The Complete Guide to Capitalization

Learn how to capitalize correctly!

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

Capital Letters are used to distinguish certain words to make your

sentencesand thoughtsmore clear to the reader.
The following are the main rules to use capital letters :
1. The First Word in a Book, etc. The first word in every book, article, blog
post, news piece or other writing should begin with a capital letter.
2. The First Word of a Sentence. The first word of every sentence or its
equivalent should begin with a capital letter.
Examples. "When did you come?" "It is a pleasant morning."
3. Numbered Clauses, etc. The first word of each series of numbered clauses or
phrases should begin with a capital letter.
Ex. "He directed his efforts to these points : 1. To showing the necessity for a
short route; 2. To showing that the route he advocated was the shortest ; 3. To
showing that a road could be built most cheaply by his route."
4. First Word of an Example. The first word of a clause or a sentence, when
used as an example, should begin with a capital letter.
Ex. "A sentence should begin with a capital letter; as Procrastination is the thief
of time."
5. After an Introductory Word. The first word after an introductory word or
clause should begin with a capital letter.
Ex. " Resolved! That the pen is mightier than the sword," " Be it enacted, etc.,
That a tax of three mills," etc.
6. In an Enumeration of Particulars. The first word of each new line in an
enumeration of particulars, when arranged in lines, should begin with a capital
letter.
Ex. The expenses of the committee have been as follows:

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

For Postage: $14.70

For Advertising: $375
For Tickets: 44.50

7. Direct Questions. The first word of a direct question should begin with a
capital letter.
Ex. " The question is, When should we raise more money?"
ote. You can also apply this rule to cover an important statement.
Ex. "My opinion is this: If we do not succeed now, we never will succeed."
8. Direct Quotation. The first word of every direct quotation should begin with
a capital letter.
Ex. Carlyle says, "I am overworked, underpaid and exhausted. What else do you
want from me?"
9. Poetry. The first word of every line of poetry should begin with a capital
letter.
Ex. "Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow;
He who would seek for pearls must dive below."
10. Proper Names. Every proper name should begin with a capital letter.
Ex. John, Mary, Monday, America, New Jersey, Danielle Barton.
Note 1. This rule applies also to the names of the months and the days of the
week, but not to the names of the seasons, as these latter are not regarded as proper
nouns.
Note 2. The word devil when used to designate Satan is written with a capital
letter; as, " The Devil and his cohorts."

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

11. Particular Objects or Events. Words naming particular objects or events

should begin with capital letters.
Ex. Hudson's Bay, Gulf of Mexico, the Statue of Liberty, Jersey City, the
Metropolitan Hotel, Niagara Falls, the Park, the Revolution, Fourth of July, the
Teachers' Association.
Note 1. In writing the names of places consisting of two words in some cases
usage is not uniform. Thus, New-Castle, New Castle and Newcastle are all correct.
When connected with a hyphen or when separated, each part begins with a capital
letter ; but when the two names constitute one word, only one capital is used.
Note 2. When a compound name is composed of a proper name and some other
word or affix, if the proper name follow the hyphen both parts begin with capitals ;
as, Pre-Med; but when the proper name precedes the other, the proper name alone
begins with a capital letter ; as, Sunday-school,
12. Proper Adjectives. Adjectives derived from proper names should begin with
capital letters.
Ex. Scotch, American, African, Johnsonian.
Remark 1. When words derived from proper names are used to express a
common quality they are no longer written with capitals ; as, godlike, damask,
stentorian, etc.
Remark 2. The names of religious sects, whether derived from proper names or
not, should begin with capital letters ; as, Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Lutherans,
Presbyterians, etc. The names of political parties also, as Democrats, Republicans,
Whigs, Conservatives, etc., should begin with capital letters; also the adjectives
derived from these names.
Note. The words North, East, West, South, when they denote sections of
country, should begin with capital letters, but when they denote simply direction,
they should begin with small letters; as, "The South is rapidly developing her
wealth." "Maryland is south of Pennsylvania." "They have had snow in the north."

