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Text File  |  1995-06-10  |  8KB  |  227 lines
  1.                  Capitalization
  2.  
  3. Abbreviations:
  4.  
  5. Capitalize the letters in abbreviations if the word abbreviated would normally be capitalized:
  6.  
  7.                                  Federal Bureau of Investigation‚ÄîFBI
  8.  
  9.                                  Housing and Urban Development‚ÄîHUD
  10.  
  11.                                  Monday‚ÄîMon.
  12.  
  13.                                  Boulevard‚ÄîBlvd.
  14.  
  15. After a Colon:
  16.  
  17. Capitalize the first word after a colon if it is a proper noun. 
  18.  
  19.                                  The new parents considered the following three names 
  20.                                  for their baby boy: Robert, John, and Anthony.
  21.  
  22. Capitalize the first word after a colon if it is a complete sentence: 
  23.                                 
  24.                                  After three weeks in Central America, he had the following to  
  25.                                  show for his diplomatic efforts: He had a broken windshield, a   
  26.                                  sunburn, a depleted wallet, and some colorful weavings.
  27.                                                                -BUT-
  28.                                  After three weeks in Central America, he had the following to  
  29.                                  show for his diplomatic efforts: a broken windshield, a 
  30.                                  sunburn, a depleted wallet, and some colorful weavings.                  
  31.  
  32. Compass Points:
  33.  
  34. Capitalize the points of the compass when they refer to specific places:
  35.  
  36.                                  the South, back East, the Midwest
  37.  
  38. Capitalize the points of the compass when they refer to global divisions (not states):
  39.  
  40.                                  Southern Europe
  41.                                           -BUT-
  42.                                  eastern Montana
  43.  
  44. Do not capitalize the points of the compass when they refer to direction:
  45.  
  46.                                  south of here, farther north
  47.  
  48. Do not capitalize the points of the compass when they are used adjectivally:
  49.  
  50.                                  western clothing, southwest wind
  51.  
  52.  
  53. General:
  54.  
  55. Always capitalize the following:
  56.  
  57.          1. The first letter of a sentence:
  58.  
  59.                                  Television news coverage is seldom comprehensive.
  60.  
  61.          2. Official titles when combined with the name of the holder:
  62.  
  63.                                  President George Bush
  64.  
  65.          3. The first letter of the important words in literary titles:
  66.  
  67.                                  The Grapes of Wrath
  68.  
  69.          4. Nations, states, counties, cities:
  70.  
  71.                                  United States, Minnesota, Stevens County, Minneapolis
  72.  
  73.           5. Days of the week, months, holidays:
  74.  
  75.                                  Tuesday, January, Christmas
  76.  
  77.           6. Major historical events and periods:
  78.  
  79.                                  Dark Ages, Great Depression
  80.  
  81.            7. Schools, political parties, businesses:
  82.  
  83.                                  University of California, Republican Party, 
  84.                                       
  85.                                  Pacific Telephone Company
  86.                                       
  87.            8. People's names and initials:
  88.  
  89.                                  John B. Davis
  90.  
  91.            9. Proper names of geographic features; lakes, rivers, mountains, etc:
  92.  
  93.                                  Lake Tahoe, Mississippi River, Rocky Mountains
  94.  
  95.          10. Nationalities and other proper noun group memberships:
  96.  
  97.                                  Swedish, Irish
  98.                                  New Yorker, Martian
  99.                                  Democrat, Hoosier
  100.                                  Arkansas Razorback
  101.  
  102.                                            -BUT-
  103.  
  104.                                  San Diego resident
  105.                                  native Alaskan
  106.                                        
  107.           11. Names of deities:
  108.  
  109.                                  God, Buddha, Siva                 
  110.  
  111. Holidays:
  112.  
  113. Capitalize all holidays and religious days:
  114.  
  115.                                  Memorial Day, All Saints Day
  116.  
  117. Outlines:
  118.  
  119. Capitalize the first word of each item in an outline:
  120.  
