Capitalization

• Australia has a lot of scary animals.
• Not many people live in Antarctica.
• Albany is the capital of New York.

Historical events should be capitalized to separate the specific from the general.

• The bubonic plague in the Middle Ages killed a large portion of the population in Europe.
• The Great Depression took place in the early 1930s.
• We are living in the twenty-first century.

Organizations and Publication Titles

The names of national organizations need to be capitalized. Short prepositions, articles, and conjunctions within the title are not capitalized unless they are the first word.

• The National American Woman Suffrage Association was essential in passing the Nineteenth Amendment.
• The House of Representatives is one part of Congress.
• The National Football League consists of thirty-two teams.

The titles of books, chapters, articles, poems, newspapers, and other publications should be capitalized.

• Her favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time.
• I do the crossword in The New York Times  every Sunday.
• The Jabberwocky  by Lewis Carroll has many silly sounding words.

Individual Names and Professional Titles

People’s names as well as their familial relationship title need to be capitalized.

• Barack Obama was our first African American president.
• Uncle Joe brought the steaks for our Memorial Day grill.
• Aunt Sarah lives in California, but my other aunt lives in Florida.

Professional titles need to be capitalized when they precede a name, or as a direct address. If it is after a name or is used generally, titles do not need to be capitalized.

• Governor Cuomo is trying to modernize the subway system in New York.
• Andrew Cuomo is the governor of New York.
• A governor runs the state. A president runs the country.
• Thank you for the recommendation, Mr. President.
• I need to see Doctor Smith.
• I need to see a doctor.

Capitalize the title of high-ranking government officials when an individual is referred to.

• The Secretary of State travels all over the world.
• The Vice President joined the meeting.

With compound titles, the prefixes or suffixes do not need to be capitalized.

• George W. Bush is the ex-President of the United States.

Months, Days, and Holidays

Capitalize all months of the year (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December) and days of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday).

• Her birthday is in November.
• People graduate from college in May or June.
• Saturdays and Sundays are supposed to be fun and relaxing.

Holidays are also capitalized.

• Most kids’ favorite holiday is Christmas.
• The new school year usually starts after Labor Day.
• It is nice to go to the beach over Memorial Day weekend.

The seasons are not capitalized.

• It gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
• The flowers and trees bloom so beautifully in the spring.

Let’s Review!

• Only capitalize directional words like north, south, east, and, west when they describe a definite region, people, and their political and cultural activities, or when it is part of the official name.
• Historical periods and events are capitalized to represent their importance and specificity.
• Every word except short prepositions, conjunctions, and articles in the names of national organizations are capitalized.
• The titles of publications follow the same rules as organizations.
• The names of individual people need to be capitalized.
• Professional titles are capitalized if they precede a name or are used as a direct address.
• All months of the year, days of the week, and holidays are capitalized.
• Seasons are not capitalized.

Comprehensive Review