Capitalize major words in titles, but use lower 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.
Ex: One of the articles I used in my research paper was “The Changing Face of the Market: An Exploration into the Effects of Terrorism on a Global Economy.”

Note: The article an is capitalized in the second example above because it comes after a colon in the title. In a title, the first word after a colon is always capitalized.

Note: Some documentation style manuals modify the capitalization rules of titles in reference lists. Check with your style manual.

Capitalize organizations, institutions, and government agencies.

Ex: Katie and Sue went to lunch at Olive Garden.
Ex: Katie graduated from Washington State University.
Ex: Katie graduated from the university.
Ex: She sent a check to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Note: In the third example, “university” was not capitalized because it is not a name or title of a particular university.

Visit Commonly Confused Words at http://www.pnl.gov/ag/usage/confuse.html.

1. My professor suggested I read Anne Conway’s The Principles Of The Most Ancient And Modern Philosophy.

2. In studying gender, I learned about the women’s social and political union (WSPU).

3. I want to be a part of the smithsonian institution.

Answers

1. My professor suggested I read Anne Conway’s The Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy.

2. In studying gender, I learned about the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).

3. I want to be a part of the Smithsonian Institution.

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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