. To know what is puntuaction.

2. To know the types of punctuation marks and examples.
3. To know what is capitalization.
4. To find out what examples of capital letters are used.

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

A. Punctuation
It's been said before, but it's worth repeating: punctuation is like a traffic system. Each
punctuation mark tells the reader what to do: stop as if it were a red light (period); slow down
similar to a yellow light (comma); or pause like a yield sign (semicolon). Other marks carry
different messages. (Depending on how you drive, the comma and semicolon signals may be
reversed). (Giammatteo, 2021)
There are two systems of punctuation in use, known respectively as the close and open
systems. The close, or stiff, system, using points wherever they can be used, is of importance in
precise composition of every sort, such as laws, contracts, legal and ecclesiastical statements,
and the like. The open, or easy, system, omitting points wherever they can be omitted, is used
generally in the commoner forms of composition. The tendency, sometimes pushed too far, is
toward an extremely open style of punctuation. The general attitude of writers and printers may
be summed up by saying that you must justify the use of a punctuation mark, particularly a
comma, rather than its omission. (W. Frederick, 2022)
1. Period/Full Stop (.)
The period may be the easiest of all punctuation marks to master. The long and short of
it is this: a period ends a sentence. It's similar to a traffic signal that has turned red; it means
stop. If a person has problems dealing with the period, it usually involves the use of a period
with other punctuation. The rules are short and simple. End a sentence with a period. If other
punctuation such as a question mark or an exclamation point ends the sentence, then omit the
period.
One potentially confusing situation is when a sentence that is not a direct question ends
in a quote or when the name of an artistic work requires a question mark. An example would
serve best.(Giammatteo, 2021)

(When my kids were younger, they loved the song "Who Let the Dogs Out?")

As you can see, the period was left out even though the sentence was a statement, not a
question. The same applies to exclamation points. Abbreviations are another potential
sticking point. Consider the following:

- Don't forget. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m„ so be there.

- Don't forget. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m.

As you can see, when we remove "so be there" the period following the abbreviation
serves as the period that ends the sentence

2. Comma (,)

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 One note about commas before we begin. Commas are meant to indicate a pause or a
break between the different parts of a sentence. Above all else, they are meant to clarify or
make the meaning more clear. They do this in various ways: to separate items in a list, to
offset the nonessential parts of a sentence, to mark a pause following an introductory clause
or word, and to note who is being spoken to when using dialogue.
The main thing to understand is that commas are not there because Of some arbitrary
rule; the rules regarding when and how to use commas exist to enhance clarity—no other
reason. (Giammatteo, 2021)

- You need to get out your pencil, paper, and textbook

- I will need tomatoes, spinach, and cheese for this recipe

3. Question Mark (?)

Question marks are used after interrogative sentences (direct questions). There are
several types of interrogative sentences: (Nash Kitty)

a) Basic questions
Have you seen my other shoe?
Where have you been?

b) Question fragments
I didn't eat the rest of the pizza, did you?
You are late. Why?

c) Imperative sentences phrased like questions

Would you please hand me that book?
Will you all please have a seat?

4. Exclamation Point (!)

Exclamation points are similar to jalapefios—one or two is fine, but too many
are…..well, too many.
There was an episode of Seinfeld where Elaine, who worked at a publishing company,
was editing a book, and there was a big argument over the use Of exclamation points. The
bottom line is that exclamation points are used for extreme emphasis and lose all effect if
used too Often. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the following as one Of the reasons to
use exclamation points. Direct speech that represents something shouted or spoken very
loudly.
Exclamation points by nature denote surprise, anxiety, fright, etc. Because of this, there
is no need to state such when using them in dialogue. I often see examples like the
following: (Giammatteo, 2021)

"Call the police!" he yelled (or shouted or screamed).

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5. Apostrophe (‘) (Nash Kitty)
a) Contractions
Apostrophes are used to show missing letters in contractions, shortened words or
numbers, or dialect.
Can + not = can't
Will + not = won't
I + have = I've
They + are = they're
It + is (or It + has) = it's
of the clock = o'clock
running = runnin'
1993 = '93

b) Possessive Nouns
Apostrophes help a noun or indefinite pronoun show ownership by making it
possessive.

The bone of the dog = the dog's bone

The house of Jonas = Jonas's house
The cries of the children = the children's cries
The trails of the jets = the jets' trails
The papers of everyone = everyone's papers

Possessive are already possessive, so they don't need an apostrophe.

