Language Mechanics Handout 012

Capitalization
012
Rules for Capitalization Examples
1. Capitalizing First Words

a. Capitalize the first word of every sentence. Where are you going?
My name is Anna.
How cold I am!
That boy can’t speak Italian.

b. Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation. “Why were you late?” asked the teacher.
The student answered, “My car broke down.”

c. Capitalize the first word in each line of a poem. ‘Tis said that absence conquers love;
But oh believe it not!

d. Capitalize the first word of the greeting and all Dear Mr. Brown, Dear Sir:
following nouns in a letter. Gentlemen:

e. Capitalize the first word of the complimentary Sincerely yours, Yours truly,
closing in a letter. Very truly yours,

2. Capitalizing Names of Persons

a. Capitalize a person’s given name or names and Mary Brown John Doe Igor Bilbinski
his family name.

b. Capitalize all abbreviations used with a person’s Prof. Watson Mr. James A. Smith, Jr.
name, including his initials. Dr. Freud Gen. D. D. Eisenhower

c. Capitalize titles of respect when they are used President Johnson General Bradley
before a person’s name. Queen Victoria Sir Winston Churchill
Miss Brown Father O’Malley

d. Capitalize words that show relationship, such as No, Dad, I didn’t take your newspaper.
mother and father, when they are used in place Yes, Mother, I’ll be home by twelve.
of a person’s name. We visited Grandma last Sunday.
I went to the park with Father.

e. Don’t capitalize a noun that shows relationship I wish my mother and father were with me now.
when there is a possessive pronoun before it, I saw my uncle last night.
unless it is used with a person’s name. But -
My Uncle Willie travels a great deal.

f. The pronoun I is always capitalized. John and I are studying Spanish.

My husband and I went skiing last winter.
3. Capitalizing Place Names

a. Capitalize the names of definite geographic areas the Orient the West Coast
or divisions of the earth’s surface. the Arctic Circle the Temperate Zone

b. The words north, south, east, and west are Park Avenue is east of Broadway.
capitalized when they indicate locations. When We spent our vacation in the West.
they indicate a simple direction, they are not
capitalized. Note: The articles (a, an, the), the conjunctions (and, but,
or), and short prepositions (at, on, by, etc.) are not
capitalized unless used as the first word of a name or title.

Capitals Handout 012 (July 2014; ASC Eng/Read) Page 1

 Rules for Capitalization Examples

c. Capitalize the names of rivers, oceans, lakes, Staten Island Mt. Whitney Lake Como
islands, and mountains. Atlantic Ocean Amazon River the Andes

d. Capitalize the names of countries, states, cities, England Route 1 Wall Street
towns, streets, and rural routes. Maine Teaneck Fifth Avenue
Italy the United Arab Republic

e. Capitalize the names of parks and buildings. Grand Central Station Chrysler Building
Empire State Building Central Park

4. Capitalizing Titles

a. Capitalize the first word and each important The New York Times Newsweek
word in the titles of books, magazines, The Old Man and the Sea
newspapers, stories, articles, poems, and Chapter 2: “The Rules of Grammar”
chapters of books. “How to Build a Bookcase”
Note: The articles (a, an, the), the conjunctions (and, but, or), and short
prepositions (at, on, by, to, etc.) are not capitalized unless used as the
first word of a name or title.

b. Capitalize the first word and each important Death of a Salesman The Late Show
word in the titles of plays, motion pictures, and My Fair Lady Mission Impossible
radio and television programs. Tarzan and the Apes

c. Capitalize each important word in the titles of the Magna Carta the Declaration of Independence
famous documents. the Constitution of the United States

5. Capitalizing Religious Terms

a. Capitalize all names referring to God as well as Allah Zeus Christ

the names of other deities. Buddha Jehovah the Lord

b. The pronouns he, his, him, thou, they, and thine Trust in God, for He will lead you.
are capitalized when they refer to the Deity.

c. Capitalize all names for the Bible, its books and the Koran Book of Genesis
divisions, and names of other sacred books. the Talmud the Old Testament
the Good Book
d. Capitalize the names of religious bodies and
their place of worship. Catholic Jewish Protestant
Buddhist Moslem St. Patrick’s Cathedral

6. Capitalizing Expressions of Time

a. Capitalize the names of the days of the week and Saturday Sunday Monday
the names of the months of the year. June July November

b. Do not capitalize the names of the seasons. spring fall winter summer

c. Capitalize the names of holidays and the names Independence Day Labor Day
of special occasions. Christmas Ramadan

d. Capitalize the names of historical events. the Renaissance War of the Roses
the Dark Ages First Crusade

Capitals Handout 012 (July 2014; ASC Eng/Read) Page 2

 Rules for Capitalization Examples

7. Capitalizing Names of Racial Groups,

Nationalities and Languages

a. Capitalize the names of racial groups. African-American Caucasian Oriental

b. Capitalize the names of nationalities. Mexican Australian Swiss

French Lebanese Swedish
c. Capitalize the names of languages. Italian German English
Chinese Russian Spanish
d. Capitalize adjectives derived from the names of
a Japanese camera a Thai silk
racial groups, nationalities, and languages.
an English terrier a French cook

8. Capitalizing Trade Names, Names of

Organizations, and Transportation

a. Capitalize the names of organizations and clubs. Girl Scouts International Student Association
Young Men’s Christian Association

b. Capitalize the names of business firms and the Ford Motor Company General Motors
trade names of products. Pepperidge Farm Bread Beechnut Gum
Cadillac Mustang

c. Capitalize the names of schools and other American Language Institute

institutions. New York University Memorial Hospital

d. Capitalize the names of departments and Department of State Bureau of Motor Vehicles
agencies of the Federal Government and of state Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
governments.

e. Capitalize the names of political parties. Republican Party Democratic Party

f. Capitalize the names of particular ships, trains, the Chicago Limited the Olympia
and airplanes. the Orient Express the Eagle

9. Additional Rules of Capitalization

a. School subjects are not capitalized unless they She is studying Spanish and chemistry this term.
are names of languages or of specific numbered Mr. Welles is teaching Chemistry I this term.
courses.

b. O and Oh: The formal interjections “O,” used Oh, did you want this seat?
in direct address, is always capitalized. The He spent all his money, and oh, how sorry he was.
interjection “oh” is not capitalized unless it Where O where has my little dog gone?
begins a sentence.

Capitals Handout 012 (July 2014; ASC Eng/Read) Page 3