Capitalization
Names and Initials
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Carissa A. Jones
Brooke L. Shore
Carson B. Kohler
Bryson F. Phillips
Personal Titles and
Abbreviations
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Mr.
Mrs.
Ms.
Dr.
Jr.
Sr.
Ph.D.
M.D.
D.D.S.
D.V.M.
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Senator, Secretary of
State, Surgeon General,
Justice, Mayor, etc.
President, Czar, Prime
Minister, King, Queen,
etc.
Capt., Lt., P.F.C., etc.
Rev., Fr., Sr., Br., etc.
Only capitalize these titles if they
come directly in front of a specific
name.
The senator from New York is
Clinton.
New York’s Senator Clinton was
running for president.
Family Relationships
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Capitalize family
words only if they are
used as names or
before names.
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My mother is a saint.
That is Mother; she is
a saint.
My favorite cousin is
Marsha.
I am going with
Cousin Marsha to the
movies.
The Pronoun I
She and I are best friends.
 When will I receive my money?
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Religious Terms
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Religions – Christianity,
Judaism, Islam,
Buddhism
Holy Days – Christmas,
Rosh Hashanah
Writings – Bible, Torah,
Koran
Deities – God, Yahweh,
Allah
Nationalities, Languages, and
Races
Mexican
 Japanese
 German
 French
 English
 Jewish
 Muslim
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Sentences and Poetry
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Capitalize the first word of every
sentence.
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You are a sight for sore eyes.
In traditional poetry, the first word of every
line is capitalized.
Roses are red.
 Violets are blue.
 You look like a monkey.
 And act like one, too!
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Quotations
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Capitalize the first word of a direct quote if it is a
complete sentence.
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Ms. Berger said, “My favorite class is English.”
If the quote is divided do not capitalize the
second portion of the quote (unless it starts a
new sentence.)
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“My favorite class,” said Ms. Berger, “is English.”
“My favorite class is English,” said Ms. Berger, “It is
fabulous!”
Outlines
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Capitalize only the
first word of each new
entry in an outline.
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I. Capitalization
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A. People and cultures
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1. Personal titles
2. Abbreviations
3. Family relationships
4. The pronoun I
5. Religious terms
6. Nationalities, races
B. First words and titles
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1. Sentence and poetry
2. Quotes
3. Outlines
4. Parts of a letter
5. Titles
Parts of a Letter
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Capitalize only the
first word in the
greeting and closing
of the letter.
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Dear darling Darby,
Yours truly,
Titles
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Capitalize all words in a
title except for articles,
conjunctions, and
prepositions less than five
letters.
If an article, conjunction,
or preposition is the first
word in the title, it may be
capitalized.
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Books – Surviving the Applewhites,
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Plays and musicals – The Sound of
Music
Short Stories – “Ghost of the Lagoon”
Poems – “Where the Sidewalk Ends”
Magazines and Newspapers – Time,
The Wall Street Journal
Musical Compositions – “U and UR
Hand”, “Paralyzer”, “See You Again”
Movies – Indiana Jones and the
Temple of Doom
T.V. Shows – Third Rock from the Sun
Works of Art – Mona Lisa, The Last
Supper
Games – Guitar Hero
Geographical Names
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Divisions of the world – Northern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere
Continents – Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa,
Australia, Antarctica
Bodies of Water – Pacific Ocean, Red Sea, Lake Michigan
Islands – Hawaii, Canary Islands, Puerto Rico
Mountains – Himalayas, Alps, Rockies, Appalachian, Andes
Other Land Forms – Strait of Magellan, Bering Strait, Cape Horn
Regions – Central America, Latin America, Great Plains
Nations – Canada, United States, Mexico, China, Japan, Germany,
France, England
States – Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee
Cities and Towns – Louisville, Elizabethtown, Dale, Santa Claus
Roads and Streets – Klondike Lane, Bardstown Road, Taylor Blvd.
Bodies of the Universe
Capitalize the names of the planets and
other important objects in the universe.
 Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, (and sometimes
Pluto)
 Haley’s Comet
 Milky Way
 Aurora Borealis
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Regions and Sections
Capitalize north, south, east, and west
only when they are used to refer to a
specific region. They are not capitalized
when being used as a direction.
 We went to the West for our family
vacation this summer.
 I have to travel east to get to work.
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Buildings, Bridges, and Other
Landmarks
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Empire State Building
Sears Tower
Golden Gate Bridge
Sherman Minton
Bridge
Kennedy Bridge
Churchill Downs
Indianapolis Motor
Speedway
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Mount Rushmore
Washington
Monument
Kennedy Space
Center
Planes, Trains, and Other
Vehicles
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Airplanes – Spirit of Saint
Louis, Enola Gay
Trains - Orient Express,
Cannonball Express
Ships – USS Arizona,
HMS Bounty, Titanic
Cars – Pontiac, Ford,
Honda
Spacecraft – Discovery,
Challenger, Apollo XIII
Organizations and Institutions
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St. Martha School
League of Nations
NATO
United Nations
National Honors
Society
Governor’s Cup
Book Bee
Quick Recall
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University of
Louisville
University of
Kentucky
Indiana University
Historical Events, Periods, and
Documents
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Revolutionary War
Civil War
World War II
Reconstruction
Renaissance
Industrial Revolution
Space Age
Jurassic Period
Constitution of the U.S.
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Bill of Rights
Magna Carta
Time Abbreviations and
Calendar Items
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A.D. or C.E.
B.C. or B.C.E.
A.M.
P.M.
Do not capitalize the
seasons!!!!
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Months – January,
February, March, April,
May, June, July, August,
September, October,
November, and
December
Days – Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday
Holidays – Memorial Day,
Valentine’s Day,
Halloween, etc.
Special Events, Awards, and
Brand Names
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Super Bowl
World Series
World Cup
Country Music Awards
People’s Choice Awards
Oscars
Emmys
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Nike
Frito Lay
Coca Cola
McDonald’s