In this final part in our series on capitalisation, we’ll look
at some more important rules that’ll help you punctuate with confidence.
Rule 8: Capitalise titles of
people
Just like how we capitalise the first, middle, and last names of
people, we also capitalise suffixes (e.g. William
Frank Jnr, Alexander the Great) and titles (e.g. President, Governor,
Senator). If the title appears just
before the individual’s name, especially when it replaces the individual’s
first name, it should be capitalised. However, if the title appears after the
individual’s name, or if it is followed by a comma, then we do not capitalise
it.
Let’s compare:
Carol is a huge admirer of President Obama. (Appears before last name)
George W Bush served as president of the USA from 2001 to 2009. (Appears after the name)
The president of the club, Frank Moorcroft, has resigned. (Title separated by comma)
Formal titles that are used to address individuals should also
be capitalised.
Examples
Why do you think I’m losing so much weight, Doctor? (Used as a direct address)
2. I’m afraid we can’t continue funding your project, Professor. (Used as a direct address)
Rule 9: Capitalise names of
family members
When we use the names of family members – such as dad, mum,
and grandpa – to address them, such
words should be capitalised. Also, if such a word appears just before a
personal name, it gets capitalised. However, if the same words are used to
denote relationships, they need to be in lower case.
Let’s compare:
Why are you being so difficult, Dad? (Used as a form of address)
My dad has been in a bad mood this entire week. (Refers to relationship)
I have always been incredibly close to Aunt Cathy and Uncle Will. (Appears before personal name)
I have an aunt and uncle living in Canada. (Refer to relationships)
Rule 10: Capitalise letter salutations
and closings
In letters, the first word in salutations (Dear Sir, Dear
Cathy) is always capitalised. Similarly, when ending a letter with a
closing (Yours sincerely, Lots of love, Warm regards), the first word should be capitalised.
Capitalisation is an area of punctuation that is tricky, so the
more you read and write, the more likely that the rules stick in your mind.
In an earlier blog post, we looked at some situations when it is
essential to use capital letters – at the beginning of a sentence; when writing
the names of people, institutions, companies, and brands; when referring to cities,
countries, nationalities, religions, and languages; and when using the personal
pronoun ‘I’.
Here are some more rules to help you capitalise words
appropriately.
Rule 5: Capitalise days,
months, holidays
The names of the seven different days of the week, twelve months
of the year, and holidays are all proper nouns. Do make it a point to begin
with a capital letter when you write them. However, the names of seasons (e.g. winter, summer) do not fall into the same category, so they shouldn’t be
capitalised unless they appear in a title.
Examples
Can we meet early next week,
say Monday or Tuesday?
Both my sons were born in the
month of May.
Where did you spend Christmas last year?
Haley and Tom got married on Valentine’s Day.
Rule 6: Capitalise key words
in the title of a book, movie, poem, etc.
As far as capitalising words in a title is concerned, be it
books, movies, poems, or other works, much depends on what style guide you
choose to follow. Generally speaking, all content words get capitalised. This
means that nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc. need capital letters at
the beginning. By comparison, smaller words, such as articles and prepositions,
tend to be in lower case, unless they appear as the first or last word in the
title.
Examples
‘Alice in Wonderland’ is
a fascinating tale.
‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a series of epic fantasy
films.
Have you read ‘ATale
of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens?
Rule 7: Capitalise the first
word of a quote
When quoting someone, or quoting from a literary work, always
capitalise the first word if the quotation forms a complete sentence. On the
other hand, if the quote is just a phrase, it doesn’t need to be
capitalised.
Let’s compare:
Cindy said, “My husband is far from
loving.”
Cindy said that her husband
was “far from loving”. (No capitalisation
required, as the quote is a phrase)
There’s more to follow, so
watch this space if you’d like to learn more about capitalising words.
This month we hear from Kevin Beisser, Senior Immigration Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, on the important topic of how international students can best make the transition, academically, to life on a U.S. college campus.
Q: For what is your institution best known overseas?
A: Academic Excellence and our graduate’s success.
Alumnus Satya Nadella the current CEO of Microsoft, who at the
time was an international student from India, received his master’s degree in
computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Q: What are your top academic programs (undergrad & grad)?
A: UWM is home to Wisconsin’s largest online education program, with more than 850 classes and 40 fully online certificate and degree programs. The university is also home to the state’s largest collaboration of health sciences, nursing and public health programs through its Partners for Health initiative. It also boasts one of the world’s top film programs. Other major programs include business, engineering, education and information studies.
Q: What are the top 5 countries represented at your college/ How international is your institution?
A: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, & Iran.
