Capitalization Rules
Capitalize the *first letter* of the first word in a *direct quotation*. In a *split quotation*, *do not capitalize* the first letter of the word in the second part *unless a new sentence* is begun.
"Where's my comb?" "In the drawer," replied his father. "Did you," asked Joe, "open this door?" "I'm finished," yelled Chris, "Let's go!"
Capitalize the *nominative title* if it appears with a name.
*G*randpa Smith *A*unt Cecilia *C*aptain Jack Sparrow *J*udge Johnson *S*enator Billings *C*ousin Lee *B*aby Jeremy
Capitalize *brand names* but *not the product(s)*.
*Maylord* muffins *Healthy Haven* vegetables *Braum's* milk *Lego* building blocks
Capitalize *institution names*.
Baylor Hospital University of Florida Pioneer School Adams County Jail
Capitalize the *names of organizations*.
Boy Scouts of America American Red Cross Kiwanis Club
Capitalize races and ethnic groups.
Caucasian / Indian / Negro / Cajun Hispanic / Polynesian / Chinese / Israeli / Jewish
Capitalize the first work of the greeting and closing of a letter.
Dear Jane, My dear and favorite niece, Sincerely yours, My very best wishes,
Capitalize a specific, well-known area or event.
Did President Bush work late in the Oval Office? Her ice skating at the Winter Olympics was fantastic.
Capitalize *specific regions* of the country or the world.
Does you Uncle Ray live in the *East*? The *Southwest* includes the state of Arizona. We watched a movie on the *Old West*.
Capitalize the *first word*, the *last word*, and all *important words* in any *title*. *Do not capitalize a, an, the, and, but, or, nor*, or prepositions of four or less letters...unless located as the first or last word of a title. *Always capitalize verbs*. *Capitalize prepositions with 5+ letters*.
Eight *Is* Enough. "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree"
Capitalize specific names of structures.
Empire State Building Golden Gate Bridge Eiffel Tower Washington Monument Grand Central Station
Capitalize languages.
English / Spanish / German French / Latin / Arabic
Capitalize *business names*.
Fanton Enterprise Brown Company Pratt Limited Holiday Inn Amazon Airlines Jolen's Restaurant Fast Body Shop, Inc. Beamer Grocery Store
Do NOT capitalize *general directions*.
Go *north* for about three blocks. The birds migrated *south* for the winter. Do you live *east* or *west* of the Mississippi River?
Capitalize *religions*, religious denominations, religious documents, names of churches, and names for a supreme being.
God / Heavenly Father Dead Sea Scrolls / Ten Commandments / Torah Hindu / Islam / Allah / Buddhism Life Community Church / Crossroads Bible Church Baptist/Lutheran/Assembly of God/Nazarene/Protestant
Capitalize the *pronoun I*.
Had the captain forgotten that I left early?
Do NOT capitalize school subjects unless they state a language, or they are numbered.
I enjoy English. Is Algebra I meeting here? My favorite subjects are spelling, history, math, and American history.
Capitalize *Roman numerals* and the letters for the *first major topics in an outline*. Capitalize the first letter of the first word in an outline.
I. Energy ... A. Types ........ 1. Physical ........ 2. Nuclear ...B. Various uses II. Matter
Capitalize *historical events*, periods of time, and historical documents.
Ice Age Battle of Waterloo Magna Carta American Revolution Middle Ages Declaration of Independence
Capitalize the first letter of the *first word* in a sentence.
Pearls are very elegant.
Capitalize names of a *particular geographic places*.
Potomac River Andes Mountains Lake Superior Bering Strait North Sea Miller Creek Catalina Island
Capitalize political parties and their members.
Republican Party / Democrats / Communist Party
Capitalize the first letter of the *first word* in most lines of *poetry*.
Roses are red Violets are blue Honey is sweet And so are you
Capitalize *names of days, months, holidays, and special days*.
Saturday Fourth of July December Columbus Day Hanukkah George Washington's Birthday
Capitalize *government bodies and departments*.
Senate House of Representatives Department of Interior Congress Cabinet Treasury Department
Capitalize *President* when it refers to the *leader of the United States*.
The President has called a press conference. Have you seen that famous portrait of President George Washington?
Capitalize the *first letter only in most hyphenated words that begin a sentence*. However, *capitalize both parts of a hyphenated word in titles*.
Twenty-*two* ducks swim in that pond. Fathers-*in-law* meet in this room today. Did you know that *Vice-President* Mondale ran for President? Cindy has memorized the "*Twenty-Third Psalm*."
Capitalize Mother, Dad, and other titles when they serve as a *replacement for the person's name*.
We haven't told *Mother* about our plan. How are you feeling, *Son*? How's it going, *Cuz*?
Capitalize a *proper adjective* but *NOT* the noun it modifies *unless* the noun is part of a title.
a Columbus Day parade our Tuesday meeting Hanukkah celebration Alaskan coast Swiss village Labor Day weekend a Scottsdale rodeo
Do NOT capitalize games. However, capitalize brand name games.
chess / Chinese checkers / dominoes / cards / bingo tag / English soccer / football / Mexican hat dance / polo Monopoly / Uno / Apples to Apples / Yahtzee / Angry Birds
Do NOT capitalize animals.
kitten / Siamese cat / poodle / German shepherd horse / Arabian horse / Shetland pony / monkey
Do NOT capitalize diseases.
mumps / measles / cancer / Hodgkin's disease cerebral palsy / German measles / chicken pox flu / Asian flu / bird flu / West Nile virus
Do NOT capitalize trees.
oak / elm / apple / Mexican fan palm/ silk oak English Ivy / Aftrican tiger lily
Do NOT capitalize musical instruments.
piano / drums / harp / *French* horn / violin guitar / trumpet
Do NOT capitalize foods.
pizza / ice cream / Swedish meatballs / creamed corn tuna / Italian sauce / Spanish rice / Swiss cheese / lettuce
Do NOT capitalize the seasons of the year.
spring / summer / winter / fall / autumn
Do NOT capitalize plants.
tulips / oleander / cactus / asparagus fern gardenia / Bermuda grass / American rose
