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Capitalization Query

 
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:21 am    Post subject: Capitalization Query Reply with quote
in teaching writing classes, i've been asked some interesting questions by students. for example, the text we're using "A Basic Course in Writing" indicates that when referring to "The Summer Palace", the article at the beginning is capitalized, whereas when we talk about "the Yellow River", the article isnt in caps.

anyone know why we capitalize one but not the other?

7969
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poopsicola



Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 111
Location: World travelling
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:24 am    Post subject: Capitalization Reply with quote
Probably for the same reason as we capitalize the first word in sentences, I guess.
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Outsida



Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: Down here on the farm
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Both should be capitalised. I think the book is mistaken. When using a modified proper noun, however, the article is not capitalised.

Witness the difference:

The Summer Palace

I went to the McDonalds on Green Street.
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tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
We visited the Great Wall last year.

I am reading The Great Wall.

Last edited by tw on Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:16 am; edited 1 time in total
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
thanks.
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Songbird



Joined: 09 Jan 2005
Posts: 630
Location: State of Chaos, Panic & Disorder...
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh dear, you have to use that book too Shocked ??

I'm coping by not using it very much at all- are you teaching 2nd year students? How are their writing skills? Have you started on extended pieces yet (ie essays etc)? I HATE teaching this course, I was stuck with it last year as well Evil or Very Mad !
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Bayden



Joined: 29 Mar 2006
Posts: 988
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Capitalization Query Reply with quote
7969 wrote:
in teaching writing classes, i've been asked some interesting questions by students. for example, the text we're using "A Basic Course in Writing" indicates that when referring to "The Summer Palace", the article at the beginning is capitalized, whereas when we talk about "the Yellow River", the article isnt in caps.

anyone know why we capitalize one but not the other?

7969

You're the English teacher, you tell us.
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Songbird wrote:
Oh dear, you have to use that book too Shocked ??

I'm coping by not using it very much at all- are you teaching 2nd year students? How are their writing skills? Have you started on extended pieces yet (ie essays etc)? I HATE teaching this course, I was stuck with it last year as well Evil or Very Mad !

the book isnt that bad in my opinion, i've seen much worse in china. 2nd year students, decent writing skills overall. just doing short (1 page) proofreading exercises and soon will begin doing other more detailed work. these are my first writing classes... ever.

some other more useless posters here can f*** off Very Happy
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Bro D



Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Posts: 46
Location: Nanjing
PostPosted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Explain to the students the difference between common and proper nouns. Any proper noun e.g. the name of a person or place must begin with a capital letter. It looks at though the book was incorrect in not capitalising the first letters of The Yellow River. However if you were just decribing a generic river that happened to be yellow then you wouldn't capitalise the first letters.
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M109A3



Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Posts: 99
PostPosted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Outsida and TW are correct. The book is in error.
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tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
PostPosted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:08 pm    Post subject: