Capitalization Rules
Capitalization: The Basics
• A good rule to follow when dealing with
capitalization is to keep in mind that the more
specific an item is, the more likely it is to be
capitalized.
• Examples:
bridge (common noun, lowercase)
London Bridge (proper noun, capitalized)
food (common noun, lowercase)
Chinese food (Chinese is what we call a proper
adjective. We would capitalize the adjective
here.)
Rule 1
• Capitalize the first
word of a quoted
sentence.
• “Watch where you are
going,” she said, “or
you will fall on the
recently mopped
floor.”
Rule 2
• Capitalize proper
nouns.
• Jordan Hare Stadium
• Great Smoky
Mountains (place)
• The Roaring
Twenties(time period)
• The Milky Way
(celestial body)
Rule 3
• Capitalize a title when it precedes the name. Do
not capitalize when the title follows the name
and describes it.
• President Bush
• Barbara Sinclair, the chairperson of the
committee
Rule 4
• Capitalize names of ethnic groups,
national groups, political parties and their
members, and languages
• Native Americans
• Mexicans
• Republican party
• Hebrew, Spanish
Rule 5
• Capitalize when the
person's title follows
the name on the
address or signature
line.
• Sincerely,
• Barbara Sinclair,
Chairperson
Rule 6
• Capitalize any title
when used as a direct
address.
• Will you see my son
now, Doctor?
• May we start the
meeting now,
Principal Richards?
Rule 7 & 8
• Capitalize regions of the country, not directions.
– Living in the South, rarely do we see snow.
– Head north on Interstate 85 toward Atlanta to find the
airport.
• Family relationship (when they refer to a specific
person): Uncle Jack
Note: If a possessive pronoun is used in front of
the title (such as my uncle Jack), you do not
capitalize the relationship.
Rule 9
•
When it comes to
capitalizing titles of
books, poems, movies,
etc., we capitalize the first
word and the most
important words in the
title. We do not capitalize
conjunctions, articles, or
prepositions if they are
not the first words in the
title.
• The Crucible
• Of Mice and Men
• To Kill a Mockingbird
Rule 10
• Do not capitalize
names of seasons.
• I enjoy winter weather
during the Christmas
season.
Rule 11
• Capitalize the first word and all nouns in
letter salutations and the first word in letter
closings.
• Salutations:
– Dear Dr. Smith,
– My dear Aunt,
– To whom it may concern:
• Closings:
– Your sincere Friend,
– Thank you,
Rule 12
• Capitalize the names
of course titles.
– I must pass science,
two electives, and
Algebra II to earn
enough credits.
• Courses like English
and Spanish will
always be capitalized.
Resource
• http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation
/capital.asp
• Glencoe Language Arts Grammar and
Language Workbook
Bell Ringer 1/9: Write each sentence.
Correct all errors in capitalization.
1. Our Club raised money for the American heart
association.
2. The U.S. senate and house of representatives
may pass a bill to become a law, but the
president can veto it.
3. Malcom Smith is only the third linebacker in nfl
history to earn super bowl MVP Honors.
4. Abandoned cars littered the road after a Winter
snowstorm slammed into the south on Tuesday.
5. Guz Malzahn accepted his Coach Of The Year
honors.
Read each sentence. Write the words
that should and should NOT be
capitalized.
6. The judges of the essay contest are mrs. sarah
wright and mr. john smith.
7. The Governor is a member of the republican
party.
8. I enjoy Spring weather during the months of
april and may.
9. I must pass Science, History, and my spanish II
class in order to graduate on time.
10.She attended Valley High school before
enrolling in Auburn university.
1. When we were in tennessee in October,
we drove to the top of lookout mountain.
2. Please see Sarah, President of the
committee for more information about
prom duties.