Rules in Technical Writing
Rules in RULES IN TECHNICAL WRITING
Capitalization
* Capitalize the first word in declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory sentences. * Capitalize the first word in interjections and incomplete sentences. * Capitalize the first word in a quotation if the quotation is a complete sentence.
Take note: When a quotation consists of one complete sentence in two parts, only one capital is needed.
Ex. “How much longer,” asked Mike, “are you going to need that book?” * Capitalize the first word after a colon if the word begins in a complete sentence. If the list follows the colon, it is not a complete sentence and therefore, no capital letter is used. * Capitalize the first word in each line of most poetry. * Capitalize the pronoun I. * Capitalize all the proper nouns. (Names of persons, proper names of animals, geographical and place names, names of monuments, buildings, and meeting rooms, name of specific events and periods of time) * Capitalize the name of various organizations, government bodies, political parties, races, nationalities, and languages. * Capitalize the reference of religions, deities, and religious scriptures. * Capitalize the names of awards. * Capitalize brand names. * Capitalize most proper adjectives. (ex. Swiss government, Filipino people) In a hyphenated adjective, capitalize only the proper adjective. (ex. Spanish-speaking Chinese) * Capitalize a person’s title when it is used with the person’s name. * Capitalize titles of government officials when they are followed by a proper name. * Capitalize the titles of certain high government officials. * Capitalize titles showing family relationships when they refer to a specific person, unless they are preceded by a possessive noun or pronoun. * Capitalize abbreviations of titles before and after names. * Capitalize the first word and all the other key words in the title of books, periodicals, poems, stories, plays,
Capitalization
* Capitalize the first word in declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory sentences. * Capitalize the first word in interjections and incomplete sentences. * Capitalize the first word in a quotation if the quotation is a complete sentence.
Take note: When a quotation consists of one complete sentence in two parts, only one capital is needed.
Ex. “How much longer,” asked Mike, “are you going to need that book?” * Capitalize the first word after a colon if the word begins in a complete sentence. If the list follows the colon, it is not a complete sentence and therefore, no capital letter is used. * Capitalize the first word in each line of most poetry. * Capitalize the pronoun I. * Capitalize all the proper nouns. (Names of persons, proper names of animals, geographical and place names, names of monuments, buildings, and meeting rooms, name of specific events and periods of time) * Capitalize the name of various organizations, government bodies, political parties, races, nationalities, and languages. * Capitalize the reference of religions, deities, and religious scriptures. * Capitalize the names of awards. * Capitalize brand names. * Capitalize most proper adjectives. (ex. Swiss government, Filipino people) In a hyphenated adjective, capitalize only the proper adjective. (ex. Spanish-speaking Chinese) * Capitalize a person’s title when it is used with the person’s name. * Capitalize titles of government officials when they are followed by a proper name. * Capitalize the titles of certain high government officials. * Capitalize titles showing family relationships when they refer to a specific person, unless they are preceded by a possessive noun or pronoun. * Capitalize abbreviations of titles before and after names. * Capitalize the first word and all the other key words in the title of books, periodicals, poems, stories, plays,