Capitalization Rules: A Review

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Capitalization RulesA Review
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Sentences and letter parts

• Capitalize the first word of every sentence.
  (duh!)
• Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation
• Do NOT begin the second part of an interrupted
  quotation with a capital letter
• Do NOT capitalize an indirect quotation
• Capitalize the first word in the greeting and
  closing of a letter
• Capitalize the title and name of the person
  addressed in a letter

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Names and titles of people

• Capitalize the names of people and initials that
  stand for their names
• Capitalize a title or abbreviation of a title
  before a persons name
• Capitalize a title used instead of a name
• Do NOT capitalize a title that follows a name or
  is used as a common noun
• Capitalize academic degrees that follow a name
• Capitalize Jr. or Sr.
• Capitalize words that show family relationships
  when used as titles before a name or as
  substitutes for names
• Do NOT capitalize family words when used after
  possessive nouns or pronouns
• Always capitalize the pronoun I (another duh!)

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Names of places

• Capitalize the names of cities, counties, states,
  countries, and continents
• Capitalize the names of bodies of water and other
  geographical features
• Capitalize the names of sections of a country
• Only capitalize direction words when they name a
  section of the country, not when they are used in
  other ways
• Capitalize names of streets and highways
• Capitalize the names of particular buildings,
  brides, monuments, and other structures

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Titles of things (not people)

• Capitalize the first and last word, plus all
  other words EXCEPT articles, coordinating
  conjunctions, and prepositions fewer than five
  letters in all of the following
• Titles of books
• Titles of chapters
• Titles of plays
• Titles of short stories
• Titles of poems
• Titles of essays or articles
• Titles of movies
• Titles of television series and programs
• Titles of songs
• Titles of magazine and newspapers
• NOTE Do NOT capitalize the word the before
  the title of a magazine or newspaper

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Other proper nouns

• Capitalize all important words in the names of
  clubs, organizations, businesses, institutions,
  and political parties
• Capitalize brand names but NOT the nouns
  following them
• Capitalize all important words in the names of
  particular historical events, time periods, and
  documents
• Capitalize all names of days of the week, months
  of the year, and holidays (yet another duh!)
• Do NOT capitalize the names of the seasons
• Capitalize the names of languages, nationalities,
  and ethnic groups
• Capitalize the names of religions and the people
  who practice them
• Capitalize the names of holy days, sacred
  writings, and deities
• Do NOT capitalize the names of school subjects
  UNLESS they are a proper noun or adjective on
  their own OR are followed by a number
• Capitalize the names of planes, trains, ships,
  and spacecraft

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Proper Adjectives

• Capitalize all proper adjectives
• What is a proper adjective?

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Questions?