Capitalization

If you can remember the following rules, you will avoid the most common errors of capitalization. Capitalize the first letter

CAPITALIZATION OF SENTENCES

Capitalize the first letter of each new sentence, including the first word of a direct quotation.

The superintendent was surprised.

He asked, “What is going on here?”

CAPITALIZATION OF NAMES OF SPECIFIC PEOPLE, PLACES, DATES, AND THINGS

The general rule is to capitalize the first letter in names of specific people, places, dates, and things. Do not capitalize a generic (common) name such as college as opposed to the specific name: Carroll State College. Look at the examples for each group.

People

Capitalize the first letter in names of specific people and in titles used with names of specific people.

SPECIFIC NOT SPECIFIC
Jean Heaton my neighbor
Professor Fitzgerald your math professor
Dr. Cornog the doctor
Aunt Pat, Mother my aunt, your mother

The name of a family member is capitalized when the family member is being addressed directly: Happy Birthday, Mother. In other instances, do not capitalize: It is my mother’s birthday.

The word president is not capitalized unless it comes directly before a name as part of that person’s title: President Barack Obama.

Places

Capitalize the first letter in names of specific buildings, streets, cities, states, regions, and countries.

SPECIFIC NOT SPECIFIC
Bolton Town Hall the town hall
Arlington Street our street
Dearborn Heights my hometown
Arizona this state
the South the southern region
Spain that country

Do not capitalize directions in a sentence.

Drive south for five blocks.

Dates

Capitalize the first letter in the names of days, months, and holidays. Do not capitalize the names of the seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall).

SPECIFIC NOT SPECIFIC
Wednesday tomorrow
June 25 summer
Thanksgiving my birthday

Organizations, Companies, and Groups

SPECIFIC NOT SPECIFIC
Taft Community College my college
Microsoft that software company
Alcoholics Anonymous the self-help group

Languages, Nationalities, and Religions

SPECIFIC NOT SPECIFIC
English, Greek, Spanish my first language
Christianity, Buddhism your religion

The names of languages should be capitalized even if you aren’t referring to a specific course.

I am taking psychology and Spanish.

Courses

SPECIFIC NOT SPECIFIC
Composition 101 a writing course
Introduction to Psychology my psychology course

Commercial Products

SPECIFIC NOT SPECIFIC
Diet Pepsi a diet cola
Skippy peanut butter peanut butter

CAPITALIZATION OF TITLES

When you write the title of a book, movie, television program, magazine, newspaper, article, story, song, paper, poem, and so on, capitalize the first word and all important words. The only words that do not need to be capitalized (unless they are the first word) are the, a, an, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet), and prepositions.