Capitals: using upper and lowercase

Capitalization

capital / lowercase

Using uppercase and lowercase letters

Proper vs. Common Nouns

CAPTIALS	LOWERCASE
1a. PROPER NAMES & TITLES & INITIALS Lyle A. Jones will be our new coach. Lyle Jones, Jr., is driving us to baseball practice. Geroge Herman "Babe" Ruth was outstanding in baseball. Mom is driving us to baseball practice. Dad is driving us to baseball practice. Only God knows the answer.	COMMON NOUNS Our neighbor is driving us to baseball practice. The coach is driving us to baseball practice. The baseball player won several awards. My mother is driving us to baseball practice My dad is driving us to baseball practice. Osiris was the god of corn. (one of many)
2. TITLES AND OFFICES President Lincoln was the 16th president. General McArthur ended his career in 1951. King Abdullah rules in Joran. Professor James is in his office. Prince Charles / The Prince of Wales will speak to the Garden Society.	Our president will be giving a speech today. The generals are meeting in an hour. The king of Jordan is Abdullah II bin al-Hussein The professor, Jay James, is in his office. The prince is well known for is love of gardening.
3. ETHNIC, SOCIOECONOMIC, AND OTHER GROUPS The Canadians elected a new prime minister. Hispanics make up fifty per cent of the population. King Abdullah rules in Joran. Aborginal art from Australia is on display.	The people of color/ blacks insisted on equal rights. The lower-middle class insisted on equal rights. The homeless people insisted on equal rights. The deaf children insisted on equal rights.
4. COUNTRIES, CITIES, BUILDINGS & LANDMARKS We traveled in the Republic of Indonesia. (not prepositions) He sailed across the Pacific Ocean We traveled to the South. (a region of the U.S.) We went to Times Square in New York. The Getty Museum overlooks Malibu Beach. The address is 1600 Pensylvania Avenue.	We traveled in the Republic of Indonesia. (not prepositions) He sailed across the ocean We drove south to Texas. (a direction) Let's have lunch in the square/plaza. (a location) The de Young Museum is in Golden Gate Park. special names—di Medici The panhandler lives on the avenue.
5. ADEJECTIVES FROM NATIONALITIES AND AMES (CMOS 8.65) The Arabs speak Arabic. (languages) See Nationality. We watched a Shakespearian play. It was a Machiavellian play. It was a Freudian slip. (the noun is lowercase) The Pythagorean theorem is proved by …	We use arabic numerals. It was a herculean task. He loves french fries. She had a cesarian section. (birth by surgery) He couldn't hear because of a blocked eustachian tube.
6. COMMERICAL NAMES He took an Aspirin and lay down. (Trademark Bayer AG) She bought a Coca Cola. Do you have a Band-Aid? (Trademark of Johnson & Johnson) You forgot to buy a Zipper. (Trademark of B. F. Goodrich)	I took some aspirin to get rid of my headache. (generics) Would you like a cola or a lemonade? Do you have a band-aid? You forgot to zip your zipper.
7. ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS, DEPARTMENTS The United Nations General Assembly met today. The FBI and CIA conducted the recovery mission. (initials) The Boy Scouts of America will sponsor the event. This semester, I am taking Statistics I and Digital Marketing. (course title) He is works in the Department of Sociology.	The assembly was peaceful. The association helps people find work. The scouts served as guides. I am studying business and marketing programs. The university has a sociology department. (adjective)
8. MONTHS / DAYS OF THE WEEK / HOLIDAYS We vacation in August. We work Monday through Saturday. We don't work on Labor Day or Presidents Day (also Presidents' Day) They lived during the High Renaissance He ruled suring the Tang Dynasty	We will vacation in spring. fall, autumn, winter summer We will leave at two o'clock/ 2 p.m. We don't work on holidays. We live in the twenty-first century. We live in the information age.
9. MAJOR WORDS IN TITLES AND HEADINGS We read "One Hundred Years of Solitude". (nouns) We watched "All Our Children", was our favorite. (pronouns) We watched"As the World Turns". (verbs) We watched"The Young and the Restless". (initial word) We watched"You Only Live Twice". (adverb) Also see Quotation Marks quote marks with titles \| Hyphens – capitalization in headings	We read "One Hundred Years of Solitude". (not prepositions) We watched "Succeed because You Are Worth It". (not sub.conjunction) We watched "As the World Turns". (not articles) We watched "The Young and the Restless". (not conjunctions) We watched "Live to Die". (not to with an infinitive)
10. ASTRONOMICAL TERMS Mercury Venus Earth Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto are the names of planets. Capitalization is more likely to occur when the earth is being referred to in astronomical terms. — Merriam Webster (380)	It was the most powerful quake to occur on earth. We sat outside to enjoy the warm sun.
11.SHIPS, TRAINS, AIRCRAFT, AND SPACECRAFT The RMS Titanic lies at the bottom of the sea. (italics) We flew on a Boeing 747. They went up in the space shuttle Discovery. (italics) Charles Lindberg flew on the Spirit of St. Louis. (italics)	COMMON NOUNS The ship lies at the bottom on the sea. We flew on a jumbo jet. They went up in a space shuttle. He flew in a custom-built single engine plane.

