Capitalization
I. People and Cultures A. Names and Initials Capitalize people’s names and initials. Sandra Cisneros B. Personal titles and abbreviations 1. Capitalize titles and abbreviations of titles that are used before names or in direct address. Senator John Bullworth 2. Capitalize the abbreviations of some titles when they follow a name. Jamie Crawford, M.D. Fred Jones, Sr. Angela Martinez, D.D.S. George Collins, Ph.D. 3. Capitalize titles of heads of state, royalty, or nobility only when they are used before persons’ names or in place of person’s names. .Surgeon General David Satcher, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Queen Elizabeth 4 Don’t capitalize titles when they are used without a proper name. C. Family relationships 1. Capitalize words indicating family relationships only when they are used as names or before names. Aunt Laura 2. Do not capitalize a family relationship word when it follows the person’s name or is used without a proper name. D. The Pronoun “I” Capitalize the pronoun “I.” Mother said that I was named after Uncle Henry. E. Religious terms 1. Capitalize the names of religions, sacred days, sacred writings, and deities religious terms Religions: Judaism Christianity Islam Sacred days Rosh Hashanah Good Friday Ramadan Sacred Writings Torah Bible Koran Deities Yaweh God Allah 3. Do not capitalize the words “god” or “goddess” when they refer to gods of ancient mythology. F. Nationalities, Languages, and Races Capitalize the names of nationalities, languages, races and most ethnic groups, and the adjectives formed from these names. German, Spanish, Korean II. First Words and Titles A. Sentences and Poetry Capitalize the first word of every sentence. In traditional poetry capitalize the first word of every line. B. Quotations 1. Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation if it is a complete sentence. 2. In a divided quotation, do not capitalize the first word of the second part unless it starts a new sentence. C. Outlines Capitalize the first word of each entry and the letters that introduce major subsections. I Types of felines A. Domesticated cats 1. Persian 2. Tabby D. Parts of a letter 1. Capitalize the first word in the greeting and in the closing of a letter. Dear Mr. Macavity: Sincerely yours, E. Titles 1. Capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words in a title. 2. Don’t capitalize articles, conjunctions, or prepositions of fewer than five letters. Types of Media Examples Books Dogsong, Island of the Blue Dolphins Plays and Musicals Annie, The Sound of Music Short Stories “Eleven,” “Aaron’s Gift” Poems “Ode to My Library,” “Where the Sidewalk Ends” Magazines/Newspapers Highlights, TV Guide, The Washington Post
Musical Compositions “The Star Spangled Banner” Movies Tarzan, Prince of Egypt Television Shows Seventh Heaven, Touched by an Angel Works of Art Mona Lisa, Sunflowers Games Space Genius, Name Game, Myths and Legends III. Places and transportation A. Geographical names In geographical names, capitalize each word except articles and prepositions -- Strait of Magellan B. Bodies of the Universe 1. Capitalize the names and planets and other specific objects in the universe. --Mercury, Hailey’s Comet C. Regions and Sections 1. Capitalize the words north, south, east, and west when they name particular regions of the United States or the world or when they are parts of proper names. Some states in the Southeast, such as Virginia, Maryland, and North and South Carolina, were named after British Royalty. 3. Do not capitalize these words when they indicate general directions or locations. The state of Illinois is west of Indiana and south of Wisconsin. D. Buildings, bridges, and other landmarks 1. Capitalize the names of specific buildings, bridges, monuments, and other landmarks. Empire State Building E. Planes, trains, and other vehicles Capitalize the names of specific airplanes, trains, ships, cars, and spacecraft. Enola Gay, Spruce Goose IV. Organizations and other subjects A. Organizations and institutions 1. Capitalize all important words in the names of organizations, institutions, stores, and companies. Summerville Middle School 2. Do not capitalize words such as school, company, church, college, and hospital. B. Historical Events, Periods, and Documents 1. Capitalize the names of historical events, periods, and documents. Events: Harlem Renaissance Periods: Space Age Documents: Magna Carta C. Time Abbreviations and Calendar Items 1. Capitalize the abbreviations B.C., A.D., B.C.E., A.M., and P.M. The ancient Egyptians developed history’s first national government about 3000 B.C. 2 Capitalize the names of months, days, and holidays but not the seasons. October, Labor Day, fall D. Special events, awards, and Brand names 1. Capitalize the names of special events and awards. The World Series, the Country Music Awards 2. Capitalize the brand name of a product but not a common noun that follows a brand name. Sun Safe sunscreen, Munchies potato chips.