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Capitalization Capitalization

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Proper vs. common nounsProper vs. common nouns

Proper nouns = specific people, places, things

Common nouns =general people, places, things

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Proper vs. common nounsProper vs. common nounsProper

Kelly SlaterKenyaPepsiMalibuUniversity of Southern California

Common

a mancountrysoft drinka cityuniversity,school

Now you try!Now you try!

The (nations/Nations) formed an alliance.The nations formed an alliance.She once lived in (Carmel/carmel).She once lived in Carmel.My sister loves (California/california)

cuisine.My sister loves California cuisine.

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TrademarksTrademarks

They’re specific, so capitalize them:

Students will get free Cokes at class.Be sure to buy a Tivo for your new

TV.The concert is being sponsored by

Sprite.She wore an Armani suit.

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Now you try!Now you try!

Clenching a (kleenex/Kleenex), she tearfully recalled what happened on the beach.

Clenching a Kleenex, she tearfully recalled what happened on the beach.

He made a (xerox/Xerox) of the document to prove it existed.

He made a Xerox of the document to prove it existed.

They had (jello/Jell-O) for dessert.They had Jell-O for dessert.

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Now you try!Now you try!

Clenching a Kleenex, she tearfully recalled what happened on the beach.

Clenching a tissue, she tearfully recalled what happened on the beach.

He made a Xerox of the document to prove it existed.

He made a photocopy of the document to prove it existed.

She was wearing Nikes and Ray-Bans.She was wearing running shoes and sunglasses.

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Compass pointsCompass points

Capitalize if it’s a specific region:He is from the West.

They live on the Westside. Lowercase if it’s a direction:

She drove south on I-405.Five miles east of the city, the

officers found the abandoned car.

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Now you try!Now you try!

Clinton was popular in the east but not in the south.

Wrong. Clinton was popular in the East but not in the South.

The wind shifted suddenly to the north.Correct.After leaving Las Vegas, they headed West.Wrong. After leaving Las Vegas, they headed

west.

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Now you try!Now you try!

“The south will rise again”, he said.Wrong. “The South will rise again”, he said.The tracks run from West to East.Wrong. The tracks run from west to east.It rarely snows that far south.Correct.They moved here from the West Coast.Correct.

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Awards, honors and prizesAwards, honors and prizes

Capitalize specific awards:Nobel PrizeEmmyOscarMedal of HonorPulitzer PrizeHeisman Trophy

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Now you try!Now you try!

She won an academy award in 1998.Wrong. She won an Academy Award in 1998.The newspaper received a Pulitzer for

international reporting.

Correct.She has earned numerous awards for teaching.Correct.The Nobel peace prize is awarded each spring.Wrong. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded ...

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Multiword proper nounsMultiword proper nouns

Capitalize all the words if they’re part of the formal name:

Beverly Hills High SchoolLos Angeles River

Orange CountyMain Street

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Multiword proper nounsMultiword proper nouns

Be careful with plurals:

Beverly Hills and Hamilton high schoolsJames and York rivers

Ventura and Los Angeles countiesMain and Harrison streets

Don’t capitalize the ‘pluralized’ word, such as schools or streets.

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Multiword proper nounsMultiword proper nouns

Capitalize:Grant and Lee fought in the Civil War.He is taking History 102.Spain is part of the European Union.

But lowercase:There’s a civil war in Sri Lanka.She is studying American history.Morocco is seeking a union with

Algeria.

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Now you try!Now you try!

He fell from the top of the Empire State building.

Wrong. He fell from the top of the Empire State Building.

The accident occurred at Main and Laurel Streets.

Wrong. The accident occurred at Main and Laurel streets.

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Now you try!Now you try!

She had no transcript from Middle School when she transferred to Goodwin High school.

Wrong. She had no transcript from middle school when she transferred to Goodwin High School.

They flew missions in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Correct.

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Now you try!Now you try!