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

13. Titles. Titles of honor, office, or respect usually begin with capital letters.
Ex. Colonel Johnson, President Cleveland, Queen Victoria, Prof. Smith,
Superintendent Edwards, Gen. Grant, Sir Walter Scott, Miss Wells, Mr. Boone,
Henry the Eighth.
Remark. When a title is used with a proper name for the purpose of explanation,
it does not begin with a capital letter ; as, the poet Byron, the apostle John.
14. Names of the Deity. All appellations of the Deity should begin with capital
letters.
Ex. God, Almighty, the Divine Architect.
Remark 1. When any name of the Deity is applied to created beings, no capitals
are used ; as, " Lord of lords. King of kings."
Remark 2. When the word heaven is used to mean the Deity, it should begin
with a capital letter ; but when it means the firmament the word should begin with
a small letter. When it refers to the abode of the blest, it is written by some writers
with a capital and by others without. Usage is not uniform.
Remark 3. The adjectives universal, eternal, divine, omniscient, etc, when
applied to God, need not begin with a capital letter, but usage requires capital
letters in the following : Almighty God, Infinite One, First Cause, Supreme Being.
Remark 4. In the expression "Son of God," as applied to Christ, each noun
begins with a capital letter, but in the expression " Son of man" only the word Son
begins with a capital letter.
Remark 5. Usage is by no means uniform in writing the pronouns referring to
the Deity, but the best writers of English seem to favor beginning these pronouns
with small letters except when equivalent to the name of the Deity, when capitals
are admissible; as, "To Him who guards and cares for us," etc.

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

15. I and O. The words I and should always be written as capitals.

16. Book Titles. In the titles of books, or the subjects of essays, etc., every
noun, adjective, verb, and adverb should begin with a capital letter.
Ex. " How to Make Money Writing."
"The University of Science."
Note. When in the title of a book or an essay it is desirable to make the
pronouns emphatic, they also may begin with capital letters.
17. Common Nouns. Common nouns when strongly personified should begin
with capital letters.
Ex. "Come, gentle Spring ; show your beauty before me." " Sail on, Brother, I
will meet you in seven days."
18. The Bible. When reference is made to the divine origin of the Bible, the
name of the book itself or any particular part of the book should begin with a
capital letter.
Ex. The Holy Bible, the Old Testament, the Acts of the Apostles.
Note 1. When the Bible is spoken of simply as a book, do capital letter is
needed ; as, Six bibles were sold this morning.
Note 2. Capital letters are used also to begin the names of other sacred writings;
as, The Koran, the East Zend Avesta, etc.
19. Specific Terms. The words state, academy, college, university, park, etc.,
when used specifically, either as nouns or adjectives, should begin with capital
letters, and at other times with small letters.
Ex. The State, a state election ; The College, a regular college course ; A drive
in the Park, the park along the railway.

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

20. Geographical Names. General names, such as county and state, when preceding a specific name, in ordinary writing begin with a small letter : the county of
Cumberland, the state of Ohio. In formal writing, both the general name and the
specific name begin with capitals. Each name is capitalized also in an appellation
bestowed upon a state or city: the Keystone State, the Lone Star State, the Crescent
City.
Note 1. When state means a political community or the powers exercised by
government, it begins with a small letter: the states of Europe, the union of church
and state.
Note 2. General names, when not forming part of a proper name, should always
begin with a small letter: the law of the state; the exports of this city.
Note 3. Government is capitalized when it forms part of a proper name: the
French Government; but the government of the country.

Note 4. When forming part of a proper name, mountain, lake, province, and
district usually begin with capitals. The Rocky Mountains, the Great Lakes, the
Province of Quebec, District of Columbia. In display matter, both the general and
the specific name should be capitalized.

21. Names of Important Historic Days, Events, or Documents; of Religious Sects,

Political Parties, etc. Words denoting historic days or events, important documents,
and names of bodies of men, religious sects, and political parties, are capitalized.
Ex. The Fourth of July; the Ascension; the Constitution, Magna Charta, the
Pandects of Justinian; the Pilgrim Fathers; Jew, Protestant, Presbyterian;
Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, the Right, the Left.
Note 1. Certain epochs and eras that are not derived from proper names, are
written with small letters. The dark age, the middle age; the Augustan age, the
Elizabethan age, the Christian era; but the Deluge, the Captivity, the Advent.

