CAPITALIZATION

CAPITALIZATION

1. Capitalize the first word in quotations, provided the quoted material is a complete sentence.

   • For example: Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only way to have a friend is to be one."Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson; Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat

2. Use capitals for proper nouns. In other words, capitalize the names of people, specific places, and things.

   • For example: We don't capitalize the word "bridge" unless it starts a sentence, but we must capitalize Brooklyn Bridge because it is the name of a specific bridge. Eskimo, Navajo, East Indian, Caucasian, African American

3. Capitalize titles when they are on the signature line of a letter, when the title comes immediately before a name, or when the title replaces the use of a name (i.e., a title used as a direct address).

   • examples: Sincerely, Vicky Marquez, President OR Ms. Vicky Marquez OR Hello, Senator. It's nice to see you again.

4. Capitalize directions only when they refer to specific regions.

   • For example: My favorite place in the world is Northern Ontario.Drive six blocks north, and then turn right.

5. All large words in the titles of movies, books, and other publications should be capitalized, while all small words (a, an, the, but, and, if, as, or, nor, to name a few) should not be capitalized unless they are the first or last words in the title:

   • A Life Less Ordinary 2. War of the Worlds

6. The first word of a salutation should be capitalized, as well as the first word of a closing.

   • Dear Billy, OR Regards, John Smith

7. Capitalize when two or more sentences follow a colon.

   • For example: We have set this restriction: Do your chores before watching television. That includes washing the dishes.here are many metals hidden away within the earth's crust: gold, zinc, and lead are just a few examples.

8. Capitalize words derived from proper nouns.

   • For example: I like English, but math is my favorite subject.I don't know what I'm going to do. I have to take Math 101 next year and it looks hard!