Q: How does your institution use an IELTS result in the Admission Process?
A: The IELTS test is used as evidence of English Proficiency. At the undergraduate level a student would need a score of 5.0 or better for full admission and at the graduate level a score of 6.5 or higher is required.
Q: What is the most common challenge new international students face when adapting to the academic environment at U.S. colleges?
A: One common challenge is fatigue. If you are a non-native English speaker, even if you are proficient in English, spending 24 hours using that language can be tiring as your brain is constantly working. Combine that with the normal stresses of moving to a new environment and studying and you will be exhausted at the end of the day. Hence, focusing on your health is crucial in your success at the beginning and throughout your collegiate career. Sufficient sleep, healthy eating and exercise are essential.
Q: How much time should students be studying for each class they have?
A: Generally, students should expect 2-3 hours of studying for each credit hour they are enrolled in.
Q: How is the classroom style of professors so different in the U.S. from what most students have experienced back home?
A: U.S. academic culture requires class participation which can be a challenge to many students who are not used to this style of education. Classroom styles can also be more informal than what students are used to in their home countries.
Q: How seriously do U.S institutions take cases of academic integrity violations (plagiarism, cheating, etc.) on campus?
A: Very seriously! Taking credit for someone else’s work or cheating at all U.S colleges and universities will result in discipline ranging from failure of the course to permanent expulsion from the institution or system. There are two common American adages that are the best advice I can give to students when it comes to academic integrity the first is: “Honesty is the best policy” and the second is: “When in Doubt ask questions”.
Q: How can international students best prepare to avoid potential problems with adapting to their new academic environment on campus?
A: My best recommendation is to be healthy as mentioned above and try to be involved as possible. The more people you meet the more resources you will have to ask questions. In addition, staying busy also helps you avoid the pitfalls of culture shock. Make sure you ask a lot of questions, Americans are very eager to help others, but they typically wait to be asked rather than assume someone needs help. The same goes for your instructors, they will all have office hours to help with any issues you may be facing in their course. Make sure you utilize that opportunity to clarify anything that you do not understand.
Capitalisation, the appropriate use of capital letters, is an
area of punctuation that many learners pay little attention to. One reason
might be that this topic can look deceptively simple at first glance. However,
on exploring further, you very quickly realise that there’s quite a bit to
learn. What also becomes evident is that like most grammar points, rules
related to the use of capital letters aren’t always cut and dried.
Here are some handy tips to help you decide when to use
capitalisation.
Rule 1: Capitalise the first
word of a sentence
This one is as straightforward as grammar rules come because
there’s hardly any complication here. Every time you begin a new sentence,
start the first word with a capital letter.
Examples
Hello there! How have
you been?
You cannot go in there without permission.
Rule 2: Capitalise names of
people, institutions, companies, brands
It goes without saying that people’s names are always
capitalised. Similarly, the names of institutions, companies, and brands
generally begin with a capital letter. Remember, if the name has more than one
word, all important words in the name have their initial letter
capitalised.
Examples
Alan and Mathew are
coming over this evening.
He works for the National Health Service.
United Airlines is a
major player in the aviation sector that operates domestic and international
flights.
Most people consider Sony to be the pioneers of portable
music.
Rule 3: Capitalise cities,
countries, nationalities, religions, languages
The names of cities, countries, nationalities, religions, and
languages are proper nouns, so they should be capitalised. In the case of
religion, the names of various deities are also capitalised.
Examples
Prague is a breathtakingly beautiful city.
He is from the United Arab Emirates.
Her father is Irish, whereas her mother is Scottish.
He’s had a Christian upbringing.
He speaks English, Spanish, Italian, and German.
Shiva is an ancient Hindu
deity.
Rule 4: Capitalise the
personal pronoun ‘I’
Unlike other personal pronouns (e.g. we, you, she, it),
the personal pronoun ‘I’ is always written as a capital letter, no matter where
it appears in a sentence.
Examples
I don’t know about the others, but I don’t want to go back to that restaurant.
James and I were the only ones to score goals
yesterday.
We’ll be back soon with more on the use of capital letters.
Writing is arguably the most difficult language skill to master.
Contrary to popular belief, skilful use of grammar and vocabulary alone wouldn’t
necessarily make a person a good writer. This is because good thinking which
follows a logical path and which is easy to understand lies at the very heart
of good writing.
Read on to understand what to expect in the Writing section of
IELTS.
Tasks
Task 1 (Academic)
Test takers are given information ‒ usually in the form of a graph, table, chart, or diagram ‒ and asked to describe it in their own words, writing at least
150 words. This could involve describing and explaining data, describing the
stages of a process, describing how something works, or describing an object or
event.