I took four semesters of History.Wrong. I took four semesters of history.I flunked Biology 101.Correct.The professor has taught at the

Universities of Tennessee and Hawaii.Wrong. The professor has taught at the

universities of Tennessee and Hawaii.

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GovernmentGovernment

Capitalize specific governmental bodies:CongressSenateHouseVirginia General Assemblythe General Assemblythe Legislature ilovenr

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GovernmentGovernment

Lowercase nonspecific and plural references:The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, …The Virginia and Maryland

legislatures

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Now you try!Now you try!

By October, Congress is expected to pass the long-delayed bill.

Correct.No Legislature has passed the

amendment.Wrong. No legislature has passed …The new cabinet met with the PresidentWrong. The new Cabinet met …

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Now you try!Now you try!

Jesse Helms is retiring from the Senate.Correct.The California and Oregon Legislatures will

consider regulating salmon fishing.Wrong. The California and Oregon

legislatures will consider ... She is a member of the Diet, Japan’s

parliament.Correct.

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GovernmentGovernment

Capitalize ‘Capitol’ because it refers to a specific building:He visited the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Lowercase ‘capital’ - referring to the city where government is headquartered:Sacramento is the capital of California.

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GovernmentGovernment

Capitalize City Hall and City Council because they’re specific.

Lowercase ‘council’ standing alone:The council will vote next week.

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Now you try!Now you try!

The capitol dominates the skyline of the nation’s Capital.

Wrong. The Capitol dominates the skyline of the nation’s capital.

What is the capital of Texas?Correct.The protesters marched east to the capitol.Wrong. The protesters marched east to the

Capitol.

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ReligionReligion

Capitalize names of religions, religious groups, their deities and their sacred books:God, Allah, BuddhaChristians, Jews, Muslimsthe Bible, the Torah, the Koran

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ReligionReligion

But remember:‘bible’ can be lowercase, too:

The Oxford English Dictionary is the bible of the English language.

Always lowercase ‘biblical.’The speech included

several biblical references.

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Now you try!Now you try!

Jerry Garcia was almost a god to his devoted fans.

Correct.Jerusalem is sacred to Jews, Muslims and

Christians.Correct.The talmud is a book of religious and civil

laws.Wrong. The Talmud is a book ...

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Race & ethnicityRace & ethnicity

Capitalize the formal names of races and ethnic groups:African American, Caucasian,

Asian, Hispanic, Indian Lowercase skin colors:

black community, white residents,

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Now you try!Now you try!

In the South, Whites used the poll tax to keep Blacks from voting.

Wrong. In the South, whites used the poll tax to keep blacks from voting.

Virginius Dabney, a white editor at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, won a Pulitzer for opposing the poll tax.

Correct.

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Now you try!Now you try!

But the Times-Dispatch led the campaign against allowing blacks and whites to attend schools together.

Correct.As a result, many people in the Black

Community continue to distrust the white-owned daily.

Wrong. As a result, many people in the black community continue to distrust the white-owned daily.

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TitlesTitles

Capitalize formal titles directly before a name (‘fused’ to a name), not separated by a comma:The speaker is Mayor Tim Kaine.Today, President Bush signed the bill.

Lowercase descriptive titles:The concert featured singer Sheryl Crow.The city bought the land from farmer Jerry

Crawford.

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TitlesTitles

Formal titles denote authority or professional or academic achievement:Pope Paul, President Bush, King

Henry Descriptive titles include:

sophomore Bill Sims, reporter Jean Williams, first baseman Mark Grace

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TitlesTitles

If a comma separates the title and name, the title is no longer a proper noun: The new dean, Steve Gottfredson,

will meet with the students. The U.S. president, George W. Bush,

held a state dinner for Mexican President Vicente Fox.

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TitlesTitles

Likewise, lowercase titles that come after a name:Eugene Trani, president of Virginia

Commonwealth University, ... Jeff South, a VCU professor, taught

Newswriting last year. Juan Carlos, the king of Spain, is

visiting South America.