The backpack of the boy = his backpack

c) Plural Numbers, Letters, and Abbreviations

In the past, apostrophes were used to make letters, numbers, abbreviations, and
"words used as words" plural. In modern style, apostrophes are used only for plural
"words as words" and plural lowercase letters. It is also necessary to use italics in
addition to the apostrophe in these two situations. It is not necessary to use either
italics or an apostrophe to make capital letters or numbers plural.

6. Colon (:) (grammar.com)

a) A colon shows the reader that a list or explanation follows.
I will need the following items: scissors, paper, glue, and paint.
He had many reasons for joining the club: to get in shape, to make new friends, to
lose some weight, and to get out of the house

b) To introduce a direct quote (a comma can also be used in this situation)

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 - He announced to his friends: "I'm getting married!”
- She cried out: "I never want to see you again!"

7. Semicolon (;) (Nash Kitty)

The semicolon is a mark that looks like a period above a comma (;). It signals a more
complete break than a comma, but not as complete as a period break. It's a "halfway-in-
between" mark. It's used to show that two sentences are related in some way.

Joining Independent Clauses Without a Conjunction

When joining two independent clauses to make a compound sentence, a semicolon can
be used instead of the comma and conjunction. This only works if the relationship between
the sentences is close and clear.

- I brought my umbrella, but I left it in the car.

- I brought my umbrella; I left it in the car.

8. Parentheses ( )
Parentheses—When and How to Use Them. The rules regarding how to punctuate
them. The spelling of the word it self is the first thing to look at. Parentheses (with an es at
the end) is plural and is almost always used that way. This differs from ellipsis and ellipses.
Both words indicate the plural form when spelled with an es at the end, but ellipsis
(singular) is the punctuation mark, while parenthesis (singular) is only half the punctuation
mark. Parentheses are used to indicate side remarks or to provide additional information. An
example follows: (Giammatteo, 2021)

- My black van (the one with the wheelchair ramp) has a handicap license plate.

Remember that whatever is inside the parentheses must not be critical to the sentence;
in other words, if you remove what is inside the parentheses, the sentence should still make
sense. Ifyou try that with the above sentence, you'll see it works.

- My black van has a handicap license plate.

As you can see, the reader doesn't get the additional information, but the sentence is
still complete. This is the same as what we discussed with nonessential phrases, those Offset
by Punctuation with parentheses.
Punctuation with parentheses is more complicated. The common practice is to place the
punctuation inside the parentheses if you've got a complete sentence

9. Hyphen (-)
A hyphen is a short dash that breaks words apart or joins them together. A hyphen
should not have a space before or after it.Used to connect compound words.

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a) Hyphenated Compound Words
Some compound words require a hyphen. You will often have to look up a compound
word in the dictionary to decide whether it is written as one word, two words, or with a
hyphen.

- We will have a get-together next weekend to celebrate your birthday.

- The game started out as an organized game of tag, but it ended up a free-for-all.

b) Hyphenated Last Names

Some women use a hyphen to join their maiden name (or unmarried name) with their
husband's last name instead of taking only their husband's last name. Sometimes a
husband and wife keep their own last names and form their children's last names by
connecting both last names with a hyphen.

- Julia Smith-Jacobson

c) Hyphenated Adjectives
Use a hyphen to connect two or more words that work together as one adjective before a
noun. If the two words come after the noun, they are generally not hyphenated unless
they make up a compound word that you can find in the dictionary.

- She wore a charcoal-gray rain jacket

- Her rain jacket was charcoal gray.

d) Suspended Hyphens
Suspended hyphens occur when hyphenated words are written without repeating one
part.

- I like vanilla-flavored ice cream.

- You like vanilla-, chocolate-, and strawberry-flavored ice cream.

e) Hyphens to Clarify Meaning

Use a hyphen to connect adjectives when the meaning might be unclear.

- Teresa preferred the red-embroidered lace dress.

The dress was embroidered with red thread.
- Teresa preferred the red embroidered lace dress.
The red lace dress was embroidered.

f) Numbers
Use a hyphen with numbers in the following situations:

- In compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine

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 The majority of you scored between eighty-eight and ninety-nine percent on the test.
- In fractions
One-fourth of the students in the class have parents from another country.
- To separate elements of a date (you can also use slashes)
7-3-86 = July 3, 1986 in the US and March 7, 1986 in most other parts of the world.
- In game scores
They won the game 32-31.

