RULES FOR CAPITALIZATION

Deciding when to capitalize a word or phrase may seem confusing at times, but here are some general guidelines for making sure you use the technique correctly:

• Capitalize all proper nouns (specific people, places, holidays, religions, months, etc.)

• Capitalize proper adjectives (e.g. Roman numeral)

• Geographic locations (with specific names)

• Organization names

• Academic courses and degrees (specific degree and course tides; but not general academic degrees and subjects)

• Personal and business titles

• Capitalize when they precede names
• Capitalize them in addresses, salutations, and closings
• Capitalize titles of close relatives appearing w/o pronouns
• DO NOT capitalize high ranking gov't or religious titles when appearing alone or following a name in running text
• DO NOT capitalize common titles following names or standing alone
• DO NOT capitalize when tide is followed by an appositive w/an individual's name
• DO NOT capitalize family tides used w/o possessive pronouns

·        Numbered and lettered items (except for page, paragraph, line, and verse references)

·        Points of the compass (if used to indicate a specific region; not is it is a general direction or reference)

·        Specific departments, divisions, and committees

·        Governmental terms, when they are part of a specific tide

·        Names of trademarked products

·        Literary titles

·        First word in a sentence, quoted or otherwise

·        Ethnic references

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