Capitalize Words in Titles

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3rd Grade Writing › Capitalize Words in Titles

Questions 1 - 10
1

Which shows the correct way to capitalize this book title?

The Very Hungry caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The very hungry caterpillar

the Very Hungry Caterpillar

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a,' 'an,' 'the,' 'in,' 'on,' 'at,' 'to,' 'for,' 'of,' 'and,' 'but,' 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar,' we must capitalize 'The' (first word always), 'Very' (important adverb), 'Hungry' (important adjective), and 'Caterpillar' (last word and noun). Choice A is correct because it capitalizes the first word, last word, and important words like 'Very' and 'Hungry,' and there are no small words to keep lowercase. Choice B is incorrect because it doesn't capitalize important words like 'very' and 'hungry,' which are an adverb and adjective that need capitals; students make this error when they think only the first word gets capitalized. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry, Potter, Sorcerer's, Stone yes; and, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capital. Watch for: capitalizing every word, forgetting first word, not capitalizing important words, not capitalizing proper nouns.

2

Which is the correct way to write this movie title?

How To Train Your Dragon

how to train your dragon

How to train your dragon

How to Train Your Dragon

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a,' 'an,' 'the,' 'in,' 'on,' 'at,' 'to,' 'for,' 'of,' 'and,' 'but,' 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'How to Train Your Dragon,' we must capitalize 'How' (first word and adverb), 'Train' (verb), 'Your' (adjective), 'Dragon' (last word and noun), but not 'to' (small preposition in the middle). Choice B is correct because it capitalizes the first word, last word, and important words like 'Train,' 'Your,' and 'Dragon,' and keeps 'to' lowercase as it's a small preposition in the middle. Choice A is incorrect because it capitalizes 'To,' which is a small preposition in the middle that should stay lowercase; students make this error when they think all words in titles are capitalized. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry, Potter, Sorcerer's, Stone yes; and, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capital. Watch for: capitalizing every word, forgetting first word, not capitalizing important words, not capitalizing proper nouns.

3

Which shows the correct way to capitalize this poem title?

"The Owl and the Pussycat"

"the owl and the pussycat"

"The Owl And the Pussycat"

"The owl and the pussycat"

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a,' 'an,' 'the,' 'in,' 'on,' 'at,' 'to,' 'for,' 'of,' 'and,' 'but,' 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'The Owl and the Pussycat,' we must capitalize 'The' (first word always), 'Owl' (noun), 'Pussycat' (last word and noun), but not 'and' or 'the' (small conjunction and article in the middle). Choice B is correct because it capitalizes the first word, last word, and important words like 'Owl' and 'Pussycat,' and keeps 'and' and 'the' lowercase as they are small words in the middle. Choice A is incorrect because it capitalizes 'And,' which is a small conjunction in the middle that should stay lowercase; students make this error when they think all words in titles are capitalized. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry, Potter, Sorcerer's, Stone yes; and, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capital. Watch for: capitalizing every word, forgetting first word, not capitalizing important words, not capitalizing proper nouns.

4

Which shows the correct way to capitalize this movie title?

frozen II

Frozen II

FROZEN II

Frozen ii

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a,' 'an,' 'the,' 'in,' 'on,' 'at,' 'to,' 'for,' 'of,' 'and,' 'but,' 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'Frozen II,' we must capitalize 'Frozen' (first word and adjective) and 'II' (last word, roman numeral for title sequencing, typically capitalized in titles). Choice B is correct because it capitalizes both the first word 'Frozen' and the last element 'II,' following the rule for first and last in titles. Choice D is incorrect because it capitalizes all letters in 'FROZEN,' which is not the standard title case; students make this error when they think titles should be all uppercase. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry, Potter, Sorcerer's, Stone yes; and, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capital. Watch for: capitalizing every word, forgetting first word, not capitalizing important words, not capitalizing proper nouns.

5

Which shows the correct way to capitalize this song title?

"twinkle twinkle little star"

"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

"Twinkle Twinkle little star"

"Twinkle twinkle Little Star"

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a,' 'an,' 'the,' 'in,' 'on,' 'at,' 'to,' 'for,' 'of,' 'and,' 'but,' 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' we must capitalize 'Twinkle' (first word and verb, and repeated as important verb), 'Little' (adjective), 'Star' (last word and noun). Choice B is correct because it capitalizes the first word, last word, and important words like both 'Twinkle' and 'Little,' and there are no small words in the middle to keep lowercase. Choice A is incorrect because it doesn't capitalize the second 'Twinkle,' which is an important verb that needs a capital; students make this error when they forget to capitalize repeated important words. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry, Potter, Sorcerer's, Stone yes; and, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capital. Watch for: capitalizing every word, forgetting first word, not capitalizing important words, not capitalizing proper nouns.

