Proper Nouns and Adjectives
Capitalization
Like most other conventions of language, capital
letters help make writing easier to read. They call
attention to certain special words and indicate the
beginnings of sentences.
There are specific rules for capitalizing words.
This PowerPoint will show you the rules. You can revisit
this PowerPoint at any time if you have questions about
capitalization.
Rule: Capitalize proper nouns and
proper adjectives.
Proper Nouns and Adjectives
 A common noun is the name of a general group of
people, places, or things.
Example: queen, country, government
 A proper noun is the name of a particular person,
place, or thing.
Example: Elizabeth, France, Congress
 A proper adjective is an adjective formed from a
proper noun.
Example: Elizabethan, French, Congressional
Rule: Capitalize people’s names
and the initials or abbreviations
that stand for names.
Names of People
J. K. Rowling
Joanne Kathleen Rowling
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur Charles Clarke
Rule: Capitalize the titles – written
or abbreviated – used with people’s
names.
Names of People
Gov. R. T. Alberg
Mrs. Jennifer Manzano
Judge Ellen Sullivan
Pfc James A. Morris
Dr. L. K. Jenkins
Rev. Charles Klein
Rule: Do not capitalize a title that
is used without a name. It is a
common noun.
Names of People
 Barbara Sloan is president of the
bank.
 The judge in this courtroom is Justice
Banks.
 The principal announced a staff
meeting.
 The tribe searched the reservation for
its chief.
Rule: Do capitalize titles of very
high importance, even when they
are used without a name.
Names of People
the President of the United States
the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court
the Prime Minister of Great
Britain.
the Pope
Rule: Capitalize such family words
as mom, father, aunt, and grandpa
when they are used as names.
Family Relationships
What was Dad like when he was
sixteen, Grandma?
Jessica is here, Mom.
Uncle Don is coming home from
Iraq.
Rule: Do not capitalize such family
words as mom, father, aunt, and
grandpa if it is preceded by a
possessive word or by a, an, or the.
Family Relationships
Mom calls our grandma every
Sunday.
My aunt’s car needs a new battery.
The father in the movie was played
by Denzel Washington.
Rule: Always capitalize the
pronoun I.
The Pronoun I
He and I went to the football game.
I work after school.
Mike, Suzy, and I were confused by
the assignment.
Rule: Capitalize all words – including
personal pronouns – referring to God, to the
Holy Family, and to religious scriptures.
The Supreme Being
and Sacred Writings
the Almighty
the Sanskrit
the Blessed Virgin
the Son of God
the Great Spirit
the Bible
the Talmud
Allah
the Book of Job
the Lord
They asked the Lord for His blessing.
Rule: In a geographical name,
capitalize the first letter of each word
except for articles and prepositions.
Geographic Names:
Continents
Africa
North America
South America
Australia
Asia
Europe
Geographic Names:
Bodies of Water
the Atlantic Ocean
the Ohio River
the Gulf of Mexico
the Dead Sea
the Panama Canal
Lake Michigan
Geographic Names:
Land Forms
Mount McKinley
the Grand Canyon
Death Valley
the Black Hills
Cape Cod
Aleutian Islands
Geographic Names:
Political Units
Florida
Province of Ontario
Denver
Republic of Kenya
State of Israel
Sixteenth Congressional District
Geographic Names:
Public Areas
Yellowstone National Park
Fort Sumter
Badlands National Monument
Ford Theater
Fallen Timbers Battlefield
Everglades National Park
Geographic Names:
Roads and Highways
Route 30
Interstate 77
13th Street
Perry Drive
West Tuscarawas Street
Lincoln Way
Rule: Capitalize names and
sections of the country.
Directions and Sections
The West has several old trading
posts.
The South is sometimes called
“Dixie.”
The Sorensons moved from New
England to the West Coast.
Rule: Capitalize proper adjectives that
come from names of sections of the
country.
Directions and Sections
A Midwestern town
Southern food
Western saddle
East Coast company
Rule: Do not capitalize directions
of the compass.
Directions and Sections
Barrow, Alaska, is north of all other
United States cities.
Drive east on Interstate 80 to New
York.
We’re heading south for the winter.
Rule: Do not capitalize adjectives that
come from words showing direction.
Directions and Sections
The parking lot is on the north
side of the building.
The southerly breeze turned into
a fierce wind.
Rule: Capitalize the names of
organizations and institutions and
abbreviations of these names.
Organizations and Institutions
Republican Party
Federal Trade Commission
AFL-CIO
Edison Middle School
Aultman Hospital
NCAA
American Library Association
Rule: Do not capitalize such words as
school, church, and hospital when they
are not used as parts of names.
Organizations and Institutions
Several people from our church
are going.
She works at the hospital.
Were you tardy to school?
Rule: Capitalize the names of
historical events, documents, and
periods of time.
Events, Documents,
and Periods of Time
Boston Masssacre
the Renaissance
Kristallnacht
United States Constitution
the Vietnam War
Treaty of Versailles
Rule: Capitalize the names of months,
days, and holidays, but not the names
of seasons.
Months, Days,
and Holidays
December
Ramadan
Thursday
Halloween
autumn
Rule: Do not capitalize the names
of school subjects, except course
titles followed by a number.
School Subjects
history
Art I
industrial arts
advanced biology
Math 300
Rule: Remember that the names of
languages are always capitalized.
School Subjects
English
Spanish
Japanese
French
Rule: Capitalize the names of
planes, trains, ships, and
automobiles.
Planes, Trains, Ships,
and Automobiles
U.S.S. Constellation
Concorde
Ford Mustang
Orient Express
Rule: Capitalize the abbreviations
B.C. and A.D.
B.C. and A.D.
Julius Caesar died on March 15, 44
B.C.
Mohammed was born in 570 A.D.