Capitalization

1. Capitalization

2. Capitalization- Names • Capitalize people’s names and initials • Luke Hurst B.B. King • Thomas Jefferson Muhammad Ali • Capitalize titles and abbreviations before and after names • Dr. Martin Luther King • Ray Bones Jr. • President Barack Obama • Capitalize titles of nobility only when it comes before a name • Princess Diana • King George III • Do not capitalize the titles when they stand alone. • The king is going to bed. • The princess will eat his head.

3. Capitalization: Family Relationships • Capitalize family titles if they are parts of the name or direct address. • Aunt Gwen • Uncle Gerry • Where did you put my machete, Mom? • Do not capitalize a family relationship when it is used after a name or without a name. • Zach, my brother, is schizophrenic. • My aunt and uncle are both very ugly.

4. Capitalization: I • Always capitalize the “I”. • I do what I do, and you do what you can do about it.

5. Capitalization: Ethnic Groups • Capitalize the names of ethnic groups, races, languages, nationalities, along with the adjectives formed from these names. • English • Chinese • German • Spanish

6. Capitalization: Religious Terms • Capitalize the names of religions, religious denominations, sacred days, sacred writings, and deities. • RELIGIONS- Christianity, Islam, Buddhism • DENOMINATIONS- Sunni, Baptist, Methodist • SACRED DAYS- Passover, Easter, • SACRED WRITINGS- Bible, Koran, Torah • DEITIES- Jehovah, God, Brahma, Allah • Do not capitalize the words “god” and “goddess” when they refer to gods of ancient mythology. • Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom.

7. Capitalization: First Words • Capitalize the first word of every sentence. • Capitalize the first word in every line of traditional poetry. • Listen my children, and you shall hear • Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere • However, many modern poets choose not to capitalize the first words of every line. It is the writer’s choice.

8. Capitalization: Quotations • Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation if it a complete sentence. • Coach Hurst said, “I love pepperoni and bullets.” • Do not capitalize a direct quotation if it is a fragment of a sentence. • Coach Hurst loves “pepperoni and bullets.” • In a divided quotation, do not capitalize the first word of the second part unless it starts a new sentence. • “I once knew a man,” said Coach Hurst, “that could would eat his own eye lids.” • “He was very ugly,” Coach Hurst continued. “He had the kind of face that made you think you would be doing him a favor if you set it on fire.”

9. Capitalization: Parts of a Letter • In a letter, capitalize the first word of the greeting, words such as “Sir” or “Madam”, and the first word of the closing. • Dear Sir • Yours truly • Capitalize the first word of each in an outline.

10. Capitalizations: Titles • Capitalize the first word, the last word, and every major word in a title. DO NOT capitlaize conjunctions, articles, or prepositions of fewer than five letters. • BOOKS- The Catcher in the Rye • SHORT STORIES- “Hearts and Hands” • POEMS- “The Road Not Taken”

11. Capitalization: Places • In geographical names, capitalize each word except articles and prepositions • ArticCircle • Pacific Ocean • Lake Shore Drive • Appalachian Mountains • Capitalize the words north, south, east, and west, when they name particular regions of the country or world or are parts of proper names. • The weather is always cold in the Northeast. • We drove on I-35 North. • Do not capitalize them when they are used as directions. • We drove north on I-35.

12. Capitalization: Bodies of the Universe • Capitalize the names of planets and other specific objects in the universe. • Haley’s Comet • Saturn • Do not capitalize sun and moon. Capitalize earth only when it accompanies other capitalized astronomical terms. Don’t capitalize earth when it is preceded by the article “the” or when it refers to land or soil. • The earth is not the only planet that has moons. • Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars make up the interior planets.

13. Capitalization: Landmarks • Capitalize the names of specific buildings, bridges, monuments, and other landmarks. • Golden Gate Bridge • Washington Monument • Empire State Building • Capitalize the names of specific airplanes, trains, ships, cars, and spacecraft. • Ford Mustang • Apollo 13

14. Capitalization: Organizations and Historical Events • Capitalize the names of organizations (and their abbreviations), historical events and documents. • Red Cross • University of North Texas- UNT • Rockwall High School- RHS • Civil War • Bill of Rights • Middle Ages

15. Capitalization: Time and Calendar Items • Capitalize the abbreviations, B.C., A.D., A.M, and P.M. • Capitalize the names of months, days, and holidays, but not seasons. • Friday • Christmas • summer • Capitalize the name of a season when it is used in the title of a festival or celebration. • Winter Carnival • Spring Break

16. Capitalization: Events, Awards and Brand Names • Capitalize the names of special events and awards. • Super Bowl • Pulitzer Prize • Olympic Games • Capitalize brand names but not the common nouns that follow them • Power Pack batteries • Xerox copiers

17. Capitalization: School Subjects • Capitalize the names of school subjects only when they refer to specific course. • Capitalize proper nouns and adjectives in all such cases. • geometry • French • American history • American History I • Capitalize the words freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior only when it is used as part of a proper noun or in a direct address. • The incoming freshmen will meet in the cafeteria. • Please take your seats, Sophomores.