Capitalization - Katy ISD

1 Capitalization Capitalization of words can often be tricky and confusing. A good rule of thumb is that words are capitalized if they are unique persons, places, or things, or if, in a title, they are important. Of course, all sentences begin with a capital letter, as well. Proper nouns and proper adjectives are always capitalized. They fall most often into the following categories: Category Example Notes Particular people Eleanor Roosevelt Confucius Organizations United Nations Yellowstone National Park Calendar names: Days of the week Monday, Tuesday Months of the year January, March Holidays Martin Luther King Day NOT seasons winter, spring, summer Geographical names Bay of Biscay Nile River New York State Boston Building names Empire State Building Sears Tower Directions which refer to a Maine is in the Northeast Often regions which should be region, not a way to go Drive northeast on the old capitalized are preceded by highway.

2 The.. Group names Political parties Republicans Religious sects Presbyterians Nations Nigeria Ethnic origin groups Bulgarian Government body and the Senate The "little words, like of are department names Department of Education not capitalized Historic names Events American Revolution Periods Age of Innocence Documents Magna Carta Titles Titles before proper names Captain Hook High government titles President of the United States without names College degrees Bachelor of Arts degree NOT most titles without a group of representatives names Words of family relationship Family names are not Family names when used as The cake belongs to Dad. capitalized after possessive specific person's name pronouns.

3 Relationship names when My Uncle Bill is a fireman. used before a proper name For example: My mom told me NOT relationship names not Her aunt works at the to ask my dad if he wanted to naming a person elementary school go out to eat. Solar system names Planets Mars, Venus, Pluto Stars North Star Satellites Telstar usually Not sun and moon Trade names Buick car Notice that the name, not the Sony television item is capitalized School subjects Language course French, Latin II. Specific course History I. Words in a course that need American history to be capitalized NOT general courses geography, science Titles Note that prepositions and Books Pride and Prejudice articles are NOT capitalized.

4 Articles The Vietnam War See Quotations and Underlining Poems Ode to a Grecian Urn for rules about what to underline Plays Arsenic and Old Lace or surround with quotations Newspapers The New York Times Television shows Dharma and Greg . Radio programs The Garrison Keiller Show . Other Capitalization rules: Capitalize first words: The Mississippi River empties The first word of a sentence into the Gulf of Mexico. Note: Give begins with a capital letter because it begins a A quoted sentence Give me liberty, said Patrick quotation. The second part of Henry, or give me death.. the quotation is not capitalized A line of poetry or verse because it does not begin the Alone and warming his five wits, quote or a new sentence.

5 The white owl in the belfry sits. -Alfred, Lord Tennyson Letters Dear Mr. Watson, Salutations My dear Mrs. Washington, Yours, Closings Very truly yours, I, O The winner is I. O, the day has begun! Outlines I. Dinosaurs A. Brontosaurus 1. Food Taken from < >.