CAPITAL LETTERS are used according to the following guidelines:

The first word in a sentence or a direct quotation is always capitalized.

The panhandler touched my coat sleeve. Then he asked, "Buddy, can you spare some change?"

"If you want a ride," said Tawnee, "get ready now. Otherwise, you are staying home!"

"Try an orange-raspbelTY sherbet waffle cone," the ice cream seller suggested to the little girl.

Puppies are my favorite pets; kittens are my next favorite.

Note: Words after a semicolon are not usually capitalized.

Always capitalize the pronoun I, even in contractions.

I'm not sure what I did to offend you, but I'll sincerely try to make it up to you; I promise.

I don't care for Mei Ling's husband although I am very fond of her.

Proper nouns [A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing.] are always capitalized.

Last weekend George and Lola Morrison met Tony and Tina Curry at the Fargone State College and
Toolate University football game in Metropolis, Georgia.

After the game, the four friends went to eat dinner at Alexander's Steak House in Owensburg. Then, they
went to the Holiday Inn to spend the night.

The next morning, after eating breakfast in a small cafe located at 357 West Main Street, just around the
corner from the motel, they all went to church at St. John's Catholic Church. After chmch, they shopped
at Jewel's Boutique and some other small gift shops, ate ,lunch in the university's cafeteria, and drove home

in their General Motors vehicles.

Note: Use small letters if the specific name of a person, place, or thing is not given or named.

Capitalize names of commercial products/brand names.

Clyde uses Scope mouthwash, Certs mints, and Dentyne chewing gum to drive away the bad breath caused
by the Marlboro cigarettes and White Owl cigars that he always smokes.

My sister likes to play board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, and Sorry; I like poker and other card games;
my brother likes active games like baseball, basketball, and soccer.

Wilber likes to shop at the Sears store and Radio Shack whenever he wants to buy name-brand shop tools
and electronic equipment. Joan shops at area discount stores and resale shops.

Whenever I have a cold, f prefer to use lotion-filled Puffs tissues for my sniffles rather than a scratchy
generic brand. I also like to drink steaming hot cocoa and have Campbell's tomato soup to help soothe my
sore throat.

Note: Use small letters for the type/kind of the product.

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Names of days of the week, months, and holidays begin with a capital letter.

Tuesday December Christmas

Sunday July Independence Day

Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November.

Mother's Day is celebrated on a Sunday in the month of May.

Note: Do not capitalize the seasons - spring, summer, fall, winter.

My children love fall and winter because their favorite holidays take place then.

The spring semester begins during the coldest part of the year.

Capitalize the names of specific organizations such as government agencies,

educational institutions, businesses, associations, unions, clubs, and civic
religious and political groups when the actual name is used in the sentence.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Democratic Party

Postal Clerks' Union American Automobile Association
Lutheran Boy Scouts of America
Saturday Night Poker Club Republican Party
Catholicism Methodists
Elk's Club Young Men's Christian Association
American Association of Retired Persons National Broadcasting Corporation

Because of the upcoming election, the Democratic and Republican Parties are holding many debates
between the candidates. There are only two really strong political parties here in the United States.

Titles of books, magazines, newspapers, articles, stories, poems, films, television

show, stage play, songs, and papers that students write are capitalized.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings a book

Good Housekeeping a magazine
New York Times a newspaper
"Thinking about a Change in Your Career" an article
"The Yellow Wallpaper" a short story
"Some Moments Alone" and The Waste Land two poems
Sudden Impact a movie/video
60 Minutes a television show
Fiddler on the Roof a stage play
"Abbey Road" a song
Uses of the Internet for Research a title of a student's essay

Note: Articles (a, an, and the), short prepositions (such as oland to), and coordinating
Conjunctions (such as and and bllt) are not capitalized unless they are the first or last word of the
title.

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Names that show family relationships are capitalized. However, do not capitalize
those family relationship words when they come after possessive words such as my, his,
her, our, their, or your.

Go help Grandfather carry those heavy bags from the car. Your grandpa, who is 95, is not a very strong
man.