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

a. m. and p. m. are not capitalized in ordinary text matter.

22. Titles of Respect, Affection, Dignity, or Office. Titles of respect, honor, or
affection, and titles of dignity or office, if applied to a particular person or if used
in connection with a proper noun or in formal address, should begin with capitals.
Ex. Father Andrew; Uncle William; the Iron Chancellor. The President of the
United States; the Queen of Spain; Governor Morton. Her Royal Highness; to His
Excellency, the Governor.
Ex. When a title used alone is intended as the synonym of a particular person, it
is generally capitalized: the President, the Czar, the Sultan, the Pope. When not
used as the appellation of a specified person, a title begins with a small letter: he
was arrested by a constable.
Ex. When such titles as king, president, general manager, etc., are used
frequently and are not followed by the name of a person, they are not capitalized.
Ex. In a title consisting of separate words used with a name, both words in the
title should begin with capitals: Major General Greene; Chief Justice Patterson.
Ex. In a compound title only one capital is needed: Vice-president Hobart; Expresident Cleveland. Ex- president used without a proper name, except at the
beginning of a sentence, takes small letters: only one ex-president of the United
States is now living.
Ex. In salutations of letters, only words referring to the person should be
capitalized: Dear Friend, My dear Friend, My darling Child.
Ex. Words denoting family relations begin with capitals, when used without a
possessive pronoun: "I received a message from Father"; or, "I received a message
from my father."
Ex. Jr. and sr. need not be capitalized in ordinary text-matter. In display work
they require capitals.

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

23. Names of Committees, Clubs, Associations, and of Organizations.

Names of committees, clubs, associations, and of organizations, generally, should
be capitalized. When the article forms part of an official title or the title of a book,
it should begin with a capital, even when it occurs in the middle of a sentence.
When the name of a magazine or newspaper is given in the text, the article takes a
small letter.
Ex. The Committee of One Hundred, Young Men's Christian Association, The
Union League, The Right of Way. The matter was noticed in the Saturday Post.

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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAPITALIZATION

Capitalization - Handout
Capitalize the first word in every sentence.
EXAMPLE: She said, "It will be hard to go home after this fun vacation."
Capitalize the pronoun I.
EXAMPLE: Ira said that I was the best dancer in the show.
Capitalize the interjection O.
EXAMPLE: Guide and direct us,O Lord.
Capitalize the first word in both the salutation and the closing of a letter.
EXAMPLES: Dear Mr. Novato: Sincerely
Capitalize the names of persons and animals.
EXAMPLES: Franklin D. Roosevelt Willem de Kooning
Capitalize geographical names
EXAMPLES: the Gulf of Mexico the Southwest Prince William Forest
Capitalize the names of planets, stars, constellations, and other heavenly bodies.
EXAMPLES: Neptune Polaris Great Nebula
Capitalize the names of teams, organizations, institutions, and government bodies.
EXAMPLES: Kansas City Chiefs Future Teachers of America
Capitalize the names of historical events and periods, special events, holidays, and other calendar items.
EXAMPLES: the Eighties the Civil War Hannukah my Birthday
Capitalize the names of nationalities, races, and peoples
EXAMPLES: Indian Chinese Bedouin
Capitalize the names of religions and their followers, holy days and celebrations, sacred writings, and
specific deities.
EXAMPLES: Allah Hindus Christmas Koran
Capitalize the names of buildings and other structures.
EXAMPLES: Colleyville Heritage High School World Trade Center
Capitalize the names of monuments, memorials, and awards
EXAMPLES: Lincoln Memorial Nobel Peace Prize
Capitalize the names of trains, ships, aircraft, and spacecraft
EXAMPLES: Enola Gay U.S.S. Enterprise Challenger
Capitalize the names of businesses and the brand names of business products
EXAMPLES: Continental Airlines Microsoft Microsoft Windows

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