CAPITAL LETTERS
CAPITAL LETTERS ARE USED WITH:
1.
The first word in a sentence or direct quotation.
2.
Names of persons and the word I.
3.
Names of particular places.
4.
Names of days of the week, months, and holidays.
5.
Names of commercial products.
6.
Names of organizations such as religious and political groups, associations,
companies, unions and clubs.
7.
Titles of books, magazines, newspapers, articles, stories, poems, films, TV
shows, songs, papers that you write, and the like.
FIRST WORD IN A SENTENCE OR DIRECT QUOTATION
The secretary in the business office asked, "Have you paid your tuition?"
(Capitalize the first word in the sentence. And capitalize the first word in the
direct quotation.)
"If you want a ride to Burley," said Brenda, "get ready now. Otherwise, I am going
alone."
(If and Otherwise are capitalized because they are the first words of sentences
within a direct quotation. But get is not capitalized because it is part of the first sentence
within the quotation.)
NAMES OF PERSONS AND THE WORD I
Last night I ran into Russell Morris and Emily Wilson.
NAMES OF PARTICULAR PLACES
Wendy was graduated from Twin Falls High School in Idaho. She then moved with her
parents to Sacramento, California, and worked for a time there at Alvin's Gift House.
Eventually she married Carlos and moved back with her husband to Filer, in Twin Falls
County, Idaho. She takes courses two nights a week at The College of Southern Idaho.
On weekends she and her family often go for picnics at Shoshone Falls, and go boating at
Magic Reservoir. She does volunteer work at the Magic Valley Regional Medical Center
in connection with the First Southern Baptist Church. In addition, she works during the
summer as a hostess at Perkins Restaurant.
BUT: use small letters if the specific name of the place is not given.
Melody sometimes remembers her difficult days in high school and at the record shop
where she worked after graduation. She did not imaging that she would one day be going
to college and be working as a tutor for one of her classes.
NAMES OF DAYS OF THE WEEK, MONTHS, AND HOLIDAYS
Sue Lin was angry with herself for forgetting that Monday was Valentine's Day.
During December and January, Mike works four days a week taking every Friday off.
Jason still has a scar on his arm from his bicycle accident on Labor Day and a scar on his
leg from falling down in the Little City of Rocks on Memorial Day.
BUT: Use small letters for the seasons--summer, fall, winter, spring.
NAMES OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS
Jeff uses Mentadent mouthwash, Tic Tac mints, and Trident gum to drive away the taste
of the Marlboro cigarettes and the Swister Sweets cigars that he always smokes.
My son likes to play Chutes and Ladders; I like chess and gin rummy; my brother likes
Scrabble, football and pool.
BUT: Use small letters for the type of product (mouthwash, mints, gum, cigarettes, and
so on).
NAMES OF ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL GROUPS,
ASSOCIATIONS, COMPANIES, UNIONS, CLUBS
Carl Winslow was a Pentecostal for many years but now attends the Unitarian Church.
Both he and his wife, Beth are members of the Republican Party. Both belong to the
American Automobile Association. Beth works part time as a computer salesperson at
Best Buy. Carl is a carpenter and belongs to the Carpenter's Union.
Carl met Beth when he was a Boy Scout and she was Campfire Girl; she asked him the
movies to see The Lion King.
TITLES OF BOOKS, MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, ARTICLES, STORIES, POEMS,
FILMS, TELEVISION SHOWS, SONGS, PAPERS THAT YOU WRITE, AND THE
LIKE
On Saturday, Tina read the first chapter of To Kill a Mocking Bird. Next she looked
through The Wall Street Journal that her parents had at the house. She then read an
article titled “Investing in Your Future” and a poem titled “Dating in Groups” in her
Seventeen magazine. At the same time, she played an old Garth Brooks CD, No Fences.
In the evening, she watched The Daily Show, on television and the movie that followed,
True Lies, starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Then from midnight until morning, she worked on
a paper titled Uses of Leisure Time in Today’s Prisons for her Abnormal Psychology
class.