A Little Help with Capitals

j   Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:57 am GMT
Here is an extract below from the site :
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/01/

"A Little Help with Capitals
Use capital letters in the following ways:
<...>
Family relationships (when used as proper names)

I sent a thank-you note to Aunt Abigail, but not to my other aunts.
Here is a present I bought for Mother.
Did you buy a present for your mother?"
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Can anybody explain a second case to me ('Here is a present I bought for Mother')?
Thank you in advance
Guest   Tue Nov 21, 2006 1:34 pm GMT
Dear j

I looked at the Web Site that you recommended, because I find I am a little bit confused over the use of capitals.

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Family relationships (when used as proper names)
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Examples:

I sent a thank-you note to Aunt Abigail, but not to my other aunts.

Here is a present I bought for Mother.

Did you buy a present for your mother?
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I bought a present for Mother. In this instance, the word 'Mother' is being used as a proper name. For example: 'Mother, it is time to get out of bed'.

In the other example, 'mother' is used to refer to a class of persons. 'Everybody has a mother, but not everybody has a father.'
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To use the examples given:

I bought a present for Mother.

Did you buy a present for your mother?

Did you buy a present for Mother?

In the last example, 'Mother' refers to a person by the name they are called.
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I know it is confusing. If you go back to the Web Site, there is something there that might help you.

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The names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books

God the Father

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So, if the other half is something to be worshipped, you refer to her, as the Wife.

Bye for now
j   Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:45 pm GMT
Thank you. It is a little bit confusing, isn't it?