CAPITALIZE THIS!

Adapted by Algonquin College from content provided by Capital Community College and Professor Charles Darling.

• Capitalize the first word of every sentence – unless that sentence is in parentheses incorporated within another sentence:

Glacial till or debris (some geologists call this material “garbage”) is often deposited in formations called morains.

• Capitalize the personal pronoun I.

Some General Rules on Capitalization

Family Relations

I went with my mom and dad to visit my aunt and uncle.

Notice the role of the modifying pronoun here.

Capitalize the names of family relations only when they are used as substitutes for names:

I went to visit my Uncle Ted and Aunt Margaret.

Grandma and Grandpa live with Dad and Mom now.

but…

In titles, capitalize the first, last, and all important words. Usually, we don’t capitalize articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions. For example:

In the Lake of the WoodsWar and PeaceI Know This Much Is True

Titles

Proper NounsCapitalize names of specific persons, places, and geographical locations:

My brother Charlie, who used to live in the Middle East and write books about the Old West, now lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Don’t capitalize directions:

They moved up north, to the southern shore of Lake Ontario.

but…

More on Proper Nouns

Capitalize names of days of the week, months, and holidays:

Valentines Day, which is always on February 14, falls on Tuesday this year.

Don’t capitalize the names of seasons:

Next fall, before the winter storms begin, we’re heading south. but…

More on Proper NounsCapitalize the names of historical events:

The Battle of the Bulge was an important event in World War II.

Capitalize the names of religions and religious terms:

God, Christ, Allah, Buddha, Christianity, Christians, Judaism, Jews, Islam, Muslims

and…

More on Proper NounsCapitalize names of nations, nationalities, languages, and words based on such words:

Somalia, Swedish, English muffin, Irish stew, Japanese maple, Dutch elm, French horn

Don’t (generally) capitalize black and white:

President Barack Obama comes from a multiracial background: his father was black, while his mother was white. but…

More on Proper NounsCapitalize the names of academic courses when they’re used as titles:

He took Carpentry 101, but he did much better in his economics and English literature courses.

Capitalize brand names:

Ford, Kleenex, Levi’s (but not jeans), Xerox copier (but not the verb to xerox), Advil (but not aspirin)

and…

The Titles of People and Offices

Capitalize titles when they precede names:

Prime Minister Harper was introduced to President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

Don’t (generally) capitalize titles when they appear after a name:

Tina Hakim, who was chairperson of the board of directors in 2008, has since retired.

but…

The Titles of People and Offices

You can capitalize the names of political entities in in-house publications to avoid confusion:

The City has agreed to reimburse the federal government for sewer expenses.

You would not capitalize those names in a newspaper report:

At the last council meeting, the city agreed to reimburse the federal government. but…

The Best Advice on Capitalization?Consult a good dictionary!

We recommend the online Merriam-Webster’s, located at http://www.merriam-webster.com.