Writing: Basic Mechanics - Using Capital Letters (For 'I', Names, and Start of Sentences)

Writing: Basic Mechanics

A1 Lesson: Using Capital Letters (For 'I', Names, and Sentences)

Listen to the rules and examples.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will know the three most important rules for using capital letters (A, B, C) in English writing.

Before You Start 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

Let's learn these key words for today's lesson.

Capital Letter

| អក្សរធំ

The "big" form of a letter (e.g., A, B, C). Also called "uppercase".

Lowercase Letter

| អក្សរតូច

The "small" form of a letter (e.g., a, b, c).

Sentence

| ប្រយោគ

A complete idea in writing. It starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.).

Name

| ឈ្មោះ

A special word for a person, place, or company (e.g., Sophea, Cambodia).

The 3 Most Important Capital Letter Rules

In English writing, capital letters are very important. They are like a signal for the reader. Here are the three main rules you must know.

Rule 1: Always Capitalize "I"

The word for yourself, "I", is always a capital letter. It doesn't matter if it's at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.

• I am a student.
• My teacher and I live in Cambodia.

Rule 2: Start Every Sentence

The first word of every new sentence must start with a capital letter.

• He is a doctor. She is a teacher.
• The cat is small. It is sleeping.

Rule 3: Use for Special Names

You must use a capital letter for the special names of people, places, companies, and more.

• People: Dara, Vanna, John, Mary
• Places: Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat
• Companies: Wing, Prabaos, Google

Reading Practice: Find the Capitals

Read this story. Notice all the capital letters. Why are they capital?

I am a student. My name is Sophea. I live in Phnom Penh. It is a big city in Cambodia. I have a friend named Dara. He works at Wing Bank.

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Quiz: Find the Correct Sentence

Read the sentences below. Choose the one that uses capital letters correctly. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. Which sentence is correct?

• i am happy.
• I am happy.
• i am Happy.

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2. Which sentence is correct?

• my teacher is dara.
• My teacher is dara.
• My teacher is Dara.

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3. Which sentence is correct?

• We live in Cambodia.
• we live in cambodia.
• We live in cambodia.

Your Writing Mission ⭐

Practice Writing About Yourself

Get a pen and paper (or open a new text file). Write three sentences about yourself. When you finish, check your writing for the 3 rules:

1. Is the word "I" always capital?
2. Does every sentence start with a capital letter?
3. Did you use capital letters for all names (your name, your city, your country)?

Example:
My name is Pich. I am from Battambang. I am a student.