Punctuation
Capitalization
Capitalization
A B C D E…
Upper Case
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Capitalization
The writing of a word with its first
letter in uppercase and the
remaining letters in lowercase
1. First letter 6. Initials, Acronyms
2. ProperCapitalization
Nouns 7. Heading Case
3. Words for God 8. Quotation
4. Personification 9. Salutation
5. I and O 10. Close
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1. In the name of Allah, the most
Beneficent, I start.
Examples
2. Friendly Death came and relieved him
of pain.
3. “If you push the button,” Mr. Steward
told him, “somewhere in the world
someone you don’t know will die.”
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4. Dear Brother/Sir,
5. YoursCapitalization
lovingly, Yours obediently,
6. She said, “You a lie!”
7. The Dove and the Bee
8. A Visit to a Hospital
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9. Bless us, O God!
10. Prof. Mr. Examples
Qureshi -- M.A., L.L.B.
11. WAPDA -- Dr. Ali
12. I will spend next Ramazan in
Saudi Arabia.
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Capitalize proper nouns and proper
adjectives.
Capitalization
Unlike a common
noun, which names one or more in a
class or group,
a proper noun names
a particular person, place, thing, or
event.
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Proper adjectives are based on
common nouns.
Common Nouns Proper Nouns Proper Adjectives
country Canada Canadian
state Texas Texan
river Mississippi River
revolution the French Revolution [Link]@[Link]
Proper adjectives are based on
common nouns.
Common Nouns Proper Nouns Proper Adjectives
east (direction)
the East (particular region)
corporation the ABC Corporation
economics Economics 101 [Link]@[Link]
Do not capitalize the names
of the seasons:
fall, winter, spring,
summer
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Capitalize a personal title when it is
used before a name
or when it denotes a particular
position of high rank:
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President Clinton
the President of the United
States
the Pope
Colonel Templeton
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Capitalization
Capitalize a term denoting kinship
when it is used before a name:
My uncle --- Uncle Bob
My mother --- Mother
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Capitalize titles except conjunctions,
articles, and prepositions (CAP):
Clearing in the Sky
Ode on a Grecian Urn
The Piece of String
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Capitalize titles except conjunctions,
articles, and prepositions (CAP):
The Dove and the Bee
A Visit to Northern Areas
How to Send an Email
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Capitalize specific geographical
regions. Do not capitalize points of
the compass
We had relatives visit from the West.
Go west three blocks. [Link]@[Link]
A turkey may march in Turkey
in March or May.
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11. Capitonyms are dual
meaning words which change
their meaning if the first letter is
capitalized.
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August: the eighth month of
the year
august: majestic or
venerable [Link]@[Link]
Polish: connected with
Poland [Adjective]
polish: to make a surface
smooth and glossy [Verb][Link]@[Link]
China (the country) and
china (as in porcelain)
Bible: the Holy Book
bible: authentic source
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Capitalization
Review
Upper Case
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A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
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.
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A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
Capitalize the names of family relations 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.
I went with my mom and dad
but . . . . to visit my aunt and uncle.
Notice the role of the modifying pronoun here.
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
In titles, capitalize the first, last, and all
important words. Usually, we don’t
capitalize articles, prepositions, and
coordinating conjunctions.
In the Lake of the Woods
War and Peace
I Know This Much Is True
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A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
and proper nouns . . . .
Capitalize 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 Hartford, Connecticut.
Don’t capitalize directions.
but They moved up north, to the
southern shore of Lake Erie.
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
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.
but Don’t capitalize the names of seasons.
Next fall, before the winter storms begin,
we’re heading south.
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
still more on proper nouns . . . .
Capitalize the names of historical events.
The Battle of the Bulge was an important event in
World War II.
The Reformation took place in the sixteenth century.
Capitalize the names of religions and
and religious terms.
God, Christ, Allah, Buddha, Christianity,
Christians, Judaism, Jews, Islam, Muslims
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
still more on proper nouns . . . .
Capitalize the names of nations, nationalities,
languages, and words based on such words.
Somalia, Swedish, English muffin, Irish stew, Japanese
maple, Jew’s harp, French horn
but We usually don’t capitalize “white” and
“black.” There are very few blacks in this
predominantly white community.
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
even more on proper nouns . . . .
Capitalize 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.
and Brand names . . . .
Ford, Kleenex, Levi’s (not jeans), xerox on a
Xerox copier, Advil (but aspirin)
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
The titles of people and offices . . . .
Capitalize titles when they precede names.
Dean Arrington introduced President Carter to
Secretary Bogglesworth.
but
. . . usually not after a name . . . .
Joe Chuckles, who was chairman of the
board of directors in 1995, has since retired.
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
The titles of people and offices (2)
You can capitalize the names of political entities
in in-house publications to avoid confusion.
The County and City have agreed to reimburse the
federal government for sewer expenses.
but You would not capitalize those names
in a newspaper report, say.
At the last council meeting, the county agreed to
reimburse the federal government.
© Capital Community College
A CAPITAL IDEA!
The Uses and Rules of Capital Letters
The best advice on capitalization:
Consult a good dictionary!
. . . like the online Merriam-Webster’s:
© Capital Community College
Capitalization Reference List
Brand names
• Companies
• Days of the week and
months of the year
Holidays [Link]@[Link]
Governmental matters
Congress
(but congressional),
the U.S. Constitution
(but constitutional),
the Electoral College,
Department of Agriculture.
Institutions: Oxford College,
the Juilliard School of Music
• Manmade structures
the Empire State Building,
the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic
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• Manmade territories
Berlin, Montana, Cook County
• Natural and manmade landmarks
Mount Everest, the Hoover Dam
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▪ Nicknames and epithets
Babe Ruth
the Sultan of Swat
• Organizations
American Center for Law and Justice
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• Races, nationalities, and tribes
Eskimo, East Indian, African,
American
Note: white and black in
reference to race are lowercase
Planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Earth (capitalized as a planet):
we learned that Earth travels through
space at 66,700 miles per hour.
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• Religions and names of deities
• Note: Capitalize the Bible
(but biblical)
• Do not capitalize heaven, hell,
the devil, satanic
• Special occasions
the Olympic Games
the Cannes Film Festival
• Streets and roads
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