Capitalization of Names of Academic Disciplines

Capitalization of Names of Academic Disciplines Capitalization of Names of Academic Disciplines Capitalization of Names of Academic Disciplines By Mark Nichol When do you capitalize a word or phrase that denotes an academic discipline? This post details the distinctions between these terms as proper nouns and as generic descriptions. If you’re writing a rà ©sumà © or a biographical blurb for yourself or someone else, or editing one, or you’re otherwise referring to an academic discipline, begin one or more words with uppercase or lowercase letters depending on whether the text pertains merely to the discipline itself or to an entity devoted to the discipline, such as a course, a department, or an institution. Note the following examples: â€Å"My course load includes classes in French and astronomy,† but â€Å"My favorite classes last semester were French III and Introduction to Astronomy.† â€Å"He obtained a degree in Asian studies,† but â€Å"He enrolled in the Department of Asian Studies† (or â€Å"the Asian Studies Department†). â€Å"It has always been her ambition to study architecture,† but â€Å"The building that houses the School of Architecture is a disgrace to the discipline.† When references to academic disciplines are listed, as on a business card or a rà ©sumà ©, or in institutional promotional text such as flyers or in lists, they are labels rather than prose, so capitalization is acceptable. On a related note, take care to distinguish between singular and plural terms. For example, social science is a specific academic discipline, the study of society. However, the social sciences are, collectively, the academic disciplines pertaining to humans, such as archaeology, economics, geography, and so on (including social science). (Likewise, observe the distinction between communications and â€Å"mass communication.†) Again, both terms are capitalized only as part of a proper name (for example, â€Å"the Department of Social Science,† â€Å"the Institute of Social Sciences†). In addition, because they constitute standing phrases, they are not hyphenated as a phrasal adjective. (For example, â€Å"The paper examines athletics from a social science perspective.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk†The Letter "Z" Will Be Removed from the English AlphabetArtist vs. Artisan

Definition and Examples of Asterismos in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Asterismos in Rhetoric Definition Asterismos is a  rhetorical term for an introductory word or phrase (such as behold) that has the primary function of calling attention to what follows. Asterismos is generally regarded as a type of pleonasm.   See Examples and Observations below. Also see: AsteriskEmphasisExclamation Interjection EtymologyFrom the Greek, marking with stars   Examples and Observations Gotham, take control of your city. Behold, the instrument of your liberation!(Tom Hardy as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, 2012)Behold, Nagini, our work is done.(Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 2011)Behold, I do not give lectures or a little charity,When I give I give myself.(Walt Whitman, Song of Myself)Hey, Ive read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should have killed you.(Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark in The Avengers, 2012)Hey, this is not First Class.(King Julien XIII in Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted, 2012)We should talk more tomorrow. Listen, I dont take chances anymore.(Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, First Time Again. The Walking Dead, 2015)Now listen people, we are experiencing some kind of disaster.(Andre Braugher as Brent Norton in The Mist, 2007)And Jesus said to his disciples, Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel t o go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.(Matthew 19:23-24, The Bible: Revised Standard Version) Well, looky here, boss, deys sumfn wrong, dey is. Is I me, or who is I? Is I heah, or whah is I? Now dats what I wants to know.(Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain) The Emphatic FigureAsterismos [is the] addition of a logically unnecessary word at the beginning of a phrase, or a phrase at the beginning of a sentence, to emphasize what follows. Pascal states, All human evil comes from this, mans being unable to sit still in a room. The pronoun this interrupts the flow of thought and draws attention to what follows. Beaumarchais is using that as an asterismos in Drinking when we are not thirsty and making love at all seasons, Madam: That is all there is to distinguish us from other Animals. In the Bible the most frequent asterismos is behold: Behold, the Lord God said . . .. In contemporary sports interviews, hey is frequently used as an asterismos.(Arthur Quinn and Lyon Rathbun, Asterismos. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication from Ancient Times to the Information Age, ed. by Theresa Enos. Taylor Francis, 1996) Pronunciation: as-ter-IS-mos