Name: ______

Capitalization Rules

“To capitalize, or not to capitalize . . .that is the question.”

The Rules:

Capitalize the first word of a:

  1. Sentence

Would you please pass your test forward?

  1. Complete sentence after a colon

Everyone realized the truth: The bright light was a U.F.O.

  1. The beginning of a quotation that is a complete sentence

She said, “The principal is very upset.”

  1. The first word in a line of poetry
  1. The greeting of a letter

Dear Mr. Engle:

  1. The first word of a closing of a letter

Sincerely yours,

  1. The first word of each item in an outline
  2. Introduction
  3. Attention-grabbing statement
  4. Powerful details
  5. Thesis sentence
  1. The titles of books, newspapers, plays, and magazines

(but not prepositions or articles that are not the first word of the title)

Book:The Great Gatsby

To Kill a Mockingbird

Newspaper:The ChicagoTribune

The New York Times

Play:Raisin in the Sun

Twelfth Night

Magazine:Maxim

Psychology Today

  1. Capitalize titles before a person’s name

Dr. FrankensteinRev. Jim Smith

Mrs. MushkinProf. Angela Davis

  1. Capitalize abbreviations after a person’s name

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Patch Adams, PhD

  1. Capitalize titles of parents and relatives NOT PRECEDED BY A POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

I saw Mother kissing Santa Claus.

I saw mymother kissing Santa Claus.

  1. Capitalize geographical places and sections of the country

AfricaGeorgiathe SouthLake Eriethe Mid-west

  1. Capitalize names of specific historical events, eras, and documents

(again, don’t capitalize prepositions or articles)

the Roaring TwentiesWorld War II

the Holocaustthe Age of Enlightenment

the Constitution of the United States

  1. Capitalize the names of languages, nationalities, countries, and races

Language:French, German, Japanese

Nationalities: American, European, Sudanese

Countries:Ireland, Mozambique, Thailand

Races: Hispanic, African American, Asian

  1. Capitalize religions and references to the Supreme Being, including pronouns

referring to the Supreme Being

Judaism, Catholicism, God, Buddha, Him, His

  1. Capitalize each part of a person’s name

Malcolm X, Dr. Alex P. Horton, William Jefferson Clinton

  1. Capitalize days, months, and holidays

Monday, November, Thanksgiving, Passover

  1. Capitalize abbreviations for time (they stand for ante and post meridian)

A.M. and P.M.

  1. Capitalize the words “I” and “O”
  1. Capitalize the names of famous buildings, organizations, and institutions

The EmpireStateBuilding

The World Health Organization

The National Security Agency

  1. Capitalize the names of courses, but not subjects

Psychology 101World History II

English 11ANOT math, science, art, or history

  1. Capitalize proper nouns and proper adjectives

ShakespeareShakespearean

MexicoMexican

  1. Capitalize brand names and trademarks

Coca ColaBayerJell-OKleenex (tissue)

Circle the words in the following sentences that should be capitalized.

  1. dear mr. hernandez,
  2. on Monday, october 6, we will be visiting the herberger theater
  3. for our english 11A class. a french theater troupe will be performing
  4. an adapted version of the great gatsby at 3:00 p.m.
  5. as you know, the story takes place during the jazz age. we were hoping that you

could help chaperone the trip, and bring your saxophone to play on the bus.

  1. sincerely,
  2. michelle m. mushkin, phd
  1. on christmas, I will visit london with mother.
  2. The chicago tribune stated, “the debates will be crucial in deciding this election.”
  3. the new teacher, professor mary james, gave a tough assignment: all students needed to conduct a week-long experiment.
  4. I. characters in gatsby

A. Daisy

  1. from alabama
  2. father a supreme court judge
  3. husband is tom
  1. I’m going to see the shakespearean production of hamlet this Saturday.
  2. It is being sponsored by america west, and received a great review in arizona monthly.
  3. From a poem by Emily Dickinson:

because I could not stop for Death –

he kindly stopped for me –

the carriage held but just Ourselves –

and Immortality.

  1. In studying for intro to religion 101, I learned that muslims worship allah, and pray to him five times each day.