6

Which shows the correct way to capitalize this story title?

Jack and the beanstalk

jack and the beanstalk

Jack And The Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a,' 'an,' 'the,' 'in,' 'on,' 'at,' 'to,' 'for,' 'of,' 'and,' 'but,' 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' we must capitalize 'Jack' (first word always and proper noun) and 'Beanstalk' (last word and noun). We do NOT capitalize 'and' (conjunction in the middle) or 'the' (article in the middle). Choice A is correct because it capitalizes the first word, last word, and keeps small words like 'and' and 'the' lowercase. Choice B is incorrect because it capitalizes 'And' and 'The,' which are small conjunction and article in the middle. Students make this error when they think all words in titles are capitalized. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry, Potter, Sorcerer's, Stone yes; and, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capital. Watch for: capitalizing every word, forgetting first word, not capitalizing important words, not capitalizing proper nouns.

7

Which shows the correct way to write this book title?​

The very hungry caterpillar

the Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry caterpillar

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a', 'an', 'the', 'in', 'on', 'at', 'to', 'for', 'of', 'and', 'but', 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', we must capitalize 'The' (first word always), 'Very' (adverb - important word), 'Hungry' (adjective - important word), and 'Caterpillar' (noun - important word). Choice A is correct because it capitalizes all the important words: The, Very, Hungry, and Caterpillar. This follows the rule of capitalizing important words in titles. Choice B is incorrect because it doesn't capitalize 'Very' and 'Hungry', which are important words (adverb and adjective). Students make this error when they only capitalize the first word and forget that important words need capitals. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capitals.

8

Which shows the correct way to capitalize this movie title?​

How to Train Your Dragon

how to train your dragon

How To Train Your Dragon

How to train your dragon

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a', 'an', 'the', 'in', 'on', 'at', 'to', 'for', 'of', 'and', 'but', 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'How to Train Your Dragon', we must capitalize 'How' (first word always), 'Train' (verb - important word), 'Your' (possessive pronoun - important word), and 'Dragon' (noun - important word and last word). We do NOT capitalize 'to' because it's a small preposition in the middle of the title. Choice B is correct because it capitalizes How, Train, Your, and Dragon while keeping 'to' lowercase. This follows the rule of capitalizing important words but not small connecting words in the middle. Choice A is incorrect because it capitalizes 'To', which is a small preposition that should stay lowercase in the middle. Students make this error when they think all words in titles are capitalized. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: Where the Wild Things Are (Where, Wild, Things, Are yes; the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capitals.

9

Which shows the correct way to write this book title?

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry caterpillar

the Very Hungry Caterpillar

The very hungry caterpillar

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a', 'an', 'the', 'in', 'on', 'at', 'to', 'for', 'of', 'and', 'but', 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', we must capitalize 'The' (first word always), 'Very' (adverb - important word), 'Hungry' (adjective - important word), and 'Caterpillar' (noun - important word). Choice A is correct because it capitalizes all the important words: The, Very, Hungry, and Caterpillar. This follows the rule of capitalizing important words in titles. Choice B is incorrect because it doesn't capitalize 'Very' and 'Hungry', which are important words (adverb and adjective). Students make this error when they only capitalize the first word and forget that important words need capitals. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Practice with familiar titles: The Cat in the Hat (Cat, Hat yes; in, the no). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words get capitals.

10

Which shows the correct way to capitalize this movie title?​​

frozen II

Frozen ii

FROZEN II

Frozen II

Explanation

This question tests capitalizing appropriate words in titles (CCSS.L.3.2.a). Titles have special capitalization rules: capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words, but not small words in the middle. In titles we capitalize: (1) the first word always (even 'a' or 'the'), (2) the last word always, (3) important words like nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We do NOT capitalize small words in the middle like 'a', 'an', 'the', 'in', 'on', 'at', 'to', 'for', 'of', 'and', 'but', 'or' unless they are first or last. In the title 'Frozen II', we must capitalize 'Frozen' (adjective/verb - important word and first word) and 'II' (Roman numeral - always capitalized). Choice C is correct because it capitalizes both Frozen and II. This follows the rule of capitalizing important words and Roman numerals. Choice A is incorrect because it doesn't capitalize 'ii' - Roman numerals should always be capitalized in titles. Students make this error when they don't know that Roman numerals are treated as proper elements that need capitals. To help students: Teach the three-part rule: (1) Always: first and last words. (2) Always: important words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). (3) Never (unless first/last): small words (a, an, the, in, on, at, to, for, of, and, but, or). Special rule: Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc.) are always capitalized. Practice with familiar titles: Star Wars Episode IV (Star, Wars, Episode, IV yes). Memory trick: Small connecting words stay small in the middle; important meaning words and Roman numerals get capitals.

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