Punctuation and Capitalization

. period

, comma

– em dash

- en dash

: colon

; semicolon

? question mark

! exclamation point

' apostrophe

" " quotation marks

... ellipsis

[ ] brackets

( ) parenthesis

Function: Ends a sentence and abbreviated.

Sentence: Sophie encounters a wizard named Howl.

Function: Used to separate words, phrases, or ideas, and to set off dialogue or quotations.

Sentence: Jealous, the Witch of the Waste curses Sophie, turning her into an old woman.

Function: Set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or

supplemental facts.

Sentence: Howl's fire demon, Calcifer, makes a deal with Sophie—if she breaks the contract he is under with

Howl, then Calcifer will lift the curse that Sophie is under, and she will return to normal.

Function: Used to represent a range of data, numbers, or time.

Sentence: Under the curse, Sophie physically becomes a 90-year-old elderly woman.

Function: Used to separate two independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the first.

Sentence: Sophie repeatedly says: “It’s not easy being old. ”

Function: Used to link two independent clauses which are closely related in idea.

Sentence: Howl wants Sophie to go to the King to tell him that Howl is too much of a coward to fight; Sophie

does not want to go.

Function: Used to punctuate direct and indirect questions.

Sentence: Why doesn’t Sophie trust Howl? And why does Suliman, the King’s sorcerer, seem so suspicious?

Function: Used to express surprise, astonishment, or exasperation, or well as to emphasize a short pause or

comment.

Sentence: It would be so much easier if Howl would not beat around the bush!

Function: Used in possession and for contractions.

Sentence: Sophie discovers that Howl’s existence is inextricably linked to Calcifer’s

Function: Used to represent exact language spoken or written by someone else.

Sentence: Eavesdropping, the Witch of the Waste grabs on Calcifer, screaming: “It’s mine!”

Function: Used to omit a phrase, word, or line from a quoted section to remove material that is less relevant.

Sentence: In a panic, Sophie pours water onto the Witch…which douses Calcifer.

Function: Used to include information that is inserted into a quote as well as a parenthetical material within a

parenthesis. Sentence: Sophie watches a child Howl catch a falling star [Calcifer] and give him his heart.

Function: Close incidental or extra information.

Sentence: Sophie whispers (after pushing Howl’s heart back into his chest), “A heart’s a heavy burden. ”

Used to begin a sentence

Capitalize the first word of a sentence

Capitalize names

Capitalize the first word of a complete sentence in a quote

Capitalize days, months, and holidays

Capitalize Words in Title

When an insecure young woman is cursed with an elderly body by a malicious witch, her only

hope of undoing the spell rests with a vain yet self-conscious young wizard and his associates

in his legged, walking palace.

Heavily influenced by the opposition to the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003, Howl’s Moving Castle the film has strong anti-war sentiments.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film is one of the many produced by the legendary

animated film studio, Studio Ghibli.

According to Miyazaki, Howl’s Moving Castle is his favorite film explaining “I wanted to

convey the message that life is worth living, and I don't think that's changed. ”

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 5 September 2004.

Loosely based on Diana Wynne Jones’s novel of the same name, Howl’s Moving Castle, the

film deals with the themes of destiny, youth, courage and love.