Proper Nouns and Proper
Adjectives
Geographical Names
You know that a proper noun names a
particular person, place, or thing and that
a proper noun always begins with a capital
letter.
 Therefore, you must capitalize proper
nouns from geography. Do not capitalize
small words like the and of.

Capitalize cities, states, countries,
and continents.
Chicago
 Texas
 Austria
 South America

Capitalize bodies of water and
geographical features.
Ohio River
 White Mountains
 Gulf of Mexico

Capitalize the names of areas. Do
not capitalize directions.
The Southwest
 the Middle East
 Central Asia


We traveled south along the coast, then east.
Capitalize streets and highways.
Route 66
 Wall Street
 Avenue of the Stars

Capitalize buildings, bridges, and
monuments.
Fort Knox
 World Trade Center
 Brooklyn Bridge

You can form a proper adjective from a
proper noun. Capitalize proper adjectives.
Proper Nouns
Proper Adjectives
Mexico
Mexican art
North America
North American birds
Paris
Parisian fashion
Jefferson
Jeffersonian democracy
Which words should be
capitalized?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The egyptian museum in cairo has many
treasures.
Egypt and the suez canal are part of the
middle east.
Aswan is a city in the nile valley in southern
egypt.
I visited the institute of africa on elm road.
An exhibition of african art included carved
masks.
Titles, Organizations, Dates, and
Subjects

Other proper nouns that you should
capitalize include titles, names of
organizations, historical events and
periods, certain dates, and certain
subjects.
Capitalize titles for people. Do not capitalize
titles if they are used alone as common
nouns.
 Captain Ahab
 Dr. Kaplan
 Father
 The doctor will see you now.
 My uncle is the president.
Capitalize organizations,
institutions, and businesses.
United League
 Tampa High School
 Dallas Symphony
 Ted’s Garage
 Hirsch Institute
 Branford Company

Capitalize languages and specific school subjects
followed by a number. Do not capitalize general
school subjects.
English
 social studies
 Biology I
 science
 Algebra 2
 math

Capitalize historical events, periods
of time, and documents
Boston Tea Party
 Roaring Twenties
 Revolutionary War
 Gettysburg Address
 Age of Reason
 the Constitution

Capitalize days, months, and
holidays, but not seasons
Monday
 spring
 November
 Fourth of July
 autumn
 winter

What words should be capitalized?





6. In history 1, we are studying the civil war.
7. The gettysburg address was delivered by
president lincoln.
8. Jefferson davis was the president of the
confederacy.
9. General lee appeared at appomattox court
house in april 1865.
10. Lee became president of washington college
after the war.
Write the incorrect sentences, adding capital letter
where needed. If a sentence is already correct,
write correct.






11. The exhibit runs from Thursday, september 4,
through tuesday, december 30.
12. The museum of science will remain open on
memorial day.
13. Every fall and spring, the museum has a special
exhibit.
14. It is held by the world ocean society on clinton
avenue.
15. The current exhibit is on the world’s natural
waterways.
16. Research by the national science foundation is
included.
Write the incorrect sentences, adding capital letter
where needed. If a sentence is already correct,
write correct.
 17. Interest in science increased in the middle
ages.
 18. Today professor wyman is taking the
geography 101 class of bentley university to the
exhibit.
 19. Other geography classes will visit during the
spring break.
 20. The atlantic ocean is half the size of the
pacific ocean.
 21. The atlantic was named for the atlas
mountains of africa.
Write the incorrect sentences, adding capital letter
where needed. If a sentence is already correct,
write correct.
22. There are mountain ranges under the
ocean.
 23. The tallest mountains on land are the
himalayas.
 24. The george washington bridge spans
the hudson river.
 25. From the bridge, you can see the
world trade center.
