Use capitalization to indicate proper nouns, specific geographical locations, professional titles preceding names, etc. To determine if a word should be capitalized, consult a dictionary.
Capitalize professional positions when they are used with the person's name.
Ex: We gained an understanding of that issue from Professor Pantz.
Capitalize academic subjects only when referring to the specific course's full name and number.
Ex: The Literature 2401 class doesn't have enough students in it.
Capitalize only names of academic subjects that relate to languages.
Ex: I studied history last year, but this year I intend to study English.
When people's titles are used without their names, only capitalize the titles when they refer to individuals with high rank.
Ex: Yesterday, the President voted to renew the engineer's contract.
Capitalize "north, south, east, and west" only when referring to specific regions but not when discussing a specific direction.
Ex: My mother grew up in the South.
Ex: That plant is two miles south of Dempsey City.
Capitalize most religious terms.
Ex: He read the Koran in three months.
Capitalize major words in titles but use small case letters for articles (a, an, the) and short prepositions (in, on, at, to, etc.).
Ex: I read Gone with the Wind when I was in junior high.
Capitalize words that indicate family relationship only when they are not used with possessive structures.
Ex: She told me that my father forgot his glasses.
Ex: I will take Mom and Dad to dinner to celebrate their anniversary.
Capitalize organizations, institutions, and government agencies.
Ex: She sent a check to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Capitalize holidays, days of the week, and months.
Ex: Return the books by Labor Day to avoid a late fee.
Capitalize specific places.
Ex: She plans to visit the Sahara Desert.
Names of seasons do not need to be capitalized.
Ex: Ellen will return to Maine in the fall.
You can test your understanding of this handout by completing Academic Center exercises available here.
Crossroads Astronomy Club - 5/21/2012
Exploring All Things Franchise - 5/22/2012
Starting Your Own Business - 5/23/2012
Open House - 5/23/2012
City Golf Tournament Dinner and Reception - 5/26/2012
Student Worker Training - 5/29/2012
Registration Closes 6:00 PM for Summer Regular & 5W1 - 5/30/2012
UHV sophomore served as voice of the students at Jaguar Hall - 05/21/2012
UHV business undergraduates participate in conference, hear from gas company manager - 05/17/2012
UHV student wins Salute to Nurses scholarship - 05/17/2012
School of Nursing launches Friends of Nursing with $1,000 donation - 05/17/2012
SBDC seminar to explore benefits of franchise ownership - 05/17/2012
