When do I capitalize TITLES When do I capitalize TITLES for people’s names?for people’s names?

Cap. titles and abbreviations for titles that appear before and after people’s names:

Mrs. BarnhartDr. McKennaRev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When do I capitalize words When do I capitalize words such as such as MOTHER, FATHER, MOTHER, FATHER, AUNT, UNCLE,AUNT, UNCLE, etc.? etc.?Cap. words such as mother,

father, aunt, uncle, etc. when these words are used as names or when they come just before a name:

Aunt AnnaUncle Steve“I’m coming, Mom.”“Dad, will you help me?”

When When shouldn’tshouldn’t I capitalize words I capitalize words such as such as MOTHER, FATHER, AUNT, MOTHER, FATHER, AUNT, UNCLE,UNCLE, etc.? etc.?

DO NOT capitalize words that name family members if these words are preceded by a possessive, such as your or my, or by an article such as a or the.

My aunt loves to ski. I love my mother.The father ran after his son.

Rules for RELIGIOUS WORDSRules for RELIGIOUS WORDS

Cap. Words that name religions, sacred beings, or religious scriptures. Also, cap. Adjectives formed from those names:

Allah Jehovah the Torah IslamChristianBuddhism

Rules for RACES/ ETHNIC Rules for RACES/ ETHNIC GROUPSGROUPS

Cap. The names of races, ethnic groups, languages, and nationalities. Also cap. Adjectives formed from such names:

HispanicColombian coffeeAfrican AmericanFrench food

Rules for ORGANIZATIONS, Rules for ORGANIZATIONS, BUILDINGS, and BUILDINGS, and STRUCTURESSTRUCTURESCap. all important words in the

names of organizations, institutions, buildings, and structures:

the Republican Party the American Red CrossGrand Central Station the Taj Mahal the Eiffel Tower the Great Wall of China

Rules for HISTORICAL Rules for HISTORICAL EVENTS, DOCUMENTS, and EVENTS, DOCUMENTS, and PERIODS OF TIMEPERIODS OF TIMECap. all important words in the

names of historical events, documents, and periods of time:

the Civil War the 1996 Summer Olympics the Declaration of IndependenceGettysburg Address the Magna Carta the Renaissance the Ice Age

Rules for MONTHS, DAYS, Rules for MONTHS, DAYS, HOLIDAYS, and SEASONSHOLIDAYS, and SEASONS

Cap. the names of months, days, and holidays, but not the names of seasons:

OctoberThursdayYom KippurLabor Daywinter

Rules for POETRYRules for POETRY

Cap. the first word of each line of poetry:

Roses are red,Violets are blue…

Rules for DIRECT Rules for DIRECT QUOTATIONSQUOTATIONSCap. the first word of a direct

quotation:Mr. Burns yelled, “Homer, you’re fired!”

Rule for INTERRUPTED Rule for INTERRUPTED QUOTATIONSQUOTATIONS

Cap. interrupted quotations only when the second part begins a new sentence:

“Close your books,” said Mrs. Barnhart, “and go to lunch.”

“Remind me tomorrow,” said Sarah. “We have to leave now.”

The 10 Rules for The 10 Rules for GEOGRAPHIC NAMESGEOGRAPHIC NAMES

1. Cap. the names of cities and towns:

PhiladelphiaBuckinghamDoylestown

2. Cap. the names of counties and townships:

Bucks CountyMontgomery Township

The 10 Rules for The 10 Rules for GEOGRAPHIC NAMESGEOGRAPHIC NAMES3. Cap. the names of states:

Pennsylvania Texas Maryland

4. Cap. the names of continents: Asia North America

5. Cap. the names of islands:Philippine IslandsStaten Island

The 10 Rules for The 10 Rules for GEOGRAPHIC NAMESGEOGRAPHIC NAMES6. Cap. the names of bodies of water:

Lake ErieDelaware RiverGulf of Mexico

7. Cap. the names of sections of the country:

the East Coast the Southwest

*NOTE: DO NOT cap. north, south, east, and west when merely indicating direction:

traveling east the north shore

The 10 Rules for The 10 Rules for GEOGRAPHIC NAMESGEOGRAPHIC NAMES8. Cap. the names of mountains:

Black HillsAppalachian Mountains the Rockies 

9. Cap. the names of streets:Elm StreetRoosevelt Boulevard \West Third Street

The 10 Rules for The 10 Rules for GEOGRAPHIC NAMESGEOGRAPHIC NAMES10. Cap. the names of parks:

Yellowstone National ParkPennypack ParkCentral Park

 

*NOTE: The COMPLETE NAME is capitalized. Words like Street, Mountain, and River are cap. because they are part of the proper name.

If these words are NOT part of a proper name, they are not capitalized!

Compare:attending high school vs CB East High

Schoolin the street vs. Main Street

Rules for SCHOOL SUBJECTSRules for SCHOOL SUBJECTS

DO NOT cap. the names of school subjects, except course names followed by a number:

Algebra IWorld Cultures II social studiesmath

*NOTE: Remember that the names of languages are always capitalized:

EnglishSpanishHebrew

Rules for PARTS OF A LETTERRules for PARTS OF A LETTER

Cap. all important/proper words in the GREETING:

Dear Dr. JonesDear Sir or Madam

In the CLOSING, cap. only the first word:

Yours trulySincerely yours

ABBREVIATIONSABBREVIATIONS

Cap. the abbreviations B.C., A.D., A.M., and P.M.

Homeroom begins at 7:30 A.M.Pompeii was buried by lava in A.D. 79.

Rules for TITLES Rules for TITLES Cap. the first word and all important

words in titles of:Books—The CayNewspapers—The Philadelphia Inquirer

Plays—The Importance of Being Earnest

T.V. Shows—The Brady BunchMagazines—Vanity FairShort Stories—“Seventh Grade”Songs—“With Arms Wide Open”Poems—“Pied Beauty”

Rules for TITLES Rules for TITLES *NOTE: In the title, DO NOT

capitalize articles such as a, an, the; conjunctions such as and, or, but, for; or prepositions such as on, about, near, in, to, under, etc.

 DO cap. articles, conjunctions, and

prepositions when they come at the beginning of the title:

“And Justice for All”“Under the Bridge”The Tin Man