Writing Content Hand Out
For the HiSET Test
HiSet Test Overview
Agenda for Writing Boot Camp
Test-Taking Strategies for Reading
Punctuation
Common Punctuation Rules
Capitalization Rules
1. Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence
This one’s easy. Always capitalize the first word of a sentence.
The cat is sleeping.
Where did I put that book?
Hey! It’s great to see you! How have you been?
2. Capitalize Names and Other Proper Nouns
You should always capitalize people’s names.
My favorite author is Jane Austen.
Tom and Diane met at Judy’s house.
Have you met my dog, Boomer?
Names are proper nouns. The names of cities, countries, companies, religions, and political parties are also proper nouns, so you should capitalize them, too.
We experienced some beautiful Southern California weather last fall when we attended a Catholic wedding in San Diego.
You should also capitalize words like mom and grandpa when they are used as a form of address.
Just wait until Mom sees this!
But
My mom is not going to like this.
3. Don’t Capitalize After a Colon (Usually)
In most cases, you don’t need to capitalize after a colon.
I have one true passion: wombat racing.
There are a couple of common exceptions. One is when the word following the colon is a proper noun.
There is only one place I want to visit: New York City.
The other exception is when the words following the colon form one or more complete sentences.
Maggie wears a brimmed cap at all times for these two reasons: Strong light often gives her a headache. She also likes the way it looks.
4. Capitalize the First Word of a Quote (Sometimes)
Capitalize the first word of a quote when the quote is a complete sentence.
Mario asked, “What is everyone doing this weekend?”
Stacy answered, “My sister and I are going to the water park.”
Don’t capitalize the first word of partial quotes.
Gretchen said she was “way too busy” to join the gym.
Mr. Thompson described the rules as “extremely difficult to understand if you don’t have a law degree.”
Capitalization Rules Continued
5. Capitalize Days, Months, and Holidays, But Not Seasons
The names of days, months, and holidays are proper nouns, so you should capitalize them.
I hate Mondays!
Tom’s birthday is in June.
Oh no! I forgot about Valentine’s Day!
The names of seasons, however, are not proper nouns, so there’s no need to capitalize them.
I hate winter!
Having a summer birthday is the best.
6. Capitalize Most Words in Titles
The capitalization rules for titles of books, movies, and other works vary a little between style guides. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions—however, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters.
Sense and Sensibility is better than Pride and Prejudice.
The first movie of the series is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
7. Capitalize Cities, Countries, Nationalities, and Languages
The names of cities, countries, nationalities, and languages are proper nouns, so you should capitalize them.
English is made up of many languages, including Latin, German, and French.
My mother is British, and my father is Dutch.
The capital of Botswana is Gaborone.
8. Capitalize Time Periods and Events (Sometimes)
Specific periods, eras, and historical events that have proper names should be capitalized.
Most of the World War I veterans are now deceased.
In the Middle Ages, poor hygiene was partly responsible for the spreading of bubonic plague.
Middle school students often enjoy studying the social changes that took place during the Roaring Twenties.
However, centuries—and the numbers before them—are not capitalized.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, England blossomed into an empire.
Transitions
Combining Two Sentences/also, different punctuation
Example: I am a girl, and I like you. I had a dog, but he ran away.
____________________________; ___________________________________.
Example: I am going to a baseball game tonight; however, it may have a rain delay.
Combining Two Sentences (using different punctuation)
Steve went to boot camp. Diane could not attend.
Steve went to boot camp, but Diane could not attend.
(Related sentences)
Steve went to boot camp; Diane could not attend.
_______________________________________ . ____________________________________.
_______________________________________ , ____________________________________.
_______________________________________ ; ____________________________________.
How to Use Commas
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , ____________________________.
Oh, I love that!
In the morning, I eat cereal.
__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
I like pizza and tacos. (Not a series of 3 - no comma)
I like to eat pizza, tacos, and steak.
My hobbies are reading and swimming. (Not a series of 3 - no comma)
My hobbies are reading, swimming, and walking.
I like peanut butter and jelly. (Not a series of 3 - no comma)
Do you drink iced tea, Coke, or water?
________________ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _________________________.
My friend, John, helps me.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , ___________________________________.
__________________________ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
Joe, can I help?
Can I help you, Joe?
“ ________________________________________ ,” ____________________.
______________________________ , “______________________________.”
“I like you,” she said.
She said, “I like you.”
Month Day, year March 12, 2020
City, State Zipcode Avon, Indiana 46012
Large numbers (every 3 numbers)
3,500
300,500
3,300,500
Joe Smith, D.D.S.
Sue Brown, R.N.
Sam White, M.D.
___________________ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ _ _ __ _ , _____________________.
I went to Miami, Florida, on vacation.
Colons
Semicolons
Run-on Sentences
Using Because in a Sentence
Because it is cold outside, I need to wear a coat.
I need to wear a coat because it is cold outside.
Are you taking Boot Camp because you want a new career?
Because you are going to earn your diploma, you can train for a new career.
We enjoy teaching Boot Camp because the students really try hard to do well on their HSE test.
Because the students work so hard, we enjoy teaching Boot Camp.
___________________________________________ , __________________________________.
______________________________________________________________________________.
___________________________________________ , _________________________________.
_____________________________________________________________________________.
Nouns with Two Words
Nouns with Two Words
If a noun has two words like:
iced tea
snare drum
alto sax
peanut butter
then you do not need a comma after a single adjective.
Example:
The delicious iced tea quenched my thirst. (No comma between ice and tea).
The loud snare drum kept the beat. (No comma between snare and drum).
The creamy, smooth peanut butter was delicious.(Comma between creamy and smooth - the two adjectives, but not between the two nouns - peanut butter).
A shiny, silver alto sax played the melody in the band. (Comma between shiny and silver- the two adjectives, but not between the two nouns - alto sax).
Objective vs. Subjective
Objective vs. Subjective
Objective:
The judge ruled against the defendant.
Subjective:
The attorney protested the ruling by the judge.
Other Punctuation Hints
Hyphens-
numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine
ex-wife ex-husband
mayor-elect
sister-in-law (sisters-in-law)
x-ray
t-shirt
mid-1800s
four-year old (four years old, fifty years old)A
Dash —
Separates parts of a sentence for emphasis.
It was a giant leap — for mankind — to land on the moon.
A
It shows emphasis.
We need a vaccine — for COVID 19 — to protect everyone.
Ellipsis…
It takes the place of a phrase or sentence in the middle of a thought.
Michael is in my class. He works hard, listens, and has good attendance. I’m glad that he attends my school.
(Michael is in my class. He works hard...I’m glad he attends my school.)
Parenthesis ( )
Provides nonessential info such as dates, explanation, or definitions.
The stars (at night) seem brighter in the mountains.
Hyphens
Dashes
Modifiers
Essay Practice
Notes
Write a fully developed essay
Provide ideas and examples
Avoid just repeating
Take a position
Do not depend solely on ideas from provided text
Key focus: essay’s ability to express and support ideas
Your goal is to take a side to a topic and stay on that side, use information to try and teach the reader about the topic, convince them that your side is valuable and why, and to show that you understand what you’re talking about.