Yumi Liu - Week 12: CAPITALIZATION

Capitalization is such a powerful tool (or at least I think so). 


I do not know if it's because I am Chinese so I find capitalization to be such a fancy thing. In Chinese, there is no capitalization, when I look at Chinese text it is just flat (Important things need to be said three times in chinese). I think written Chinese is so so boring, and it will never be the same as English. Especially when in English, I CAN EMPHASIS something through capitalized letters. 


For example, imagine receiving a text. Would you rather see ‘omg’ or ‘OMG’? In my opinion I would prefer the latter, OMG is just so much more fun and dramatic then ‘omg.’ Capitalization of it added so much more drama and excitement into the word as opposed to its uncapitalized form. I think this rule goes for so many more words too. 


I particularly really like how capitalization can act as a megaphone and create an illusion of SHOUTING. It can make certain statements so much more impactful and memorable. Like, I LOVE WRITING sounds like I seriously LOVE writing as opposed to ‘I love writing.’ The phrase sounds so much more passionate and believable WHEN I AM SHOUTING it then just monotoning it in lower case. 


However, 

Capitalization also needs to be used in CAUTION, though there is no specific rule other than simply reading it, capitalization can do the exact opposite of adding an element of happiness. Under some circumstances, capitalization can come off as hostile and aggressive because of over emphasis capitalization can create. For instance a “NO PARKING ANY TIME” sign appears very firm and slightly aggressive with its message ( at least to me). 

Comments

  1. Ruhika GoelMarch 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM

    Hi Yumi!
    You always write such interesting blogs every week, as you talk about topics I would never think of under the subject of power. I never realized that such a little thing in the English language actually had so much influence. On top of that, I myself actually do use it to influence how I write or comprehend certain texts. I overthink a lot, so my choices in capitalization are carefully crafted to express how I feel. Similarly, it shapes how I comprehend what someone is messaging me or what I am reading. Hindi also does not have a system of capitalization, and as I am learning to read it right now, it is strange because I have no clue how people emphasize certain things or identify between proper or regular nouns. I really love using capitalization as a way to hyper-analyze text, and I have noticed it is a powerful rhetorical choice writers can use in their writing. I wonder if other languages, outside of Hindi and Chinese, have a similar way of emphasis. Also, I want to know how languages like Hindi and Chinese get a similar effect.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alexander NatividadMarch 5, 2025 at 9:32 PM

    Hi Yumi,
    I really enjoyed reading your blog about the power of something so simple yet so complex. I always understood that the English language itself and the mentions of it carry a tremendous amount of power, but I never really understood the deeper significance of all of the little parts of the language. I agree with the fact that capitalization can create a hostile aggression towards the receiver of the message; personally, this happens many times when I text my family or friends. However, those same texts can convey other dramatic feelings, as you pointed out as well. Great blog!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ruhika, Week 16 - Memories Bring Back, Memories Bring Back You

Image
As this is the last blog I will ever write, I wanted to share one memory I will remember with all of the people in my class. AP Lang was a rollercoaster of a class… the amount of stress it caused me is immeasurable. However, I am so grateful that I got this experience since I think this class is the one which has the most tightly connected community. Suhas Bathini: I will not forget how terrible of a dancer you are. I am glad that the Gartic telephone allowed me to become friends with you. Ananya Bhardwaj: Your Michael Jackson impression is amazing. I will need a full length cover. Yuhaendan Bhaskaran: You are a bad mafia, letting your hands give you away.  James Chan: Your stage presence is amazing, which was evident in your POAS. I have had the pleasure of having English with you twice and getting to witness incredible performances more than twice. Devyani Choudhury: You whispering under your breath, “[A 3] is not the same to me,” will always make me giggle. Ritwik Deshpande: I a...
Read more

Michelle Li, 3/19 Week 13 - Person of American Significance

Image
David Koresh, my Person of American Significance. Image source: Financial Times You might have noticed my face turning a little red after my POAS presentation this Monday; I was embarrassed. I genuinely thought my performance was awkward and that my memory lapses were too obvious. But my tablemates and friends quickly reassured me that I did well, which I was grateful for, but didn’t truly believe. I think it’s because I don’t notice how I deliver my speeches. When I’m presenting, I switch into a different mindset where I cut out filler words, enunciate things for emphasis, and use hand gestures. It happens near automatically now through a phenomenon called implicit memory ---a type of long-term memory that causes us to unconsciously recall behavior or skills, typically through repeating these habits in the past. Since delivery has become second nature, I only focus on the content of what I’m speaking about—which I’ll admit was lackluster and cut out important information I wanted to ...
Read more

2025- Abdul Muhaimin-Week 16

Image
  This year might have been the most memorable bout of time in my recent history; even after excluding the mind bending outwardly world events, this year was still filled with the highest highs and lowest lows of my life. This blog seems like a farewell letter, partly because this is, after the end of this year I am leaving American High to join Ohlone Connections . It seems strange how I will not be seeing the wonderful friends I made during APeng, and largely in American High. So as we close this year I ask you to think about some of the memorable parts of this year, some lenses tell a more interesting tale. One lens to view the year through, could be the “WAR AGAINST COLLEGE BOARD.” It started with a training montage where we met are lieutenant, Mrs. Smith,  and as the year progresses so did our skills. Who doesn’t remember the sleepless nights spent doing annotations, or mental connections forged through rhetorical analysis. In the middle of this epic we face off against...
Read more