CAPTIALS

LOWERCASE

1a. PROPER NAMES & TITLES & INITIALS

Lyle A. Jones will be our new coach.
Lyle Jones, Jr., is driving us to baseball practice.
Geroge Herman "Babe" Ruth was outstanding in baseball.
Mom is driving us to baseball practice.
Dad is driving us to baseball practice.
Only God knows the answer.

COMMON NOUNS

Our neighbor is driving us to baseball practice.
The coach is driving us to baseball practice.
The baseball player won several awards.
My mother is driving us to baseball practice
My dad is driving us to baseball practice.
Osiris was the god of corn. (one of many)

2. TITLES AND OFFICES

President Lincoln was the 16th president.
General McArthur ended his career in 1951.
King Abdullah rules in Joran.
Professor James is in his office.
Prince Charles / The Prince of Wales will speak to the Garden Society.

Our president will be giving a speech today.
The generals are meeting in an hour.
The king of Jordan is Abdullah II bin al-Hussein
The professor, Jay James, is in his office.
The prince is well known for is love of gardening.

3. ETHNIC, SOCIOECONOMIC, AND OTHER GROUPS

The Canadians elected a new prime minister.
Hispanics make up fifty per cent of the population.
King Abdullah rules in Joran.
Aborginal art from Australia is on display.

The people of color/ blacks insisted on equal rights.
The lower-middle class insisted on equal rights.
The homeless people insisted on equal rights.
The deaf children insisted on equal rights.

4. COUNTRIES, CITIES, BUILDINGS & LANDMARKS

We traveled in the Republic of Indonesia. (not prepositions)
He sailed across the Pacific Ocean
We traveled to the South. (a region of the U.S.)
We went to Times Square in New York.
The Getty Museum overlooks Malibu Beach.
The address is 1600 Pensylvania Avenue.

We traveled in the Republic of Indonesia. (not prepositions)
He sailed across the ocean
We drove south to Texas. (a direction)
Let's have lunch in the square/plaza. (a location)
The de Young Museum is in Golden Gate Park. special names—di Medici
The panhandler lives on the avenue.

5. ADEJECTIVES FROM NATIONALITIES AND AMES (CMOS 8.65)

The Arabs speak Arabic. (languages) See Nationality.
We watched a Shakespearian play.
It was a Machiavellian play.
It was a Freudian slip. (the noun is lowercase)
The Pythagorean theorem is proved by …

We use arabic numerals.
It was a herculean task.
He loves french fries.
She had a cesarian section. (birth by surgery)
He couldn't hear because of a blocked eustachian tube.

