Handbook: Writing Problems and How to Correct Them

20 Capitalization

Capitalization

Capitalize the first word of a sentence, proper nouns, and the pronoun I.

20a Capitalize the first word in a sentence and in a direct quotation

Capitalize the first word in a direct quotation unless it is incorporated into your own sentence or it continues an earlier quotation.

20b Capitalize proper nouns, including the names of specific people, places, things, and groups

PEOPLE AND ANIMALS	Franklin Roosevelt, his dog Fala
CITIES, STATES, NATIONS	St. Paul, Minnesota, the United States
GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS	the Gulf Coast, the U.S. Southwest
GOVERNMENT OFFICES, DEPARTMENTS, BUILDINGS	the Pentagon, the Supreme Court, the Puck Building
ORGANIZATIONS (CULTURAL, POLITICAL, ETC.)	League of Women Voters, National Basketball Association
MONTHS, DAYS, HOLIDAYS	February, Thursday, Labor Day
CHAPTER OR SECTION TITLES IN BOOKS	“Why America Has Changed”
NATIONALITIES AND LANGUAGES	Ethiopian, Dutch
RELIGIONS AND SACRED BOOKS	Judaism, the Koran
TRADE NAMES	Coca-Cola, Brillo
HISTORIC EVENTS	the Treaty of Versailles, Reconstruction
SPECIFIC COURSE TITLES	Organic Chemistry 101

20c Do not capitalize common nouns

FAMILY MEMBERS	my uncle, his father
GENERAL AREAS OF THE COUNTRY	southwestern United States
SUBJECTS	my chemistry class
CENTURIES	seventeenth-century England
GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS	the lake in the park

20d Capitalize the titles of literary and other works, such as books, articles, poems, plays, songs, films, and paintings

Capitalize the first and last words of the title, the first word following a colon, and all other words except articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions.

BOOK	The Fault in Our Stars
ARTICLE	“Making History at Madison Park”
POEM	“Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”
PLAY	A Raisin in the Sun
SONG	“Rolling in the Deep”
FILM	Gone Girl
PAINTING	The Starry Night

20e Capitalize a personal title only when it directly precedes a person’s name

It is acceptable to capitalize the titles of certain high government officials regardless of whether they precede a name: the President of the United States.