Task 1 (General Training)
Test takers are presented with a situation that people commonly
encounter in their everyday life. They are then asked to write a letter of at
least 150 words requesting information or explaining the situation. As far as
the style of writing is concerned, the letter could be personal,
semi-formal/neutral, or formal.
Task 2
In both Academic and General Training, test takers are asked to
write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. Essay
topics in Academic Writing are suitable for individuals entering undergraduate
/ postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration in an
English-speaking country, whereas topics in General Training Writing tend to be
of general interest and less complex.
Duration
Overall, test takers receive 1 hour to finish writing both
tasks. Although the recommendation is to spend 20 and 40 minutes on Task 1 and
Task 2 respectively, it is up to you to decide how to divide the time. Remember,
Task 2 contributes twice as much to the final Writing score as Task 1, so you
may need to spend adequate time on it.
Skills tested
Broadly speaking, the test is designed in such a way that a range
of skills gets assessed. These include the test taker’s ability to produce a
response that is appropriate, organise ideas skilfully, and use a wide range of
vocabulary and grammatical structures with accuracy.
Marking
Writing answers are evaluated
by certificated IELTS examiners using the IELTS Writing test assessment
criteria: Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and
Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Scores are reported
in whole and half bands.
Remember, a common mistake that test takers make is not finding out enough about the Writing section format before the exam; do familiarise yourself with the task types so that you can fulfil all task requirements.
Marie Whalen, Associate Director of International Admissions and Recruitment at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, shares a brief overview of her institution, her views on the value of IELTS in evaluating students’ English readiness for university study, as well as an overview of the U.S. college admissions process.
Q: Describe your institution in 5 words or less.
A: Rigorous, inclusive, supportive, faith-filled
Q: For what is your institution known abroad?
A: Whitworth is best known for its academic excellence and a welcoming, supportive environment for international students.
Q: What are your top academic programs (undergrad and grad)?
Health
Sciences
Business/Economics
Biology
Psychology
English
Q: What are the top 5 countries represented at your college?
Nigeria
South Korea
Mongolia
Nepal
Zimbabwe
Q: Do you accept IELTS scores for admissions and do you trust this as a good indicator of a student’s English ability?
A: IELTS enables us to assess the applicant’s skill overall as well as in the individual areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. As a well-recognized and reliable assessment tool, our international admissions committee can look at an IELTS band score and know instantly what the English level at which the applicant is able to function.
Additionally, we can see if there is one specific area where the student can be successful but may need some additional support, such as writing, for example. We also appreciate that the verbal section is done with a live interview vs. with a computer. IELTS is a critical part of determining admissibility in our international admission process.
Q: Can you explain the difference between rolling admissions, early decision, early action, and regular decision at U.S. colleges?
A: Rolling admission is a process that allows students to apply within a wide time range of time rather than submitting to specific tight deadline, like January 1st, for example. However, rolling admission also means that students are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, so places can fill up. Once places for a class are full, applications won’t be accepted. If applying to a school with rolling admission, it can be better to apply earlier than later.
Some U.S. institutions, usually highly selective, offer Early Decision (ED). Students submit their applications early and receive a decision early. If a student applies to a university ED, then they are promising to attend that institution, if admitted. Students should only apply ED if they are certain they want to attend the ED institution and they have assessed both their financial situation and type and level of aid offered by the ED school.
Early Action (EA), like ED, gives students the opportunity to apply early to institutions and receive a decision early. However, unlike ED, Early Action is not a contract, and not binding. Students can apply to multiple institutions that offer EA. If a student is admitted EA to 5 U.S. colleges, for example, they can choose which one to attend. There are a very limited number of colleges that offer Restrictive or Single Early Action, requiring students to apply EA to only one institution.
Many institutions offer some combination of ED, EA and Regular Decision. Whitworth, for example, offers Early Action I and Early Action II, as well as Regular Decision. A regular decision deadline is the deadline after any ED or EA deadlines and is usually considered the final deadline for applying.
Q: What are institutions looking for in an application essay/statement of purpose?
A: Institutions look to the essay to gain additional insight into an applicant, beyond their grades, test scores and any extra-curricular activities. The essay is an excellent opportunity for an applicant to share something about themselves that we otherwise would not know. Some students have compelling life stories, or a hobby or passion, or some unique perspective.
Q: How important are deadlines in the admission process to U.S. institutions?
A: Very important! Many U.S. institutions have strict admission, scholarship and financial aid deadlines. If you miss a deadline, even by an hour, your application may not be considered, or you may not receive any financial aid. I always tell students to begin their applications early because they often take more time than students expect. Don’t miss those deadlines!
