Capitalization
Capitalization
Rules 1–5
Rules 6 – 8
Rules 9 – 12
Rules 13 – 16
Rules 17 – 21
Do NOT Capitalize Rules 1 – 10
Capitalization
Rule 1: Capitalize the
first letter of the first word
in a sentence.
Example: Chicken was
baked in an oven.
Capitalization
Rule 2: Capitalize the
pronoun I.
Example: Should I call
you later?
Capitalization
Rule 3: Capitalize the first
letter of the first word in
most lines of poetry.
Example: Roses are red,
Violets are blue…
Capitalization
Rule 4: Capitalize the first
word, the last word, and all
important words in any title. Do
not capitalize a, an, the, and,
but, or, nor, or prepositions of
four or less letters.
Example: Bridge to Teribithia
Capitalization
5:Capitalize people’s
Rule
names and their initial(s).
Examples:
Sharon, Mary T. Barkley
Capitalization
Rule6:Capitalize days,
months, holidays, and special
days.
Examples: Tuesday, July,
Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s
Day, Christmas Eve
Capitalization
Rule 7 Part 1:Capitalize Mother,
Dad, and other titles IF YOU CAN
INSERT THE PERSONS NAME.
Examples: Has Dad gone to the store?
(“Has Steve gone to the store” makes
sense so Dad is capitalized)
My mom is nice.
(“My Sharon is nice” doesn’t make sense
so mom is NOT capitalized)
Capitalization
Rule 7 Part 2: Capitalize the
title if it appears with a name.
Examples:Uncle Dave, Aunt
Diane, Grandma White,
Sergeant Adams
Capitalization
Rule8: Capitalize names of
organizations.
Examples:American Red
Cross, Organization of
American States, National
Honor Society
Capitalization
Rule 9: Capitalize the names of
institutions.
Examples: Carnelian
Elementary School, Westmont
College, Kaiser Hospital,
Maricopa County Jail
Capitalization
10: Capitalize business
Rule
names.
Examples:Cross Company,
Sock Store, Murray Hotel,
Posada Restaurant
Capitalization
Rule 11: Capitalize the names
of structures.
Examples: Washington Tunnel,
London Bridge, Leaning Tower
of Pisa, Cumberland
Expressway
Capitalization
Rule12: Capitalize the names
of specific geographic places.
Examples: Indian Ocean,
England, Missouri River, Fox
Hill, Cape Cod, Gulf of Mexico
Capitalization
Rule 13: Capitalize the names
of historical events and
historical documents (papers).
Examples: American
Revolution, Battle of Shiloh,
U.S. Constitution
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Rule 14: Capitalize the names
of languages.
Examples: English, Chinese,
Spanish, French
Capitalization
Rule15: Capitalize the Roman
numerals, letters, and first
words in an outline.
I. Bodies of water
Example:
A. Oceans
B. Seas
II. Land forms
A. Western hemisphere
B. Eastern hemisphere
Capitalization
Rule16: Capitalize the first
word of a direct quotation.
Examples: Harley asked, “How
old is your brother?”
“He is five,” said Jodi.
Capitalization
17: Capitalize brand
Rule
names, but not the products.
Examples:Ford truck, Sony
computer disks, Hollister jeans,
Apple computers
Capitalization
Rule 18: Capitalize religions,
religious documents, names of
churches and God.
Examples: Christian, Moslem,
Ten Commandments,
Palmcroft Community Church
Capitalization
Rule19: Capitalize a proper
adjective but not the noun it
modifies.
Examples: a California beach,
a Memorial Day parade, an
African nation, a Payson music
festival
Capitalization
Rule 20: Capitalize the first
word of a greeting and closing
of a letter.
Examples: My dearest friend,
Sincerely yours,
Capitalization
Rule21: Capitalize directions
when they refer to a region of a
country or the world.
Example: Georgia is in the
South.
Do NOT Capitalize
1: Do not capitalize the
Rule
seasons of the year.
Examples: spring, summer, fall,
winter
Do NOT Capitalize
Rule 2: Do not capitalize
school subjects unless they
have a number or name a
language.
Examples: We like science and
spelling. Patrick studies
Algebra 1, Spanish, and
Biology 204 in high school.
Do NOT Capitalize
Rule3: Do not capitalize north,
south, east, or west when they
are directions.
Examples: Go north on
Carnelian Street and east on
19th Street.
Do NOT Capitalize
Rule4: Do not capitalize career
choices.
Examples: Their dad is a
teacher. Hannah wants to be a
computer programmer.
Do NOT Capitalize
Rule 5: Do not capitalize foods.
Examples: fudge, milk, beef,
tacos, apples, lettuce,
lemonade, cookies
(Capitalize proper adjectives:
German chocolate)
Do NOT Capitalize
Rule6: Do not capitalize
diseases.
Examples: measles, cancer, flu,
chicken pox, arthritis
(Capitalize proper adjectives:
German measles)
Do NOT Capitalize
7: Do not capitalize
Rule
animals.
Examples: parrot, sheep,
poodle, cat, leopard
(Capitalize proper adjectives:
German shepherd)
Do NOT Capitalize
Rule8: Do not capitalize
plants.
Examples: grass, tree, flowers,
herbs
(Capitalize proper adjectives:
Bermuda grass, English ivy)
Do NOT Capitalize
9: Do not capitalize
Rule
musical instruments.
Examples: piano, drums, guitar
(Capitalize proper adjectives:
French horn, Spanish guitar)
Do NOT Capitalize
Rule 10: Do not capitalize
names of dances or games.
Examples: cards, chess, two-
square, polka, jive
(Capitalize proper adjectives:
Chinese checkers, Wheel of
Fortune, Mexican hat dance)