Capitalization O N L I N E W R I T I N G C E N T E R D A R T O N S T A T E C O L L E G E

Transcription

1 Capitalization O N L I N E W R I T I N G C E N T E R D A R T O N S T A T E C O L L E G E

2 1. The First Word Capitalize the first word of sentences: Books of immense importance line the shelves at Oxford University s Bodleian Library. Capitalize the first word following a colon: I must repeat my request: Please refund my money. Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence: Ruland and Bradbury argued that For many [Robert Frost] was a plain, popular rural sage, a moral sentimentalist, a poet of the rural heartland (285).

3 I Need we say this? Always capitalize the first person singular pronoun, I.

4 2. Proper Nouns and Adjectives A proper noun names a particular person, place, thing, or idea (as opposed to a common noun that refers to persons, places, things, and ideas as one of many). A proper adjective is a derivative of a proper noun. Common Noun Proper Noun Proper Adjective a queen Queen Elizabeth Elizabethan times a country France French cuisine a language Spanish Spanish idioms a religion Shinto Shinto spirits a writer Dickens Dickensian social criticism

5 3. Capitalize Names Persons/animals: Michael Phelps, D. H. Lawrence, Misha Geographical names of (just to mention a very few) Towns/cities: Berlin, Louisville, Los Angeles, Sydney States/provinces/countries: Georgia, Veracruz, Georgia Regions: the South, Latin American, Sub-Saharan Africa Continents: Asia, North America, Australia Bodies of Water: Potomac, Lake Superior, Orinoco, Atlantic Ocean Islands: Ryukyu Islands, Guernsey, Long Island Roads/streets/highways: Lakewood Road, Interstate 64 Mountains: Mount Blanc, Carpathian, Sierra Madre, Ural

6 4. Organizations, Teams, Institutions, Government Bodies organizations teams institutions government agencies Common Nouns Examples National Organization of Disability Center for Auto Safety American Council on Science and Health Boston Red Sox Manchester United Chicago Blackhawks Darton State College The Brookings Institute Institution of Engineering and Technology Department of Human Services Supreme Court United States Postal Service Be careful not to capitalize words such as team or institution unless the word is part of a name. our local football team National Football League Nick s college choice Darton State College the hospital emergency room DePaul Hospital

7 5. Historical and Special Events and Holidays Types of Names Historical Events, Periods, and Documents Special Events Holidays and Other Calendar Days Examples Victorian Era Boer War Great Depression Treaty of Versailles Boston Marathon Olympics Azalea Festival Thursday July Memorial Day Do NOT capitalize names of seasons, unless they are part of a proper noun: winter Winter Olympics

8 6. Peoples, Nations, Religions Proper Noun nationalities peoples religions and their followers holy days holy writings deities Examples Canadian Portuguese Chinese Magyar Maasai Inuit Hindu/Hindu Christianity/Christian Judaism/Jewish Christmas Yom Kippur Hanukah Quran Bible Torah Vishnu Jesus Allah

9 7. Planets, Stars, Constellation Types of Names Planets Stars Constellations Examples Mercury Venus Earth Proxima Centauri 14 Herculis R Doradus Andromeda Cassiopeia Pegasus

10 8. School Subjects and Names of Degrees Do NOT capitalize school subjects, unless they are a part of a class s name or the subject includes a proper adjective: biology Biology 2110 Spanish Spanish 1102 a master s degree Master of Arts in German Capitalize common nouns when adding a number or a letter: room Room 43 fall Fall 2012 district District B

11 9. Titles and Family Relationships Capitalize common nouns only when they follow a person s name or are part of direct address: colonel senator doctor professor Colonel Jones Senator Adams Doctor Kirkland Good morning, Professor. A few titles are always capitalized: Surgeon General President (of the United States) Vice President (of the United States) Chief Justice

12 10. Abbreviations Types Personal names Titles Academic degrees Examples T. S. Eliot P.T. Barnum D. H. Lawrence Mrs. Jones Gov. Ely Dr. Kovacs Prof. Ferguson Amy Fellows, D.V.M Tony Booker, Ph.D. Daniela Smith, MA Agencies and Organizations NATO WHO HMO AARP MVP North Atlantic Treaty Organization World Health Organization health maintenance organization American Association of Retired Persons most valuable player

13 Works Cited Odell, Lee, Richard Vacca, and Renee Hobbs. Elements of Language. 6 th course. Austin, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Print. Ruland, Richard and Malcolm Bradbury. From Puritanism to Postmodernism: A History of American Literature. New York: Penguin, Print.