P8-a: Proper versus common nouns

P8-aCapitalize proper nouns and words derived from them; do not capitalize common nouns.

Proper nouns are the names of specific persons, places, and things. All other nouns are common nouns. The following types of words are usually capitalized: names of deities, religions, religious followers, sacred books; words of family relationship used as names; particular places; nationalities and their languages, races, tribes; educational institutions, departments, particular courses; government departments, organizations, political parties; historical movements, periods, events, documents; and trade names.

proper nouns common nouns
God (used as a name) a god
Book of Common Prayer a sacred book
Uncle Pedro my uncle
Father (used as a name) my father
Lake Superior a picturesque lake
the Capital Center a center for advanced studies
the South a southern state
Wrigley Field a baseball stadium
University of Wisconsin a state university
Geology 101 geology
the Democratic Party a political party
the Enlightenment the eighteenth century
Advil a painkiller

Months, holidays, and days of the week are treated as proper nouns; the seasons and numbers of the days of the month are not.

Our academic year begins on a Tuesday in early September, right after Labor Day.

Graduation is in late spring, on the second of June.

exception: Capitalize Fourth of July (or July Fourth) when referring to the holiday.

Names of school subjects are capitalized only if they are names of languages. Names of particular courses are capitalized.

This semester Lee is taking math, physics, French, and English.

Professor Obembe offers Modern American Fiction 501 to graduate students.

The terms Web and Internet are typically capitalized, but related common nouns are not: home page, operating system. Usage varies widely, however, so check with your instructor about whether you should follow the guidelines for MLA, APA, or CMS style (MLA-5, APA-5,and CMS-5, respectively).

caution: Do not capitalize common nouns to make them seem important.