6. COMMERICAL NAMES

He took an Aspirin and lay down. (Trademark Bayer AG)
She bought a Coca Cola.
Do you have a Band-Aid? (Trademark of Johnson & Johnson)
You forgot to buy a Zipper. (Trademark of B. F. Goodrich)

I took some aspirin to get rid of my headache. (generics)
Would you like a cola or a lemonade?
Do you have a band-aid?
You forgot to zip your zipper.

7. ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS, DEPARTMENTS

The United Nations General Assembly met today.
The FBI and CIA conducted the recovery mission. (initials)
The Boy Scouts of America will sponsor the event.
This semester, I am taking Statistics I and Digital Marketing. (course title)
He is works in the Department of Sociology.

The assembly was peaceful.
The association helps people find work.
The scouts served as guides.
I am studying business and marketing programs.
The university has a sociology department. (adjective)

8. MONTHS / DAYS OF THE WEEK / HOLIDAYS

We vacation in August.
We work Monday through Saturday.
We don't work on Labor Day or Presidents Day (also Presidents' Day)
They lived during the High Renaissance
He ruled suring the Tang Dynasty

We will vacation in spring. fall, autumn, winter summer
We will leave at two o'clock/ 2 p.m.
We don't work on holidays.
We live in the twenty-first century.
We live in the information age.

9. MAJOR WORDS IN TITLES AND HEADINGS

We read "One Hundred Years of Solitude". (nouns)
We watched "All Our Children", was our favorite. (pronouns)
We watched"As the World Turns". (verbs)
We watched"The Young and the Restless". (initial word)
We watched"You Only Live Twice". (adverb)

Also see Quotation Marks quote marks with titles | Hyphens – capitalization in headings

We read "One Hundred Years of Solitude". (not prepositions)
We watched "Succeed because You Are Worth It". (not sub.conjunction)
We watched "As the World Turns". (not articles)
We watched "The Young and the Restless". (not conjunctions)
We watched "Live to Die". (not to with an infinitive)

10. ASTRONOMICAL TERMS

Mercury Venus Earth Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto are the names of planets.

Capitalization is more likely to occur when the earth is being referred to in astronomical terms. — Merriam Webster (380)

It was the most powerful quake to occur on earth.
We sat outside to enjoy the warm sun.

11.SHIPS, TRAINS, AIRCRAFT, AND SPACECRAFT

The RMS Titanic lies at the bottom of the sea. (italics)
We flew on a Boeing 747.
They went up in the space shuttle Discovery. (italics)
Charles Lindberg flew on the Spirit of St. Louis. (italics)

COMMON NOUNS

The ship lies at the bottom on the sea.
We flew on a jumbo jet.
They went up in a space shuttle.
He flew in a custom-built single engine plane.

Capital Letter

Beginning a sentence

CAPTIAL	LOWERCASE
12. SENTENCE INITIAL WORD Begin every sentence with a capital letter. He said, "What's new with you?". A quoted sentence See Quotation Marks.	MID-SENTENCE Begin every sentence with a capital letter; and every clause with a lowercase letter. He said, "It's raining here," and added, "but it's not cold." (Initial word of quote is capitalized.)

CAPTIAL

LOWERCASE

12. SENTENCE INITIAL WORD

Begin every sentence with a capital letter.
He said, "What's new with you?". A quoted sentence

See Quotation Marks.

MID-SENTENCE

Begin every sentence with a capital letter; and every clause with a lowercase letter.
He said, "It's raining here," and added, "but it's not cold." (Initial word of quote is capitalized.)

Capital Letter

First Person Pronoun

CAPTIAL	LOWERCASE
13. SUBJECT PRONOUN – I They knew what I said. See Personal Pronouns.	He said that he, she and they will be back soon.

CAPTIAL

LOWERCASE

13. SUBJECT PRONOUN – I

They knew what I said.

See Personal Pronouns.

He said that he, she and they will be back soon.