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TitlesTitles

Always lowercase titles standing alone, without a name.They met the president in the White

House.The pope gave his blessing.

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TitlesTitles

Plural formal titles are capitalized:In Washington, Presidents George W.

Bush of the United States and Vicente Fox of Mexico are discussing immigration.

The committee will be headed by Vice Provosts Cynthia McWilliams and Oscar Garcia.

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TitlesTitles

Don’t capitalize words that modify or describe a formal title:At VCU, former President Jimmy

Carter will speak at a symposium on poverty.

The group invited retired Gen. Art Hall.

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Now you try!Now you try!

A popular Soul Singer, Mary J. Blige, will perform in Richmond.

Wrong. A popular soul singer, Mary J. Blige, will perform in Richmond.

The pressure is building on president Bush.

Wrong. The pressure is building on President Bush.

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Now you try!Now you try!

Police Officer Jessica Jean Cheney died Saturday night in a traffic accident.

Correct.A police officer, Jessica Jean Cheney, died

Saturday night in a traffic accident.Correct.Jessica Jean Cheney, a police officer, died

Saturday night in a traffic accident.Correct. These are three ways of handling titles.

Capitalize only if it’s a formal title ‘fused’ to the person’s name (sentence No. 1).

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OrganizationsOrganizations

Capitalize an organization’s namebecause it’s a proper noun.

But don’t capitalize:a, an, theandprepositions of fewer than 5 letters

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OrganizationsOrganizations

Department of Fish and GameGreater Richmond Chamber of Commercethe Delta Chi Fraternity (because

‘Fraternity’ is part of the name)the Phi Mu sorority (because ‘sorority’

isn’t officially part of the name)UCLA Board of VisitorsFederal Communication Commission

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Now you try!Now you try!

Amnesty InternationalCorrect.National Football LeagueCorrect.American Society Of Interior DesignersWrong. American Society of Interior …Activities Programming boardWrong. Activities Programming Board

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Now you try!Now you try!

Federal Bureau Of InvestigationWrong. Federal Bureau of

InvestigationLatino Student Alliance Correct.the Donkey And Elephant SocietyWrong. Donkey and Elephant SocietyBHHS Associated Student BodyCorrect.

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U.S. military branchesU.S. military branches

Capitalize when written in full or shortened formthe U.S. Air Forcethe Air Forcethe U.S. Armythe Armythe U.S. Marinesthe Marines

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U.S. military branchesU.S. military branches

Lowercase when these wordsdon’t mean military: An army of ants took over the picnic. Like an air force bent on destruction,

the birds swooped over the crowd and dropped their bombs.

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Political termsPolitical terms

Capitalize ‘party’ when it is part of a proper noun:the Democratic Partythe Republican Partythe Green and Libertarian parties

She is a Democrat and a loyal member of the party. He is a longtime Republican senator.

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Political termsPolitical terms

Lowercase a political term when it refers to a form of government or an ideology (not a political party):

They believed in the republican form of government, with elected representatives.

She opposes socialism, but she used to belong to the Socialist Party of America.

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Now you try!Now you try!

The democratic governor appointed a Republican to the Supreme Court.

Wrong. The Democratic governor appointed a Republican …

She joined the Navy at age 19.Correct.He spent his life fighting

Communism.Wrong. Lowercase ‘communism.’

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Now you try!Now you try!

The Green party is collecting signatures.

Wrong. The Green Party …The country was founded in 1776

on Democratic ideals.Wrong. Lowercase ‘democratic’ ideals.A ragged army of refugees fled from

the drought-striken region.Correct.

More Rules for More Rules for CapitalizationCapitalization Family titles

Do not capitalize family titles when they follow possessive pronouns

ex: I gave my mom flowers.But…Do capitalize family titles when they

are considered part of a nameEx: I gave my Aunt Bridget flowers.

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