10. Ellipsis (…) (Nash Kitty)

An ellipsis (plural ellipses) is a punctuation mark made up of three periods. It is used to
show that words have been left out or that a thought is unfinished. Most word processing
programs treat the ellipsis as a special character with no spaces in between the periods ( … ).
It is worth noting that some style manuals show spaces between each period ( . . . ). Either
way, it is customary to have a space before and after the ellipsis.
Using Ellipses in Partial Quotations
- In the middle of a sentence
An ellipsis in the middle of a quotation indicates that part of the quotation has been
omitted.

Samuel Adams once said, "It does not take a majority to prevail … but rather an
irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men."

- At the end of a sentence

If a sentence has been left out after a complete sentence, place a period after the
complete sentence. Then follow the period with an ellipsis. You will have a total of
four periods.

Ellis recited the poem: "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. …"

No space is necessary after the last period in the ellipsis when it's at the end of the
quotation. Also remember not to put a space between the last word in the complete sentence
and the first period.

- At the beginning of a sentence

Use an ellipsis at the beginning of a sentence when you cut out the beginning of a
quote. If the quote starts in the middle of a sentence, remember not to start the quote
with a capital letter.

Michael quoted George Washington: "… it is much easier to prevent an enemy from
posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession."

Note that when using an ellipsis at the beginning of the quotation, it is not necessary to
put a space before it.
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 - Indicating Hesitation
"Um … I'm not sure where she is," Marcus replied when his mother asked him where
his sister was.

- Showing an Interruption
"As we were walking, we heard something. It sounded like a kitten that …"
"A kitten?"
"… was in trouble, so we looked around to see if we could find it."

- When a Speaker's Thought Trails off

"We tried our best, but …"

11. Slash (/) (Nash Kitty)

A slash or virgule (/) in writing is the forward slash. It has several conventional uses.
There are no spaces on either side of the slash except when dividing lines of poetry.
- Poetry
If a poem is cited in paragraph form without line breaks, slashes are inserted between
the lines. This should be limited to four or five lines only. If you write out more than
five lines of a poem, it's better to write them with line breaks.

The last stanza of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Crossing the Bar" is "For though
from out our bourne of Time and Place / The flood may bear me far, / I hope to see
my Pilot face to face / When I have crossed the bar."

- Dates
Slashes can be used to divide elements of a date in informal writing.

Her daughter was born on 7/3/86.

This date stands for July 3, 1986 in the US and March 7, 1986 in most other parts of
the world.

- Fractions and Ratios

1/2 or 3/4 (Note: Most computers will change fractions to a smaller font.)
10 miles/hour = 10 miles per hour

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 - And/or and Similar Combinations
Often a slash means and/or, but using a slash this way is not appropriate in formal
writing. Most style manuals recommend avoiding and/or, he/she, and his/her.

We received the June/July issue by the end of May.

The winner will receive a savings bond, but he/she will have to save it for at least six
months before spending it.

I generally order the soup/salad combo at that restaurant.

- Abbreviations
Use these abbreviations for informal writing only:
Care of = c/o (This is most often used as a postal abbreviation.)
With = w/
Without = w/o

B. Capitalization
Capitalization occurs when the first letter in a word is an upper case letter.
For example, the first word in this sentence contains a capital F.The practice of writing a word
or phrase with the first letter in uppercase and the remaining letters in lowercase is known as
capitalization. Capitalization refers to the peculiarity of the English language,where some
words are written in capital letters, and the other words are written in small letter.Capitalization
helps to communicate clearly, effectively, and impressively by giving a standard text and a
distinctive look. (Asma,dkk, 2023).
Capitalization is used to differentiate between proper and common nouns and to draw
The attention of readers to the specific information that the writers want to convey through
their writing. Common nouns are words that refer to general types of people, places, things,
and ideas. They are not capitalized. Meanwhile, proper nouns mean words with the first letter
capitalized that are used to identify specific people, places, or things (John, New
York).Therefore, capitalization is a fundamental thing in writing process to make any
differences between common and specific things. In other hand, the use of capitalization
correctly can be essential to create a good communication between writers and readers.
(Asma,dkk, 2023).