Capital Letter

Other Cases

CAPTIALS	LOWERCASE
14.BIOLOGY, MEDICINE, GEOLOGY (CMOS 8.127-155) He examined the Valley oak, also known as Quercus lobata. (genus) Leprosy was caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The geneticist isolated the gene: BRCA1 (genes, enzymes) The geologist referred to the Paleocene epoch.	COMMON NOUNS He examined the oak tree. He was treated for leprosy. The scientist isolated a gene. The geologist referred to the prehistoric epoch.
15. MUSIC, MATH, LAW & ACADEMIA The composition is in the key of G major. (keys, chords) He received a B on his paper (academic grades) If A sues B for failure to perform a service, then… (hypothetical names) Sigma ∑ (sum) and Pi π (3.14) are written as capitals. The architect built an L-shaped house with arches using an S-curve. The palace was built in the Neoclassical style.	The word vacuum has two u's and one m. See Italics. The key of B-flat or B minor. CMOS (7.49)
16. ABBREVIATIONS (CMOS 15.33) Jan. / Jan or Ja The period may be omitted. Be consistent. Sun. or Su / Mon. or M / Tues. or Tu See Periods. a.m. or AM / p.m. or PM The period may be omitted with the capital form. EST eastern standard time, PST Pacific standard time capital and in italics N, E, W, S directions The periods may be omitted with the capital abbreviation. U.S. or US dollars The periods may be omitted.	Note: Eng.– English / eng. – engineering
17. COMPUTER TERMS Press the F1 key and then Ctl+Alt+Delete. Choose Live View from the View menu. The Arpanet was an precursor to the Internet, or the Web. (proper nouns)	Select the file nextButton.as and drag it to the stage. (camelcase – mixed) Save it as myfile.docx . (file names)

CAPTIALS

LOWERCASE

14.BIOLOGY, MEDICINE, GEOLOGY (CMOS 8.127-155)

He examined the Valley oak, also known as Quercus lobata. (genus)
Leprosy was caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
The geneticist isolated the gene: BRCA1 (genes, enzymes)
The geologist referred to the Paleocene epoch.

COMMON NOUNS

He examined the oak tree.
He was treated for leprosy.
The scientist isolated a gene.
The geologist referred to the prehistoric epoch.

15. MUSIC, MATH, LAW & ACADEMIA

The composition is in the key of G major. (keys, chords)
He received a B on his paper (academic grades)
If A sues B for failure to perform a service, then… (hypothetical names)
Sigma ∑ (sum) and Pi π (3.14) are written as capitals.
The architect built an L-shaped house with arches using an S-curve.
The palace was built in the Neoclassical style.

The word vacuum has two u's and one m. See Italics.
The key of B-flat or B minor. CMOS (7.49)

16. ABBREVIATIONS (CMOS 15.33)

Jan. / Jan or Ja The period may be omitted. Be consistent.

Sun. or Su / Mon. or M / Tues. or Tu See Periods.

a.m. or AM / p.m. or PM The period may be omitted with the capital form.

EST eastern standard time, PST Pacific standard time capital and in italics

N, E, W, S directions The periods may be omitted with the capital abbreviation.

U.S. or US dollars The periods may be omitted.

Note: Eng.– English / eng. – engineering

17. COMPUTER TERMS

Press the F1 key and then Ctl+Alt+Delete.
Choose Live View from the View menu.
The Arpanet was an precursor to the Internet, or the Web. (proper nouns)

Select the file nextButton.as and drag it to the stage. (camelcase – mixed)
Save it as myfile.docx . (file names)

Capitals

Unusual Cases

UPPERCASE NOUNS	LOWERCASE NOUNS
Thank you, Mr. President (Mr. with a title of office)	Thank the president. (any president)
Ladies and Gentleman, the Prime Minister. (introduction)	The ladies and gentlemen will sit over there.
He's Far Left (political lean)	He's an independent. (political position)
He is Frank Gaul.	He is Charles de Gaulle (also, di Medici) (names with de, di, d'.)
The Amazon River is the widest in the world.	The Amazon basin (also, the Californiai a desert) (areas that are not proper names)
The Cultural Revolution, the Great Depression	the baby boom, the cold war, the civil rights movement (historical events)
The Gettysburg Address (a major speech, not a location)	Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech (major speech with beginning words)
The Pledge of Allegiance (oath)	the presidential oath of office (oath)
Pacific daylight time; (PDT)	eastern standard time; (EST) See Parentheses.
He follows Dadaism, Stoicism, Cynicism.	He paints in the style of realism / symbolism / romanticism / op art.
He studies Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam.	He follows atheism / agnosticism.
He served in World War II.	The cold war lasted from 1946–1991.

