Tiffiany R MABBLED IN CAPITALIZATION MECHANICS

* * * A Definition * * *

Mabble = To Wrap Up

Before we get into the serious and mundane--writing mechanics--I wanted to inject a little befuddling vocabulary. Hopefully sometime during your quests for environmental sustainability you can incorporate some personality into your writing to peak the interests and spark the motivations of your audience.

When writing about our environment, it is important that your writing effectively engages your audience. Simple errors in mechanics can distract the reader from the overall message of your text, and damage your professional image. During the revision of writing, make sure to pay attention to these simple, but important rules of writing mechanics.

CAPITALIZATION

• Proper Nouns: name specific persons, places, things, concepts, or qualities
  
• First Words: first words in sentence, and the first word after a colon when the colon introduces an independent clause or a complete sentence(The meeting will address only one issue: What is the firm's role in environmental protection?)
• First Words: of a complete sentence in quotation marks (Peter Drucker said, "The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.")
• Specific Groups: names of ethnic groups, religions, and nationalities (Native American, Christianity, Mexican)
• Specific Places: political divisions (Collier County), geographical divisions(North America), do not capitalize geographic features unless they are part of a proper name(Great Smoky Mountains), north, south, east, and west are only capitalized when they refer to sections of the United States, not directions (I travel north when I relocate, but my family will remain the the South).
• Specific Institutions, Events, Concepts: names of institutions, organizations, and associations (U.S Department of Health and Human Services)

By no means are these guidelines exhaustive of capitalization rules. They were chosen based on their relevance for professional writers concerned with the environment.

Source Used: Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job
By Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, Gerald Alred