Grammar: A1 - Writing Mechanics - Basics - Lesson 1: Using Capital Letters

Writing Mechanics: Using Capital Letters

A2 Lesson 19: The Basic Rules of Capitalization

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use capital letters correctly for the beginning of sentences, the pronoun 'I', and for special names (proper nouns).

The Main Rules for Capital Letters

Good writing in English follows rules. The most important rule is knowing when to use a Capital Letter (A, B, C) instead of a lowercase letter (a, b, c). Capital letters are signals that tell the reader something important is starting.

1. Start of a Sentence

Every sentence must begin with a capital letter. No exceptions!

• The weather is beautiful today.
• We live in Cambodia.

2. The Pronoun 'I'

When you write the word 'I' to talk about yourself, it is ALWAYS a capital letter.

• He and I are brothers.
• I think I will go to the market.

3. Names (Proper Nouns)

All special names of people, places, nationalities, and languages start with a capital letter.

• People: Dara, Sokha
• Places: Siem Reap, Bokor Mountain
• Languages: Khmer, English

4. Months and Days

The names of all days of the week and months of the year start with a capital letter.

• Days: Monday, Saturday
• Months: January, June

Memory Trick: MINTS

This acronym helps you remember the five main rules for capital letters.

• M – Months and Days (January, Sunday)
• I – The pronoun I
• N – Names (Dara, Cambodia)
• T – Titles (Mr., Mrs., Dr.)
• S – Start of a sentence

Practice Your Writing 🎯

Exercise: Find the Mistakes

Read the sentences below and find the capitalization mistakes.

1. my name is sokha. i am a student.
2. → My name is Sokha. I am a student.
3. we will visit the market on saturday.
4. → We will visit the market on Saturday.
5. he lives in kampot. he is cambodian.
6. → He lives in Kampot. He is Cambodian.

Your Writing Mission ⭐

Rewrite the Paragraph

Rewrite this paragraph in your notebook with the correct capital letters.

my friend's name is narin. he is cambodian. he lives in a small house in kampot. his birthday is in june. on sundays, he and i like to go to the riverside.

Key Vocabulary

• Writing Mechanics (Phrase) | ក្បួនសរសេរ
  The rules for writing correctly, like punctuation and capitalization.
• Capital Letter (Noun) | អក្សរធំ
  A "big" letter (A, B, C) used for the start of sentences and special names.
• Proper Noun (Noun) | វិសេសនាម
  The special name for a person, place, or thing (e.g., Dara, Cambodia).