Common Mistakes

ERROR	FIX
We drove North to visit Yosemite national park.	We drove north to visit Yosemite National Park. Do not capitalize north when it is an adverb, a direction. Capitalize all the words in a proper name (except small words): national and park are part of the name.
We to a boat to Ellis island to visit the statue of Liberty.	We to a boat to Ellis Island to visit the Statue of Liberty.

Resources

AP Stylebook. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. 42nd ed. New York: Basic Books, 2007 .(39) Print.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1994.Print.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. NewYork: Modern Language Association of America. 2009. (3.8) Print.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed. Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association, 2010. (4.14-4.20) Print.
University of Chicago Press. The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. (8.1-8.7) Print.

Practice 1

Capitalization

Capital or Lowercase?

Select the response from the menu that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK YOUR ANSWER
1.	California earthquake of 1906 was a significant earthquake.
2.	The city of was leveled and burned to the ground .
3.	The San Andreas fault runs from San Diego to Alaska. fault – break between earth's plates
4.	The plates which lie under are in constant movement.
5.	The fault locks up in as the plates try to move past each other. locks up – gets caught, snags
6.	The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake of is to date the most powerful earthquake ever recorded on earth.
7.	The earthquake occurred in the on .
8.	It registered a magnitude of 9.5 on the .
9.	The at the of California, Berkeley used data from this earthquake for its research.
10.	Isabel Allende included the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in (1982).

Practice 2

Editing for capitals

How good are you at finding mistakes within sentences?

Write your corrections for the sentence in the text area
Then compare your response to the answer with the "check" button.

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK YOUR ANSWER
11.	the de young museum originated as the fine arts building, which was constructed in golden gate park for the california international exposition in 1894. EDIT THIS: the de young museum originated as the fine arts building, which was constructed in golden gate park for the california international exposition in 1894.
12.	the chair of the exposition organizing committee was michael h. de young, co-founder of the san francisco chronicle. (a newspaper) EDIT THIS: the chair of the exposition organizing committee was michael h. de young, co-founder of the san francisco chronicle.
13.	the fine arts building was designed in a pseudo-egyptian revival style and decoratively adorned with images of hathor, the cow goddess. EDIT THIS: the fine arts building was designed in a pseudo-egyptian revival style and decoratively adorned with images of hathor, the cow goddess.
14.	following the exposition, the building was designated as the memorial museum for the people of san francisco. designate - select, set aside EDIT THIS: following the exposition, the building was designated as the memorial museum for the people of san francisco
15.	over the years, it has grown from a tempory attraction to the foremost museum in the western united states concentrating on american art as well as art of the asia, oceania and africa. EDIT THIS: over the years, it has grown from a tempory attraction to the foremost museum in the western united states concentrating on american art as well as art of the asia, oceania and africa.
16.	currently, it is showing picasso's cubism paintings from the musée national picasso in paris, france. EDIT THIS: currently, it is showing picasso's cubism paintings from the musée national picasso in paris, france.

Grammar-Quizzes.com

PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Capitalization

Using uppercase and lowercase letters

Proper vs. Common Nouns

Capital Letter

Beginning a sentence

Capital Letter

First Person Pronoun

Capital Letter

Other Cases

Capitals

Unusual Cases

Common Mistakes

Resources

Practice 1

Capitalization

Capital or Lowercase?

Practice 2

Editing for capitals

How good are you at finding mistakes within sentences?