[ got Mother to baby-sit for me. My mother is my baby's sitter.

Phil is staying at Uncle Raymond and Aunt Mary's house during his summer vacation. His uncle and aunt
are looking forward to his visit.

My grandmother lives next door to your mother and father. Mother and Father live next door to
Grandmother Lewis.

Capitalize a title or rank ONLY when used with a name.

Professor Joe Smith BUT NOT any professor

Dr. Serge E. CaHey any doctor
Senator George Wilson any senator
Mayor Karen Hasara any mayor
General Colin Powell any generall
Congresswoman Clinton any congresswoman

Mayor Anderson spoke to Officer Jenkins and First Lieutenant Long after the burglary.

Ethan Brown, Jr., Representative Ray Black, and Professor Irma Stone will speak at the
student forum this evening.

Dr. Jones sent me to Chairman Rush, who sent me to see Dean Head.

Note: If you can put the word allY in front of the noun, you can be sure that the noun should not
be capitalized. Do not capitalize a title that is not used as part of a person's name.

Irma Stone, professor of education, will speak at the meeting this evening.

Many people hold our representatives and senators in high respect; others do not.

The instructor sent me to see the conunittee chairman, who sent me to see the college dean.

My brother drove me to the doctor's office after a stray dog bit me.

Capitalize specific school courses and all languages.

This semester, I am taking Dance 101, Introduction to Psychology, and Economics 425. I think that I will

take Composition III, German, and History of Western Civilization next semester.

Note: The names of general subject areas are not capita ized.

lody is taking a gym class, psychology, and an economics class this semester; next semester it'll be writing,
language, and history classes.

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All languages are capitalized.

Shawnea knows German, Spanish, Italian, and French, but she usually speaks in American slang.

My friend's Polish accent makes his English difficult to understand.

Geographic locations are capitalized.

I grew up in the Midwest. I worked in the East for a number of years and then moved to the West Coast

for two years before finally settling in the South.

Note: Use small letters for directions.

To reach Chicago, you must drive north on Interstate 55.

A new high school gymnasium is being built at the south end of the football field.

Because I carmot tell east from west or north from south, I always keep a compass with me at all times.

Historical periods, weH-known events, and documents are capitalized.

During the Middle Ages, only the upper class and members of the clergy could read and write.

The act of protest in which 342 tea chests were thrown into the ocean came to be known as the Boston Tea
Party.

The Magna Carta, the charter of English liberties, was granted in 1215.

Horace did well on the history test questions regarding the Second 'World War, but he couldn't answer one
question about the Great Depression.

Capitalize races, nations, and nationalities.

The questionnaire asked if the head of our household was Caucasian, African-American, Asian, Hispanic,
or Native American.

Karol, who is Polish, lives in the Soviet Union and can speak many languages.

Denise's beautiful features reflect her Chinese and Mexican heritage.

Opening and closing of a letter -- Capitalize all words in the salutation (opening) of a letter, but
capitalize only the first word of the closing of a letter.

Dear Sir or Madam: Dear Ms. Smith, Dear John,

Sincerely yours, Yours tIllly, Very truly yours,

Capitalize proper adjectives. (Proper adjectives are made from proper nouns).

French toast Norway maple Texas cake

Rocky Mountain spotted fever Labrador retriever
Italian cruise ship Canadian provinces

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Abbreviations -- Capitalize radio and television station call letters and abbreviations for
departments and agencies of national and international government, other organizations,
and corporations. Also capitalize certain acronyms (words fonned from the initials of a
name) and abbreviations that indicate time.

EPA FBI OPEC IBM WFMB-AM WICS-TV

NAACP NATO ASPCA FAA
OSHA A.M. or P.M. BC or AD FDIC KJ"JBC-TV

Names for the deity, religions, religious followers, and sacred books are capitalized

There are various names for God, including the Almighty, Jehovah, and Allah.

The native religion of Japan is Shintoism.

The Koran is the sacred text ofIslam; the Bible is the same for Christianity.

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