Special names of places: what you learned
A special name for a place points at one place. It begins with a capital letter.
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Cities, states, and countries take capitals. | Chicago, Texas, Mexico |
| Both words in a two-word name take capitals. | Bell Street |
| Label words stay small. | the city of Denver |
| General place words stay small. | I walk to school. |
Three things to keep straight
| What people write | What is right |
|---|---|
| Bell street | Bell Street. The second word belongs to the name. |
| I walk to School. | I walk to school. Nothing says which school. |
| the City of Denver | the city of Denver. Only the name takes a capital. |
The which-one test
Ask whether the word tells you which place. Would somebody have to ask “which one?” Then the word stays small.
“We crossed the street.” leaves you asking which street, so it stays small. “We crossed Bell Street.” does not, so it takes a capital.
Quick warm-up before the check
Write each one correctly.
- “i live in ohio”
- “hillside school”
- “We walked to the (Park / park).”
Answers
- “I live in Ohio.”
- “Hillside School”
- “park”
Now take the final check below.
Where to go next
- Capitalizing Days, Months, and Holidays: the calendar words
- Special Names and Titles for People: the same rule for people
- Nouns: People, Places, Animals, and Things: the naming words themselves
- Capital Letters and End Marks: the capital rules for every sentence