Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

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Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

Your Pain Is Our Pleasure

24-Hour Proofreading Service—We proofread your Google Docs or Microsoft Word files. We hate grammatical errors with a passion. Learn More

Defining a proper noun

I’m trying to apply a consistent style to a teacher training website and am battling the Capital Letter Police on a few issues.

I’ve culled capital letters for nouns such as “teacher” and “headteacher” unless we refer it as part of a job title.

Now I am left with names of meetings and forms that have traditionally been capitalised, but I’m not sure they need to be. Should such things be capitalised if they are being discussed generally? Eg:

“You should undertake three observed teaching sessions each year and keep a record of the feedback received on a teaching feedback form.”

or

“You should undertake three Observed Teaching Sessions each year and keep a record of the feedback received on a Teaching Feedback Form.”

And: “Download a teaching feedback form (link to PDF).” or “Download a Teaching Feedback Form (link to PDF).”

Any advice?

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Comments

Since it's a title, I think you've got a case for "Teaching Feedback Form"

I'm on the fence as far as "observed teaching sessions" goes. It seems like it needs a way to make it stand apart, but I'm not sure what the best way to do that is. Italics maybe?

EGKG1 Mar-10-2009

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1. Observed Teaching sessions
2. Teaching Feedback Form

PT Mar-11-2009

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I don't think either of those terms requires capitalization, especially since we're talking about a Web site, on which these will likely be set apart stylistically with whatever style your links take. Capitalizing them seems distracting and unnecessary to me.

I'd really like to see the site. What will the address be?

Jo_Hawke Mar-12-2009

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"Observed Teaching Session"
"Teaching Feedback Form"

Both of these examples appear to me to be names for specific things, not general descriptions. Capitalizing them makes it clear, for example, that you are referring to the official Teaching Feedback Form, not an example of a category of forms that could be used to provide feedback on teaching.

Jay2 Mar-13-2009

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It seems to me that anything COULD be defined as a proper noun, but that there should be documentation of such a thing. If there's a form that says at the top "Teaching Feedback Form," then referring to that form with its formal name would be a case for capitalization. Likewise, if someone is having an observed teaching session as opposed to those other, unobserved teaching sessions, no capitalization would be needed. However, if documentation of the process states that there is a specific step that is the "Observed Teaching Session," officially, I think it would be capitalized.

I have this trouble all the time at my job. My doctors have a "Heart Function Clinic," where patients check medications, vitals, pacemakers, etc. However, whatever the doctor calls it-- "pacemaker clinic," for example--they want me to capitalize it, even though, IMNSHO, there's no WAY it should be capitalized as a proper noun unless they're using the proper name.

scyllacat Apr-12-2009

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If you ever want to see a reader's feedback :) , I rate this post for 4/5. Decent info, but I just have to go to that damn yahoo to find the missed parts. Thanks, anyway!
p.s. Year One is already on the Internet and you can watch it for free.

cojusib2ojepi Jun-20-2009

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Just search any blogging directory and you'd get a listing of a lot of blogging sites that are available on the net. It's easy to search a blogging directory, because it is organized according to category. This way you would get exactly what you are after. Blogging is really for everyone. It is fun, simple and easy.

alan.person Dec-15-2009

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I know I occasionally link to my own blog, but that last comment really looks like spam to me. The page directed to isn't much more enlightening than that comment, and the whole site looks as though it was written with Google Translate. But it's quite good for a laugh; here are a few gems:

"For example, if I was to write a letter to a man named John, and I wrote "John" envelope, it would be very angry."

"In everyday life, it has the advantage of the most perfect good knowledge of grammar. Teach your child to use proper names should also be discussed"

If you remember the names used, you are probably a surprisingly successful future"

Warsaw Will Mar-02-2013

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You know Will, I was just about to click "report abuse", just like I did for the designer fasion spam a few posts up. But, after seeing your funny quotes from the site, I thought, better to leave it there for everyone's amusement:)

porsche Mar-03-2013

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Hi porsche, I've had very similar ones on my blog, so as soon as I saw it I was suspicious. I delete them there because my blog is for foreign learners and the grammar they used was awful. Talking of grammar, thanks for backing me up elsewhere, by the way.

Warsaw Will Mar-03-2013

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