Q: What needs to be in a letter of recommendation that my teachers/professors are asked to write?
A: Colleges look to teacher/professor letters of recommendation to find out what type of student an applicant is. Of course we know that a student with a 3.74/4.00 GPA is competent academically, but we want to know more: how does the student learn? How does he or she contribute to the classroom and interact with the teacher and classmates? Does the student do the minimum work required or go beyond that to learn about a topic in-depth? Is a student who struggled academically in year 11 now making good progress?
Q: Once a student sends in all the required documents to complete their application, how soon after that point will he/she receive an answer?
A: Some institutions will give admissions decisions within 2-3 weeks; others can take months to respond. Some institutions have pre-set dates for releasing their decisions. Every institution has its own policy and this policy should be written on their website.
In a previous post, we spoke of why it’s useful to better your
ability to use various intonation patterns while speaking. We also looked at
two common types of intonation, falling and rising.
In this post, we’ll first consider some more intonation types
and then give you tips on how to improve your intonation.
Types of intonation
3. Rise-fall intonation In this type, you raise the pitch of your voice and then drop it. This pattern is often found in:
alternative questions E.g. Would you like ➚ tea or ➘coffee?
lists (pattern in the example – rise, rise, rise, fall) E.g. We’d need ➚ milk, ➚ sugar, ➚ flour, and ➘ eggs.
conditional sentences E.g. If you see ➚ Danny, please ask him to call ➘ Rebecca.
4. Fall-rise intonation In this type, you drop the pitch of your voice and then raise it. This pattern is commonly used to suggest that something is uncertain or incomplete. Have a look at these examples:
I don’t like drinking tea in
the ➘mo➚rning.
(perhaps hinting that the speaker enjoys drinking tea at other
times of the day)
The first half was ➘ex➚citing.
(perhaps hinting that the second half was boring)
Do you think this is ➘al➚lowed here?
(perhaps hinting that the speaker is not sure if something is
permissible)
I can’t afford a car at the ➘mo➚ment.
(perhaps hinting that the speaker may be able to buy one in the
future)
Ways to improve intonation
Here are some tips to help improve your ability to use various
intonation patterns.
Listen
carefully to short recordings of native speakers of English, paying particular
attention to the way their voices rise and fall. Then, imitate their intonation
by just humming along, without saying the actual words. Remember to focus on
the melody, not the words.
Record
yourself saying a sentence with absolutely no intonation, just like how a robot
would do. Later, repeat the same sentence by using stress and intonation.
Listen to both versions to know the difference that intonation can make.
Record
yourself saying any common word over and over again, changing your attitude
each time. For example, repeat the word ‘coffee’, giving it different meaning each
time to indicate different emotions, such as enthusiasm, displeasure, surprise,
and relief.
Remember, it’s difficult to listen to our own pitch, so working
with audio materials is the way forward for improving your intonation.
A key pronunciation feature that helps you convey your thoughts
and feelings with precision is intonation. In its simplest sense, intonation
can be described as the melody of spoken language, i.e. the rise and fall in
your voice when you speak. The focus here is on how we say things, not what we
say.
It goes without saying that the concept of intonation is common to
all languages; yet not many pay attention to this area while they speak, as
they are so caught up in choosing the right words to express what they want to
say. What they don’t realise is that intonation can be as important as word
choice if not more.
Why improve intonation
Here are a few good reasons why it is worthwhile to work on your
intonation:
Bettering your understanding of intonation helps you become a skilled communicator.
Failing to use intonation could mean that listeners may soon lose interest in what you’re saying and switch off.
Getting your intonation patterns wrong might give rise to misunderstandings, with listeners even taking offence.
Not having enough awareness of intonation can impair your listening comprehension too, as you’re likely to misinterpret what others say.
Types of intonation
Here are some common intonation patterns found in English speech.
Falling intonation In this type, you drop the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence. This pattern is usually found in:
statements E.g. I’m going for a stroll on the ➘beach.
commands E.g. Get your hands off my ➘coat!
wh-questions that seek information E.g. What’s your ➘name?
question tags that invite agreement E.g. It was such a lousy film, wasn’t ➘it?
2. Rising intonation In this type, you raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence. This pattern is generally found in:
yes/no questions E.g. Do you like my new ➚ dress?
question tags that seek an answer E.g. You haven’t had a fight with Tom, ➚ have you?
We’ll be back with more in the next part. Meanwhile, think about
whether your pitch goes up and down when you speak in English.
