Proper Nouns
The trick, of course, is to know what is a proper noun (and thus capitalized) and what is a common noun (not capitalized).
Here is a principle to keep in mind: "one of a kind." If what you are referring to is "one of a kind," then it most likely is a proper noun. Also note that proper nouns do not have any limiting words such as definite (the) or indefinite articles (a, an) before them.
Examples:
- I would like to introduce you to Aunt Cecilia. (Proper. The word "Aunt" is part of the person's name.)
- My favorite aunt is a great cook. (Common. The word "aunt" is part of a phrase identifying the person.)
- The town is nestled at the foot of Crystal Mountain. (Proper. The word "Mountain" is part of a name of a place, Crystal Mountain.)
- Please accept this bouquet of mountain wild flowers. (Common. The word "mountain" is part of a phrase describing the flowers)
- She yelled at Dad to set the table. (Proper. The word "Dad" substitutes for the person's name.)
- Tell your dad to set the table right now. (Common. The word "dad" describes the person and is part of the phrase "your dad.")
- She enrolled in the school's Department of Distance Education to earn her graduate degree. (Proper. The official name of this entity.)
- She enrolled in a department of distance education to earn her graduate degree. (Common. Does not refer to a specific department at a specific school.)
- Her most difficult course was Statistics 101. (Proper. The official name of a course.)
- Her most difficult course was in statistics. (Common. The name of a discipline or field of knowledge.)
Some Categories of Proper Nouns
Real
- Bill Clinton
- Paris Hilton
- Mother Teresa
Fictional
- Huckleberry Finn
- Harry Potter
- Hannah Montana
Places
- Paris, France
- Great Barrier Reef
- The White House
Organizations
- The Red Cross
- Toyota
- Ku Klux Klan
Patented Products
- Kleenex
- Velcro
- Jeep
Proper Adjectives
Because proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns, the same rules of capitalization apply. Proper adjectives can identify religious affiliation, nationality, ethnicity, schools of thought pioneered by specific people, and any other category of proper noun. Common categories include the following:
Some Categories of Proper Adjectives
Derived from Religion/Ethnicity
- Buddhist (Buddhism)
- Jewish (Judaism)
Derived from Nations
- French (France)
- Chinese (China)
Derived from People
- Freudian (Sigmund Freud)
- Achilles tendon (Achilles)
Derived from Other
- Asian (continent of Asia)
- Olympian (mythical Mount Olympus)
Titles of Published Works
While the rules of title capitalization vary slightly from style guide to style guide, the following rules are common to all guides:
- Always capitalize the first and last word of a title regardless of what the word is.
- Capitalize all words in between first and last words except:
- articles (a, an, the)
- prepositions less than three letters (in, on, of, to, at, by, up)
- short conjunctions (and, but, yet, as, for, or, nor)
Examples:
- The Cat in the Hat
- A Dream Within a Dream
- The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
- Another Teen Show Between Seasons
- The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
Seasons
The names of seasons are not capitalized when used by themselves; they are capitalized when used as a title.
Examples:
- This winter will bring higher than normal temperatures. (Common noun)
- Are you familiar with the Summer of Love in 1969? (Part of a title)
- He will graduate after the Fall 2014 semester. (Part of a title)
Geographic Regions
Only specific regions of a country, continent, or hemisphere are capitalized. Compass points, directions, or references to locality are not.
Examples:
- In the country's Midwest, basic industries are not recovering from the recession. (Specific geographic region)
- The middle western states include isolated pockets of prosperity. (Compass point, direction or locality)
- For the past decade America has conducted continuous war in Southwest Asia. (Specific geographic region)
- Big waves rolled in from the northern Atlantic. (Compass point, direction or locality)
- The chef decided to specialize in Southern cooking. (Specific geographic region)
- The best farm land can be found south of the city limits. (Compass point, direction or locality)
Sacred Figures & Writings
Names of deities and sacred texts are capitalized. However, the words "god" or "gods" is not capitalized when used as a common noun.
Examples:
- People of the world pray to many different gods, including Allah, Krishna, Jehovah, Xamaba and more.
- Monotheistic religions believe in only a single god.
- The Book of Deuteronomy is found in the Bible's Old Testament.
More Common Capitalization Problems
| Category | Capitalization |
|---|---|
| Awards | Capitalized. Examples: National Merit Scholarship. Guggenheim Fellowship. Outstanding Citizen of the Year. |
| Branches of government | Capitalized, even if abbreviated. Examples: U.S. Congress, Congress, House of Representatives, the House, Senate. |
| Buildings/Rooms | Names of buildings are capitalized, as are important or well-known rooms within them. Examples: Empire State Building, Sears Tower, Oval Office |
| Capitols | Capitalize federal and state capitols. Examples: U.S. Capitol. Capitol Building. Georgia State Capitol. |
| Constitutions, legislation, treaties | Capitalized, even if abbreviated. Examples: U.S. Constitution, Iraqi Constitution, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Second Amendment, Geneva Convention |
| Earth | Capitalized when it refers to the planet; lowercase when it refers to the ground. Examples: From space, Earth appears as a delicate blue sphere. If you don't like the feel of earth between your hands, don't try gardening. |
| Holiday Names | Always capitalized. Examples: Mother's Day. Arbor Day. Halloween. |
| I | Always capitalize the personal pronoun "I" even when part of a contraction. Example: "I think I’m in good shape because I’ve written a great paper!” |