THE GENERAL RULES. (Giammatteo, 2019)

1. Start each sentence with a capital letter.
This rule has exceptions. There are a few words (usually brand names) that are
spelled with the initial letters lowercased: iPhone, iPad, iCloud, iMac, eBay, etc.
The suggested way to deal with this is to rewrite the sentence so those words are
not at the beginning; however, if you feel like the word should start the sentence,
you may either capitalize it anyway or stick to the brand's suggested formatting and
keep it lowercased:
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- iPhones have become the best-selling phone of all time.
- According to Apple, iPhones have become the best-selling phones of all time.
- iPhones have become the best-selling phone of all time.

2. Capitalize the names of family members, including nicknames.

- Uncle Ralph was one Of my favorite uncles.

Both uncle and Ralph are capitalized because uncle is part of Ralph's name in this
circumstance, but uncles (at the end of the sentence) is (not capitalized) A few more
examples may help:
- Mom, may I go to the mall?
- I went to the mall with Mom.
- She's going to the mall with her mom

In the first sentence, Mom is being addressed. In the second, Mom is a substitute
for her name (whatever that may be), and in the third, neither of those situations
apply. We're simply referring to her mom. If you use a personal pronoun with a
person's nickname, it doesn't require capitalization unless that nickname is being
used as part of the person's name.

3. Capitalize titles when part of a name (preceding the name, not coming after it)

(√ ) Senator Ted Ingles did not attend the rally

(√ ) Ted Ingles, senator from Texas, did not attend the rally.
(X) Ted Ingles, Senator from Texas, did not attend the rally.

4. DO not capitalize a title if it is used as a general reference without the

name.

(√ ) The president will not be coming tonight.

(X)The President will not be coming tonight.

Some style guides make allowances if president is being used to refer to the US.
President, but not others.

5. Capitalize a title when used in direct address

(√ ) It's nice to meet you, Congressman.

(√ ) Senator, how nice to meet you.

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 (X) May I see you privately, detective?
(√ ) May I see you privately, Detective?

6. Capitalize proper nouns as well as adjectives derived from proper nouns

- The Statue of Liberty

- The Brooklyn Bridge
- Italy
- San Francisco

7. When referring to animals, capitalize the part of the breed that is a proper noun
or is derived from a proper noun; otherwise lowercase.

- German shepherd
- English bulldog
- Irish wolffound

8. Capitalize food names only when they contain a proper noun.

- Italian dressing
- Louisiana hot sauce
- Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC)
In some cases, there are exceptions to this also. Examples follow, and they are all from
the major dictionaries.

9. Capitalize the first word in a complete quotation, even if it occurs in mid-

sentence.

John Paul Jones is reputed to have said, "Give me liberty or give me death," just
before dying.

10. Capitalizing academic degrees and job titles

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) recommends writing academic degrees in
lower case except when directly preceding or following a name. Proper nouns, of
course, should still be capitalized. Examples:

- Carlos is pursuing a bachelor of science in civil engineering.

- arlos is pursuing a bachelor of arts in English.

There is agreement, however, that abbreviations of academic degrees are to be capitalized.

CMOS recommends omitting periods unless required for tradition or consistency (BA,
BS, MA, MS, PhD), but AP prefers the periods (B.A„ B.S„ M.A„ M.S„ Ph.D.).
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 An exception is that CMOS makes allowances for capitalizing the spelled-out version of
degrees when listed on business cards or used on résumés (when cited as the degree
achieved, not in running text).

11. Titles of works

There are several ways to approach this topic, and there are numerous rules
associated with it. The most sensible approach seems to suffice for almost all
situations. The following list consists of words not to capitalize in titles of books,
songs, movies, and other works of art:

a, an, and, at, but, by, for, in, nor, of, on, or, out, so, the, to, up, and yet.

All other words, you capitalize (as well as any word (even if in the above list) that is
the first or last words in the title).
 Capitalize the title's first and last word.
 Capitalize all adjectives, adverbs, and nouns.
 Capitalize all pronouns (including it).
 Capitalize all verbs, including the verb to be in all forms (is, are, was, has
been, etc.).
 Capitalize no, not, and the interjection O (e.g., How Long Must I Wait, O
Lord?).
 Do not capitalize an article (a, an, the) unless it is first or last word in the title.

