Writing: Basic Mechanics and Formation (A1) - Lesson 4: Using Capital Letters for 'I' and Start of Sentences

Lesson 4: Using Capital Letters for 'I' and the Start of Sentences

In our last lesson, we learned to use a capital letter¹ for names (like Dara or Kampot). Today, we will learn two more essential rules² for capitalization that you will use all the time.

Rule #1: The Word 'I' is Always Capital

This is a very simple and important rule. When you write about yourself using the word "I", it is always a capital letter. It does not matter if it is at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.

Good Example

My friend is nice, and I am happy.

(The word 'I' is in the middle of the sentence, so it must be capital.)

Bad Example

My friend is nice, and i am happy.

(This is incorrect. The word 'i' for yourself must never be small.)

Rule #2: Start Every Sentence with a Capital Letter

A sentence³ is a complete thought, like "I like rice." or "Kampot is beautiful." The first word of every new sentence must start⁴ with a capital letter. Sentences usually end with a period⁵ (.).

Notice the capital letters at the start of each sentence:

My name is Vuthy. He is my brother. We live in a small house.

Bad Example

the food is delicious.

(This is incorrect because the first word, 'the', must start with a capital 'T'.)

Capital Letter Rules Checklist

So far, you know three important rules:

• ✔️ Use a capital letter for names (Sokha, Cambodia).
• ✔️ Use a capital letter for the word I.
• ✔️ Use a capital letter for the first word of a sentence.

🧠 Practice Quiz: Find the Mistake

Read the sentences below and find the capitalization mistake in each one.

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1. i live in Kampot.

Mistake: The word 'i' should be a capital 'I'.

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2. my favorite food is fish amok.

Mistake: The first word 'my' should start with a capital 'M'.

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3. Srey and i are friends.

Mistake: The word 'i' should be a capital 'I'.

📝 Homework: Correct the Sentences

Get your pen and notebook. Copy these sentences, but fix all the capitalization mistakes.

Sentences to Fix:

1. my name is narin and i am a tuk-tuk driver.
2. i like my job.
3. today, i am driving to bokor mountain.

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Example Answers:

1. My name is Narin and I am a tuk-tuk driver.
2. I like my job.
3. Today, I am driving to Bokor Mountain.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Capital Letter: (Noun) - អក្សរធំ - The big form of a letter (A, B, C), used for specific rules. ↩
2. Rule: (Noun) - វិធាន - An instruction that says how something must be done. ↩
3. Sentence: (Noun) - ប្រយោគ - A group of words that makes a complete thought. ↩
4. Start: (Noun/Verb) - ការចាប់ផ្តើម - The beginning of something. ↩
5. Period: (Noun) - សញ្ញាចុច - The small dot (.) used to mark the end of a sentence. ↩