First Words
Capitalize the first word of every
sentence. This rule applies to emails and online communications as well.
Do not feed the alligator.
Professor Smith, I have a question.
Direct Quotations or Dialogue
Capitalize the
first word of a quotation, even if it occurs in the middle of another sentence.
As Mark Twain once
said, “Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.”
Do not capitalize
the first word if the quotation is the completion of a previously started
sentence.
“Nothing so needs reforming,” Mark
Twain once said, “as other people’s habits.”
Major Words in Titles
Capitalize the first words of titles
and all nouns and verbs. Do not capitalize “the” or prepositions if they occur
mid-title.
Where
the Red Fern Grows
“Ode on a Grecian Urn”
Countries, Languages,
Nationalities
Spain
French
English
history and American literature
Racial and Ethnic Groups
Do not capitalize the general categories of “black” and “white.” (Not
all guides agree on this point.)
Asian
Native-American
white
Europeans
black
Americans
Names and Titles
Capitalize titles when used in place of a person’s name or when attached
to a person’s name.
Have you
talked to Mom yet? Let’s invite Aunt Jane for dinner.
In
history today, Professor Smith was late.
Do not capitalize
titles when not acting as a name or when not associated with a specific person’s name.
To test if a title is acting as a name, replace it with your name. For
example, “I talked to Mom” would make sense as “I talked to Josh” would. But “I
talked to my mom” could not be “I talked to my Josh.” Since it sounds awkward with
a name replacing the title, you know it is not acting as a name and should not
be capitalized.
I invited
my aunt to dinner.
The
history professor was late for class.
Academic Subjects
Capitalize
academic subjects only when their names are based on countries or languages, or when they
indicate a specific class, not just a general subject.
Have you
taken Psychology 201?
I like my
American literature class.
I am not
a fan of history.
I wish I
had a better time slot for Science 101.
Proper Nouns
Capitalize the names of specific companies, brands, and
institutions.
General Electric Boeing Republican Party American Civil Liberties Union
Religion
Capitalize specific religions or names
of deity. General references like “the gods” are not capitalized. (Some styles also capitalize pronouns that refer to deity.)
I am
Catholic, and he is Mormon.
Are you
Christian?
Buddha
taught powerful truths.
I believe
in Jesus Christ and His teachings.
Dates
Capitalize days of the week, months, and holidays. Do not capitalize
seasons. (Capitalize what is found on a calendar.)
Monday
March
Christmas
winter,
spring, summer, and fall
Locations
Capitalize the
names of specific locations, cities, and street names. Do not capitalize general directions.
Madison
Hospital
Elm
Street
Rocky
Mountains
I live in
the South. (as a location)
I turned
west. (as a direction)
Capitalization—Exercise
A
Capitalize every word that needs
to be capitalized.
1. I want to read to kill a mockingbird.
2. I wish I could go live in the south because I love
eggs and grits.
3. How on earth does one get to federal avenue?
4. What is your mom’s name?
5. Was that your uncle bill in that truck?
6. Do you speak russian?
7.
I want to skip my chemistry class so
that I can finish my homework for eng-lish.
8. My hardest class is math 101.
9. I told mom that I want to live at home forever.
10. Have you ever been to a muslim mosque?