  121.                                  1. Preparing the soil
  122.                                  2. Planting the seeds
  123.                                  3. Irrigating
  124.                                  4. Harvesting
  125.  
  126. Parentheses:
  127.  
  128. Capitalize the first word of a parenthetic statement only if it is a proper noun or begins a complete sentence:
  129.  
  130.                                  It made no sense for them to continue arguing. (They
  131.                                  were certainly not resolving anything.)                 
  132.  
  133.                                                               -BUT-
  134.  
  135.                                  The train (a monorail) arrived early in Brussels.
  136.                                   
  137. Poetry:
  138.  
  139. Capitalize the first word in each line of poetry:
  140.  
  141.                                  My heart so full it overflows in sonnets
  142.                                  Pray thee, Fair Maid, don't tread upon it
  143.  
  144.             NOTE:  In modern verse, this and all other rules are often ignored.
  145.  
  146. Prefixes:
  147.  
  148. Foreign name prefixes-such as d', da, van, and von-are usually capitalized when not preceded by a name or title:
  149.  
  150.                                  D' Meres, but Johnny d'Meres
  151.  
  152.                                  Von Stufalt, but Baron von Stufalt
  153.  
  154. American or British name prefixes are usually capitalized regardless of precedent:
  155.           
  156.                                  Van Pelt, also Dolores Van Pelt
  157.  
  158.         NOTE: Discovering individuals' preferential spelling of their own
  159.                  names is the only safe method.
  160.  
  161. Proper Names and Titles:
  162.  
  163. Capitalize all proper names:
  164.  
  165.                                  Joe's Diner, San Diego, Elizabeth Barklay
  166.                                   
  167. Capitalize words combined with or substituted for proper names to form titles:
  168.  
  169.                                  Ivan the Terrible, the Sunshine State
  170.  
  171.                                  the Great Gatsby, Nader's Raiders
  172.  
  173. Capitalize official titles and academic degrees when they are used with the name of the holder:
  174.  
  175.                                  President Truman; Ron Hill, Ph.D.
  176.  
  177.                                  Reverend Jesse Jackson, Dr. Greaves
  178.  
  179.                                  Senator Cranston, Mayor Moore
  180.  
  181.                                  Mister Jones, Lady Jane
  182.  
  183. Capitalize a title when it is used without the name, when it is used in direct address, or when it definitely refers to a certain person:
  184.                                      
  185.                                  I'm telling you, Doctor, there is something wrong.
  186.            
  187.                                  The Mayor is coming.
  188.  
  189. Capitalize family terms when they are used with the name to which they apply, or when they refer to a specific family member:
  190.  
  191.                                  Aunt Jane, Uncle Albert, My heart belongs to Daddy.
  192.  
  193. But do not capitalize family terms which follow a possessive pronoun:
  194.  
  195.                                  My mother is coming along for the ride.
  196.  
  197. Capitalize family terms when they are used in direct address:
  198.  
  199.                                  If I didn't care, Mother, I wouldn't mention it.
  200.                             
  201. Do not capitalize family terms when they are used in the generic sense:
  202.  
  203.                                  He had a face only a mother could love.
  204.  
  205. Capitalize the important words in literary titles:
  206.  
  207.                                  The Fall of the House of Usher
  208.  
  209.                                  Mating Behavior of Cephalopods
  210.  
  211. Quotations:
  212.  
  213. Capitalize the first word of a complete quotation:
  214.  
  215.                                  She asked,  "Where is my briefcase?"
  216.  
  217. Do not capitalize the resumed portion of a quoted sentence:
  218.  
  219.                                  "There is no point," she said, "in continuing this 
  220.                                  discussion."
  221. Seasons:
  222.  
  223. Capitalize the names of the seasons of the year if they are personified:
  224.  
  225.                                  Hurry, sweet Summer, we need you.
  226.                                                           -BUT-
  227.                                  I can hardly wait for this summer.