12. Capitalization with geographical terms (compass points)

There are a lot of rules related to capitalizing geographical terms, but the ones
mentioned below should suffice for most issues. We'll cover it in more detail later. If
you're using north, south, east, northeast. Etc„ to indicate a direction, lowercase;
however, if you're using these words to indicate a specific region, capitalize them.
Examples follow:

- I gave my sister directions to come visit me: go south for about six hundred miles,
and when you see a sign that says "Welcome to the South," turn right.
- To reach the beach, drive south for an hour. Then go east for two hours.
- He lives on the Eastern Shore (a specific spot in MD).
- She moved to the West Coast, not the Ivory Coast.

13. Heavenly Bodies

Earth is lowercase except when used as a proper noun.

(√ ) The third planet from the sun is the Earth.

(√ ) He loves the cool, moist feeling of digging through earth when he plants things.
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 (√ ) Earth is one Of eight planets in our solar system. (They used to say there were
nine.)
(X) He's a down-to-Earth person.
(X) Mary? She's the salt Of the Earth.

14. Capitalization when dealing with race/ethnicities

Capitalize the names of races, nationalities, tribes, etc.: Italian, German, Caucasian,
Japanese, Chinese, but you would use lowercase with terms like black or white.

15. Company names

Capitalize company names the same way you would individual names. Also
abbreviate and capitalize corporation (corp.), incorporated (inc.), limited (ltd.),
etc„ when those words are used following the name.
- 3M Company
- Abbott Laboratories
- American Express Company
- AT&T Corp.
- Bank Of America Corporation
You keep the capitalization even if you don't use Co., Corp., Inc„ Ltd., etc., when
following the names.
- Apple Inc.
- Apple
- General Motors Company
- General Motors
- Samsung Electronics co., Ltd.

16. Capitalization Of brand names

Capitalize company names as well as recognized brand names: Apple, Google, Coca
Cola, Cadillac, etc., but also the following.
- Bubble Wrap
- Ebay
- Iphone
- Ipad

17. Capitalization with roads

Capitalize the names of specific roads, highways, turnpikes, etc.
- U.S.Route66
- Interstate 95
- Pennsylvania Turnpike

But lowercase the following:

- I take the turnpike from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

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- Is there an interstate that goes to Atlanta?
- I need to drive to California, but I'd like to go via U.S. highways, not interstates.

18. Government organizations and political parties

Government organizations, political parties, names of specific courts, etc„ are all
capitalized.
- Grand Old Party (GOP)
- The Supreme Court
- Central Intelligence Agency

19. Names of Organizations or Institutions

- American Diabetes Association

- American Medical Association
- American Cancer Society
- The Mystery Writers Guild

But you'd say, "He's a member Of a medical association or donates to various cancer
societies."

20. Awards and Medals

Capitalize named awards, medals, military decorations, etc.
- Heisman Trophy
- Academy Award
- Golden Globe
- Medal of Honor
- Purple Heart
- Pulitzer Prize

21. Rooms, Suites, Offces

Capitalize room only when it is part of the name. The following is from Chicago.
Official names Of rooms, offices, and the like are capitalized.
- The Empire Room (but room 421)
- The Amelia Earhart Suite (but suite 219)

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 CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION

Punctuation marks have many types and types, each of which has a different
function. The general function of punctuation is to maintain the effectiveness of
communication, its role is to show the structure and organization of a piece of
writing, and also the intonation and pauses that can be observed during reading.
Punctuation rules vary across languages, locations, times, and are constantly
evolving. Some aspects of punctuation are style specific and therefore depend on
the author's choices. Each punctuation mark has its own rules of use and function
which cannot be contested. Incorrect use will cause chaos and disrupt smooth
communication.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Asma siti N.dkk, 2023., Capitalization and Punctuation Used in Writing Narrative Text., English
Education Program, Purworejo Muhammadiyah University, Indonesia

Giammatteo giacomo, 2019., how to capitalization anything.,inferno publishing company

Giammatteo giacomo, 2021., punctuation” the ultimate guide”. Inferno Publishing Company.

Grammarbank.com
Https://www.grammarbank.com/punctuation-and-capitalization.html

Nash Kitty, English Grammar 101

https://www.englishgrammar101.com/module-14/additional-punctuation/lesson-8/the-slash-virgule

W.Frederick Hamilton· 2022 Punctuation (A Primer of Information about the Marks of Punctuation
and Their Use Both Grammatically and Typographically). Good press