Page 580 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

4 intonation and misunderstandings
If a statement is made on a rising intonation, it may be misunderstood as a
question.
~
That's our train. - 1 don't know. - Yes, it is, I'm telling you.
If a declarative question (see 481) is made on a falling intonation, it may be
misunderstood as a statement.
--.
That's our train?-Is it?- No, I'm askingyou.
A falling intonation can also turn a polite request into an order.
--.
Can 1 have some more coffee?-At once, Your Majesty.
A fall-rise in the wrong place can be misunderstood as suggesting more than is said. ~
I'd like to play tennis.-So what's the problem?-There's no problem. For intonation in question tags, see 487.
556 spelling (1): capital letters
We use capital (big) letters at the beginning of the following kinds of words:
a the names of days, months and public holidays (but not usually seasons)
Sunday March Easter Tuesday September Christmas (BUT normally summer, autumn)
b the names of people, institutions and places, including stars and planets
John
the Foreign Office
the United States
The Super Cinema
the Pole Star
(B U T normally the earth, the sun, the moon)
Mary
North Africa The Ritz Hotel the Far East Mars
the Smiths
Canada
Oxford University (compare He teaches at
a university)
Words derived from people's names have capitals if they refer to the people. Shakespearean drama (BUT to pasteurise: this refers to a chemical process,
not directly to the scientist Pasteur)
c people's titles
M r Smith Professor Blake
Colonel Webb the Managing Director Dr Jones
the Prime Minister is attending the summit
(Compare How is the French prime minister elected?)
d nouns and adjectives referring to nationalities and regions, languages, ethnic groups and religions
He's Russian. I speak German. Japanese history Catalan cooking She's Jewish. He's a Sikh.
spelling (1): capital letters 556
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