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7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

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

poopsicola · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 111 Location: World travelling

Probably for the same reason as we capitalize the first word in sentences, I guess.

Outsida · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:29 am Post subject:

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.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

We visited the Great Wall last year.

I am reading The Great Wall.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

thanks.

Songbird · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:18 am Post subject:

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

!

Bayden · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 988

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

Bro D · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 46 Location: Nanjing

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.

M109A3 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 99

Outsida and TW are correct. The book is in error.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

One of the two writing textbooks I am using (I have to teach writing to third-year Business majors and fourth-year Arts & Science majors) is An Intermediate Course in Write published by Higher Education Press and the worst thing about the book (and the other book for that matter) is the fact that it is entirely in CHINESE other than the sample passages. How on earth can FT's teach students out of a textbook written in Chinese is beyond me. Shocked

M109A3 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 99

TW,

I take it you teach at the collegiate level. I'm guessing textbooks mostly written in Chinese are the standard for FTs teaching English? Are there any ESL books from over here I should bring with me? I have no idea how to read all the little squiggles that construct the Chinese language. Is it safe to say the Chinese forgot FTs usually don't communicate in Chinese? Just curious...............................