English Language Arts
Grade 4
15 min
Abbreviate people's titles
Abbreviate people's titles
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify common titles used for people, such as Mister, Doctor, and Missis.
Define the term 'abbreviation' as a shortened form of a word.
Correctly write the abbreviations for Mister (Mr.), Missis (Mrs.), Miss (Ms.), and Doctor (Dr.).
Apply the rules of capitalization and punctuation (using a period) to title abbreviations.
Use abbreviated titles correctly in sentences before a person's name.
Differentiate between the titles Ms. and Mrs. and know when to use each one.
Explain that 'Miss' is a title that is not an abbreviation and does not take a period.
Have you ever seen the letters 'Mr.' or 'Dr.' before a name on a letter or a door and wondered what they mean? 🤔 Let's become detectives and solve the m...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
TitleA special word used before a person's name to show respect, their gender, or their job.In the name 'Doctor Evans', the title is 'Doctor'.
AbbreviationA shorter way to write a word. We use them to save time and space.The abbreviation for the word 'Mister' is 'Mr.'.
PeriodThe small dot used at the end of many abbreviations to show that the word has been shortened.We put a period after 'Dr' to make the correct abbreviation: 'Dr.'.
Mister (Mr.)A title of respect for any man.Our mail carrier is Mr. Garcia.
Missis (Mrs.)A title of respect for a married woman. It is an abbreviation of the old word 'Mistress'.My friend's mom is Mrs. Chen.
Ms. (Ms.)A title of respect for any woman, whether sh...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Capitalization Rule
Always capitalize the first letter of an abbreviated title when it is used with a name.
Just like you capitalize the first letter of a person's name, you must always capitalize their title. It's part of their formal name.
The Period Rule
Most title abbreviations must end with a period.
The period signals to the reader that the word is a shortened form. The one common exception is 'Miss', which is a full word and not an abbreviation.
The Placement Rule
The abbreviated title always comes right before the person's name.
You would write 'Dr. Jones', not 'Jones Dr.'. The title introduces the person.
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Challenging
You need to write a formal invitation to a male teacher, Mr. Abe, and a female principal, Principal Soto, whose marital status is unknown. Which is the most correct and respectful greeting?
A.Dear Mr Abe and Mrs. Soto,
B.Dear Mr. Abe and Ms. Soto,
C.Dear mr. Abe and ms. Soto,
D.Dear Mr. Abe and Miss Soto,
Challenging
A classmate says, 'You must always put a period after a person's title.' Why is this statement not completely true?
A.Because the title 'Miss' is a full word and not an abbreviation, so it does not get a period.
B.Because you only use a period if the person is a doctor.
C.Because periods are only for titles used for married people, like 'Mrs.'.
D.Because you can choose whether or not to use a period with any title.
Challenging
Read the sentence below and identify the error. 'Even though dr. amable was late for the assembly, the students waited patiently for his lesson to begin.'
A.The first letter of the title should be capitalized.
B.There should not be a period after 'dr'.
C.The title is used correctly in the sentence.
D.The title should be spelled out as 'Doctor'.
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