The Rules of Capitalization

Capitalize the first word in a sentence.

• In Abington, the schools open before Labor Day.

• The football team’s nickname is the Green Wave.

• Do you ever go to the games on Friday night?

Capitalize the first word in a direct quote.

• He said, “The concert will begin soon.”

• "Look out!" she screamed. "You almost ran into my child."

• “Always be quiet when in a library”, the teacher instructed.

Capitalize the pronoun I.

• This week I have to write two papers and give a book report.

• I just started reading a new book.

• My friends and I love to text one another.

Practice

• In each practice slide there are examples of capitalization based on the previous slides. Write the sentence with the correct capitalization. Beneath the practice sentence is the corrected version. See how well you can do!

Practice1. after the game, the team celebrated.

After the game, the team celebrated.2. “you should be proud of your

performance, “ said the drama coach.“You should be proud of your performance, “ said the dram coach.

3. when i am finished with my homework, i am planning to read a book.When I am finished with my homework I am planning to read a book.

Capitalize proper nouns.

• A proper noun names a particular person place or thing – Frolio Middle School.

• A common noun names a kind or type of person place or thing. Common nouns are not capitalized – middle school.

• United States – country

• Golden Gate Bridge – bridge

• Abington High School - high school

Capitalize the names of people.

• Capitalize a person’s first and last names – John Smith, Suzy Jones.

• Capitalize a person’s title when that person is named specifically – Aunt Kate, not my aunt, or President Kennedy, not the president, Dr. Clue, not the doctor

Capitalize geographic names.• Capitalize places only if they are written as

proper nouns.

• Miami, Boston, New York City – cities

• Abington, Rockland, Whitman – towns

• Massachusetts, Oregon, Florida – states

• United States, Canada, Iraq - countries

• Mississippi River, Charles River - rivers

Practice

4. my sister attends the university of massachusetts in amherst.

My sister attends the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

5. your teacher, mr. smith, is my uncle jim.Your teacher, Mr. Smith, is my Uncle Jim.

6. my family traveled from abington, massachusetts to abington, virginia by car.My family traveled from Abington, Massachusetts to Abington, Virginia by car.

Capitalize geographic (cont.)

• bodies of water – Atlantic Ocean Lake Michigan, Caribbean Sea, Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Island Grove

• streets and highways – Washington St., Park Ave., Route 66

• sections of the country – the Northeast, the West

Capitalize special and historical events.

• holidays – Christmas Day, Easter,

Memorial Day, Independence Day

• historical events – Revolutionary War, Battle of the Bulge, Bronze Age

Capitalize the names of nationalities, languages, races and

religions.• nationalities – English, Canadian,

Mexican, Iroquois, American

• languages – English, Spanish, Chinese

• races – Caucasian, Asian, African

• religions – Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Islam, Mormon, Baptist, Hindu, Buddhist

Practice7.to get to the chesapeake bay, we followed route

195.To get to the Chesapeake Bay, we followed Route 195.

8. we went to maryland to celebrate st. patrick’s day with my family.We went to Maryland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with my family.

9. i am studying spanish and buddhism to be more culturally diverse.I am studying Spanish and Buddhism to be more culturally diverse.

Capitalize names of organizations, business firms, institutions and

government bodies.

• organizations – Girl Scouts, Drama Club

• business firms – Gillette’s, Fidelity

• institutions – University of Massachusetts, Abington Boosters

• government bodies – the Senate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Capitalize the brand names of business products.

• Dial soap, General Electric stove, Pepsi Cola bottle, Toyota Prius

• Notice only the name, not the object is capitalized

Capitalize the names of ships, planets, monuments.

• ships – the Mayflower, the Queen Mary

• planets - Mars, Earth, Jupiter

• monuments – Bunker Hill Memorial, Washington Monument, Eiffel Tower

• awards – Junior Achievement Award, Heisman Trophy, World Cup

Practice10.i have been a member of the boy scouts

for twelve years.I have been a member of the Boy Scouts for twelve years.

11. my first car was a ford mustang.My first car was a Ford Mustang.

12. every hockey fan in boston hopes the bruins win the stanley cup.Every hockey fan in Boston hopes the Bruins win the Stanley Cup.

Capitalize words referring to the Deity (God).

• God, the Creator, the Almighty, Allah, Jehovah, Jesus, Holy Ghost, Buddha

• The word gods is not capitalized when it refers to the gods of ancient mythology – the gods of ancient Greece

Capitalize the first word and all important words in a title.

• books – Mystery of the Cupboard, Letters from Rifka, A Part of the Sky

• movies – School of Rock, Pirates of the Caribbean, Night at the Museum

• music – Star Spangled Banner, Sweet Caroline, Rhapsody in Blue

No capitalization needed

• names of the seasons – summer, fall, winter, spring

• directions – north, south, east west• names of school subject – history, math,

science –EXCEPT …• languages and names with a number –

English, Spanish, History 101

Practice13. some americans believe in god while others

worship buddha.

Some Americans believe in God while others worship Buddha.

14. my family went to the cameo theater to see “despicable me”.

My family went to the Cameo Theater to see “Despicable Me”.

15. next year, my classes include history and spanish.

Next year, my classes include history and Spanish.

Help with capitalization

• For additional help with capitalization, click on this link:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/1/