Forum newsfeeds 
|  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
23-Sep-2007, 05:55
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Country: Tunisia
Posts: 1,018
Current Location: Tunis First Language: Arabic Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 27
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| |  singular or plural
Dear teachers,
What would you say and why?
Is / Are the US the biggest State (capitalized ?) in the world ?
Thank you for your help.
Hela |
23-Sep-2007, 06:08
|  | Key Member | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,606
Current Location: Shanghai, China First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 28
Thanked 1,297 Times in 1,182 Posts
| | Re: singular or plural
First, the US isn't a state, it's a country. Second, try Is (the state of) Texas the biggest state in the US?
State. Capitalize state only when it follows the name of a state or is part of an imaginative name.
Washington State, the Empire State, state of Iowa, state funds
Writing911.com - Capitalization Rules: Eight Words You Usually Shouldn't Capitalize
|
23-Sep-2007, 10:30
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Country: Tunisia
Posts: 1,018
Current Location: Tunis First Language: Arabic Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 27
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: singular or plural
Thank you Soup.
Do you also have a page talking about the capitalization of subjects studied in class, such as History, Maths, Physics ?
All the best,
Hela |
23-Sep-2007, 11:45
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,606
Current Location: Shanghai, China First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 28
Thanked 1,297 Times in 1,182 Posts
| | Re: singular or plural
That's actually an easy one but it confuses most of us. The trick is to remember this, capitalize names and titles. So, for example, if you're writing about the course's title, then capitalize it; e.g., this semester, I am taking Math 101, History 103, and Chemistry 201. Those are the names, titles, of the the courses. If you're writing about a subject, not a course title, then don't capitalize it; e.g., I had math, history, and chemistry today. Those are the subjects I studied, not the names of the courses. |
23-Sep-2007, 13:10
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Country: Tunisia
Posts: 1,018
Current Location: Tunis First Language: Arabic Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 27
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: singular or plural
Thank you Soup  |
23-Sep-2007, 13:14
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,606
Current Location: Shanghai, China First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 28
Thanked 1,297 Times in 1,182 Posts
| | Re: singular or plural
You're welcome, hela. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 23:49. | |