As the new academic year begins at many U.S. colleges and universities this month, we hear from Mohinder “Holly” Singh, Senior Director of International Students and Scholars Center, Arizona State University, on the very timely topic of the value of participating in new international student orientation on U.S. college campuses.
Q: Describe your institution in 10 words? A: #1 public university in the U.S. chosen by international students.
Q: For what is your institution best known overseas? A: According to U.S. News and World Report, Arizona State University is #1 Innovative School in the U.S. ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom we exclude, but rather by whom we include and how they succeed. Many international students select ASU to study our undergraduate business programs and graduate Engineering programs.
Q: What are your top academic programs (undergrad & grad)? A: Grad: Homeland/National Security and Emergency Management, Information and Technology Management, Local Government Management, Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Urban Policy.
UG: Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Business Management, Quantitative Analysis, Business Management Systems, Teaching.
Q: What are the top 5 countries represented at your college? A: China, India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and South Korea.
Q: What is the role of an international student office on campus?
A: At Arizona State University, the International Students and Scholars Center works to facilitate the success of our students’ and visiting scholars’ time in the U.S. Our core goal is to ensure compliance of our students and visiting scholars with Department of Homeland Security and Department of State immigration regulations. In addition, we work to assist our students and visiting scholars with academic integration, cultural adjustment issues, leadership development and any other support they may need.
Q: What steps do U.S. universities take to help international students adjust to their new environment?
A: ASU helps new international students feel welcome even before they arrive in the U.S. All new international students are invited to complete an online introductory module, which provides information about campus culture, ways to get involved, how to ask for assistance and introduces the many resources available to students after arriving on campus. Additionally, each semester ASU hosts an International Orientation Week prior to Welcome Week to officially welcome new international students to campus. These orientation experiences includes information on immigration regulations, on-campus employment opportunities, U.S. classroom culture and other information about student life at ASU. Students from around the world are also provided with opportunities to engage in social settings to build relationships and connections with their fellow students.
Q: Why should an new international student attend orientation? A: ASU’s International Orientation Week program is specifically designed for new international students as it will introduce them to important resources, allow them to meet new friends, show them how to succeed academically at an American university, and offer opportunities for them to have their questions answered by university staff and officials.
Q: What should new international students remember when attending orientation at ASU? A: ASU’s fall semester begins in late August, which is an extremely hot time in Arizona. New students must remember to drink lots of water and dress in layers as the air-conditioning inside buildings makes it very cold indoors.
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you’d give new international students attending orientation? A: Ask questions. We understand that asking for help is hard for some individuals from certain cultures, but ASU’s President, Dr. Crow, always encourages students to raise their hand and ask for help when they need it.
Q: What should new international students do after orientation if they need support or have questions? A: New international students are always encouraged to reach out to the ISSC for any questions they have whether they are regarding immigration regulations or other topics. If they ISSC cannot provide the support directly, we will reach out to the appropriate department to provide the information needed by the student.
In a previous post, we spoke of how it’s important to be
well-rested, well-fed, and comfortably clothed on the test day so that you can
give a good account of yourself in IELTS.
Read on for some more tried and tested tips that can help you on
the day.
Take your ID document along
On arrival, one of the first things that a test taker needs to
undergo at the test venue is an identity check. When registering for IELTS, you
receive information on what type of ID you’ll be expected to carry. In many
regions, this would be the test taker’s passport. If you fail to take along
your ID, you will not be allowed to sit the test. So, whatever you do, do not
forget your ID.
Carry enough stationery
If you’re taking paper-based IELTS, you’ll have to write mostly in pencil. Time is invaluable, so anything that helps you save precious seconds is good news. Have 3 to 4 pencils ready to be used so that you don’t lose time sharpening when one goes dull. Similarly, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, and a couple of pens are also essential. In some cases, the stationery is provided to you at the test venue. But, if this is not clearly mentioned to you when you book the test, ensure you carry enough stationery with you on the test day.
Leave electronic devices
outside
Mobile phones or other electronic devices shouldn’t be taken
into the test room, so leave them at home. At some test venues, designated
places may be available where personal belongings can be stored. Remember, if
an electronic item is found on you while you are in the test room, it would be
considered a serious breach of test rules.
Arrive early
It’s really in your best interest to arrive on time at the test
venue. For one thing, when you’re running late, you slip into panic mode. More
importantly, test takers who report late may not be allowed to participate.
Watch how much water you
drink
The Listening, Reading, and Writing tests are conducted one
after the other, with no breaks in between. If you do choose to use the toilet,
you’ll lose that time. Hence be mindful of how much water you drink during the
test. It might also be a good idea to pay a quick visit to the toilet just
before you enter the test room.
Remember these tips, and you should have a stress-free test
experience.
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