–CAPITALIZATION–
PROPER NOUNS, PART THREE CATEGORY OF PROPER NOUNS
EXAMPLES
cities, states, and governmental units
Des Moines, Iowa; Barrow, Alaska; Republic of South Africa
streets, highways, and roads
Grand Avenue, Interstate 29, Deadwood Road
landmarks and geographical locations
Continental Divide, Grand Canyon
public areas and bodies of water
Superior Forest, Missouri River
institutions, organizations, and businesses
Dartmouth College, Lions Club, Dodge Trucks
Practice
Proper Adjectives
Choose the correctly capitalized version of each of the following pairs.
Proper adjectives are adjectives—that is, words that modify nouns—formed from a proper noun, often the name of a place. For instance, the proper noun Canada becomes the proper adjective Canadian when it modifies another noun, as in Canadian bacon. Note that the noun is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun in its own right.
15. a. New York City’s Sixth Avenue is also called the Avenue of the Americas. b. New York city’s sixth avenue is also called the Avenue of the Americas. 16. a. Near a body of water called firth and forth, you can see Edinburgh, Scotland. b. Near a body of water called Firth and Forth, you can see Edinburgh, Scotland. 17. a. There is an incredible view of the Pacific ocean from Big Sur, California. b. There is an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean from Big Sur, California. 18. a. Mount Everest, which is in the middle of the Himalayas, is the highest mountain in the world. b. Mount Everest, which is in the middle of the Himalayas, is the highest mountain in the World. 19. a. I have traveled on the Garden state Parkway, a main highway in New Jersey. b. I have traveled on the Garden State Parkway, a main highway in New Jersey.
Examples: English muffin, Polish sausage, Japanese yen
Practice Choose the correctly capitalized version of each of the following pairs. 20. a. Some residents of ireland still speak the Gaelic Language. b. Some residents of Ireland still speak the Gaelic language. 21. a. Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist, painted many self-portraits. b. Frida Kahlo, a mexican artist, painted many self-portraits. 22. a. My Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in 1853. b. My irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in 1853.
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